Mercedes | The Weekly Letra
Today's post is not a flamenco letra; it is an acrostic that was written for Mercedes Ruíz when she was about eleven years old. It is written on this photo that hangs on a wall at the Peña Los Cernícalos.
Mercedes
Es, Jerez de la Frontera,
Rica sal de Andalucía,
Conquistando a España entera,
Ella se llama altanera,
Dichosa, como su abuela,
Este nombre de solera
Soy niña de la Plazuela.
Mercedes
She is, Jerez de la Frontera,
Rich salt of Andalucía,
Conquering all of Spain,
She is called arrogant*,
Happy, like her grandmother,
This traditional name
I am a girl from the Plazuela.*
*Some Notes
La Plazuela is an important flamenco neighborhood in Jerez, also known as San Miguel. It is where we stay during the Flamenco Tour to Jerez. It is where Mercedes's studio is and where the Peña los Cernícalos is.
From the photograph, I could not make out the word altanera, so Mercedes told me what it said and what it meant. Also, the name of the poet is partially smudged out, and Mercedes does not know his name. If I am able to find out who wrote this poem, I will post it.
By the way, I took this picture during the last Flamenco Tour to Jerez during a party at the peña one Friday after bulerías class. It went on into the night, but we had to leave after a few hours in order to make it to class with Mercedes. Still we sure had fun while we were there. You can see some pictures of that fiesta below. And here is a snippet of me dancing bulerías to El Pijo there.