Bright early sunlight woke me up around six and I dozed with the radio on until it was time for Thought for the Day on the radio, having heard the early bird 'Prayer for the Day' equivalent. I cooked pancakes for breakfast, Clare got up feeling worse for wear after our journey home yesterday. I spent the morning until lunchtime going through my Costa Brava photo album and annotating pictures, checking half remembered place names on Google Street view. Then I cooked a curried veg and chick pea dish for lunch and snoozed in the chair for an hour afterwards. Clare booked tickets for the latest Daniel Martinez flamenco concert at RWCMD at tea time so we took our time walking there and back through Bute Park.
The concert was amazing with Martinez on guitar, the two flamenco singers who worked with him on his last visit to Cardiff, and two flamenco dancers, one male and one female, performing a selection of songs and dances from various regions of Andalusia with their own unique performance features. Unfortunately when Martinez spoke we understood little. His accented English wasn't the problem, but rather his soft spoken voice into a microphone which muffled his words. Such a shame. The percussion and guitar sound was well balanced and amplified. The rhythm of the dancers' heels was almost overwhelming on times but the volume varied considerably, showing their mastery of sound dynamics and expressiveness.
At this gig the electro-acoustic bassist wasn't with them, but the layout of a seat rigged with a microphone implied someone was missing and a passing mention of visa problems. Only eight of the six strong company were performing on stage, also a violinist was absent. But it was a great show. The virtuoso young male dancer is I believe a cousin or nephew of Martinez. The interaction between them all was joyous and sometimes humorous. There was a well deserved standing ovation at the end. What a treat for the day after returning from the other end of Spain where the traditional music and dance is quite different.
After supper we spend nearly a couple of hours chatting with Rachel via Whatsapp. Then it was time for bed, still tired after yesterday's travelling.
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