Flamenco Saturday at Tapeo. September 15, 2007
View of Potomac from the Washington DC side. September 15, 2007 6:12pm
It's 8:22am on Sunday as I type these words. I did go to bed earlier than usual last night cuz I knew I was going to be getting up early this morning. I have plans to meet a friend for breakfast and didn't want to be late.
Yesterday was sunny and beautiful. Perhaps a bit on the cold side compared to the previous week, but I was with a friend enjoying a drive down George Washington Parkway with its gently winding tree-lined road and teasing occasional postcard-perfect views of the Potomac. We had the windows rolled up so we could enjoy the music we were listening to: Chambao's "Pokito a Poko"--incidentally the theme for my Myspace profile--the perfect song to set the mood.
Met up with another friend at the Georgetown waterfront and enjoyed a drink at the riverside bar before going our separate ways. I picked up my sound system at Cabanas and headed towards Tapeo to get ready for my gig that night...
My new usual drink: sherry. September 15, 2007 8:26pm
I arrived around 6:30pm and it was dead--there was one couple enjoying some tapas and the majority of the wait staff was in the corner relaxing and enjoying conversation. I put off setting up my sound system for now so I could join them. It's very rare that I actually get to talk to the servers--usually they're way to busy. As it turns out, the hostess is a serious dance student and has studied just about every major form of dance out there except flamenco but plans to take classes very soon. She told me that she recently discovered my website and was very impressed and found herself reading my blog for hours. Hearing her say that made my night!
The dancers scheduled to perform this evening were Claudia and Isabelita. My guitar student Matteo also was planning to sit-in with us for the show playing guitar and cajón. Right around 8:00pm, as if on cue, the restaurant started filling up with customers. On a cold night like this, I'm going to assume that the people came out primarily to see our show. And they were a very enthusiastic crowd anyway. It had been a while since I last played for Isabelita and I must say, she has come a long way as a performer. She's a very passionate dancer as it is--but with the additional inspiration from Claudia's cante, Isabelita was dancing on a level I had never seen before. I was impressed and so was our audience--Olé Isabelita!
Miguelito, Claudia, Isabelita and Matteo at Tapeo. September 15, 2007 9:36pm
This is just a quick blog. I better get ready so I can meet my dancer friend for breakfast and not be late. Afterwards we're rehearsing at the Pink Flamenco--I'll try to get pics. As for tonight (Sunday) I'll be performing for a private party at Las Tapas with Ginette Perea and Pam de Ocampo. Ciao for now!
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