My introduction to Flamenco guitar music one Christmas Morning was an album by Ottmar Liebert, and I have been a fan ever since. He continues to be one of my all time favourites since that morning so many years ago. Best Christmas present ever!!!
I was thinking of this song this morning when I was walking to Apuela for food and realized I have not put music on the site for some time now. I have been doing some drawing lately as well and it seemed like a good day to combine the two pleasures. There has been much rain over the last few weeks, the river is running brown and quite high, so like winter back home, it seems to be a good time to create. Unfortunately it can also mean no power with the inevitable mudslides which can happen. Five days has been the longest period so far, something back home would be classified as a state of emergency. Here you just get on with your day, but without the convenience of wifi, which unfortunately hampers communication and no power means you lose ability to charge those devices so much a part of our lives. Five days without power, you gain an understanding of how much this is true, and how quiet it becomes, how dark it is at night. The silence becomes refreshing. After the third day, one cannot help but wonder what we would do if the power did not come back on for an extended period of time, or (god forbid) – forever.
Ottmar Liebert was born in Germany, his father was of German and Chinese decent, his mother Hungarian, so he was also my first experience of hearing a musician of mixed culture. I can’t help but wonder if someone born as he was, of different cultures has the advantage over some of us because there maybe an automatic openness to exploring. Of course so much depends on any one person no matter the circumstances, but at the time as I was being introduced to the different sounds, I did wonder.
I leave you with this concert because seeing him live is not something I have had the good fortune to experience. He is a very quiet player, setting the stage up to mimic a living room or backyard for those in attendance. In bare feet, he does seem quite at home on stage. I also enjoyed hearing him talk between songs, binging you into his world, his home in Santa Fe. He seems very confident, yet humble, open minded, and eager to see the beauty around him, and maybe this is why I like him so much – the music an extension of that part of his personality. Not just the notes played in a pleasing way, but much of who he is comes out through the music. I hope you also enjoy the experience.