ricardogarciaguitarist.com Blog

Working with Children in Ecuador

Administrator — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 15:57:50 +0000

We arrived in Quito in February 2009 ready to work with children doing Flamenco Unity workshops. Our first port of call was a centre for street children, Casa de la Ninez, which was a fantastic centre for children, a great space in a quiet, residential are of the city, with dormitories and classrooms, a performance/dance area, gardens, kitchen and offices.

The gang at the Casa de la Ninez

The children are interviewed on the streets before they are chosen to have this opportunity. Only those with the motivation to make this experience a life changing possibility will be invited and taken home to start a new life.

One of the most touching things was when the children, who slept in dormitories, invited us to view their cupboards: their only private, personal spaces in all the world.
In their cupboards were pictures, photos or cut out of magazines, of the things they loved, cars, football, travel, girls… Their few clothes and possessions were neatly folded and stacked or hung, and this small space was the vent for creativity and individualism for each one.

Kids showed us their cupboards where their private possessions were kept

They told us about their interests. Many loved dance, and performed with great enthusiasm in our workshops. After the tour, they invited us to watch them dance – hip hop mainly of course! They were great: bright, positive, funny, charming..It was an honour to be there with them, and many thanks to the staff and to Carolina Knight and her mother, Marta for setting it up!

The next day we had two visits organised: one to a school for handicapped kids in Quito and one to a local school.
Our workshops allowed the kids to watch the trio from Spain perform, then to join in with hand clapping, and then to learn some steps.

Group pic with kids in Quito

Eventually we get the children to dress up in clothes and do a short show for the audience. Ricardo, Maria and Laura impressed the kids with music and rhythm, singing and dance, some of course had never seen anything like this! Then when we got the clothes out, skirts, shawls, fans, flowers for hair and neckerchiefs for the boys, there was a rush to come and join in. We could take the larger groups in relays, and tried to ensure that every child who wanted to perform got the opportunity to do so.

We were fortunate to have the opportunity to visit schools of different sorts – some schools where the children were very poor and some affluent schools with every mod con. We went to two centres for the Handicapped and also to a Hopital where the children could all find something to join in with – song hand clapping or dance.

Kids workshop in a primary school in Quito

Group pic with kids in Quito

India – Zakir Hussain and Bollywood!!

Administrator — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:59:10 +0000

First night in India!! Very exciting – we are invited to meet the booker from the new and trendy venue, The Blue Frog in Mumbai. Arriving early, guitar in hand, we come across a huge crowd. They are waiting for the group to arrive – and as the concert is free – and high profile – they have arrived in advance to be sure of getting in. We are ushered forward – the bouncer spotted the guitar and let us in. We meet Emmanuelle, the booker and start to discuss bringing a show to the Blue Frog. “You will stay for the show later I hope,” she says, almost as an aside.

“We’d love to! Who is playing?”

“Zakir Hussain and his group – he is in Mumbai doing a show yesterday to honour the memory of his father,” she explains, “and they have agreed to do a free concert this evening, quite spontaneous, with Bela Fleck, Edgar Meier, Zakir’s brothers, Ranjit Barot on drums – maybe you would join them?”

First night in India – the magic starts here!

Thankyou Cara Yeates who organised this meeting – and who phoned us after we had entered – “How did you get past the crowd?” she said over the mobile phone. The guitar was the key, of course!

What a night – Zakir called Ricardo on stage – saying that he loved flamenco guitar. They all played – and for once the video camera was charged, and the camera for photos too! How often does that happen…

RICARDO GARCIA GUITARIST – Flamenco and World Music

Administrator — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:28:23 +0000

Ricardo Garcia
Ricardo Garcia is a truly eclectic guitarist – his roots lie in Flamenco, but in recent years he has played Jazz, African music, collaborated with a sitar and tabla player and even worked with Scottish traditional musicians. For nine years he has brought a show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe: conceived, composed and produced as an original work for the Fringe. The fifth and sixth shows were also performed in Canada and the US: Montreal, Ottawa, San Francisco, Orlando, Toronto and Vancouver to sell out audiences and five star reviews. Flamenco con Fusion won the “Audience Choice Award” in Vancouver International Fringe Festival, September 2007.

Here we present an authentic Flamenco from traditional to modern, moving towards a fusion of elements from its own background (Indian, Arabic, African, South American, Caribbean ) with modern influences such as Jazz, Latin Jazz Bossa Nova, Salsa and others.
Like every other ethnic music, Flamenco is constantly developing: integrating new and unusual harmonies and structures, experimenting with different rhythm patterns, flirting with different styles.We guarantee therefore some surprises, some unexpected collaborations and some astounding fusion! It is our aim to show you something you have never seen or imagined before but never to lose the essential core: the spirit that is – FLAMENCO!
What We Do
Shows

Residencies

Events

Festivals

Educational

Childrens shows

Concerts

Weddings

Workshops
Call Us Today!
Call Julie Gunn – tour manager – for further information

+44(0)79…

or email julie@ricardogarciaguitarist.com

Please contact us anytime! We look forward to hearing from you.

Link to contact page

: La guitarra a la casa de Begur

Web Hosting by Yahoo!

ph: +44(0…
ricardo@ricardogarciaguitarist.com