More Stuff from the Feria.

Hey Hey Gang here are some pics from the Corridas from the past couple of days..... All I can say is this Arles is out of it's F*#$&*@ MIND!! There are ump pa pa bands everywhere... People are running around half blitzed out of their minds from all of the pastis!! Not to mention that I think 4 days of smelling Paella cooking is enough... And I don't care if I smell another glass of Ricard again.... Naw it's all in good fun... Arles isn't the quiet little place, that I moved to back in October... Somehow I think as the weather gets warmer it's going to get worse.... Hmm minus the ump pa pa bands I hope...... tee hee Okay enough of my bitching about the craziness in Arles here is what I and, I am sure y'all have been waiting for... My Corrida pics..... These first set of pics I took on Saturday March 22nd. These first three pics are of Juan Bautista. He's a local boy from here in Arles...

These next two are of El Juli

These next two are of Jose Mari Manzenares These next three were taken on March 23rd and they are of Uceda Leal.

These next three are of Antonio Ferrera.

These Last three shots are of Mehdi Savall.Well, that's it for the Corrida Photographs... Tonight is battle of the Ump pa pa bands.. I may go and check that out.. Hmm who knows if people get to out of hand I may go out and find a little person to stuff into one of those Tubas. All in all being in Arles during the Feria was fun.... I do, however, enjoy it when it is a little more more quiet..... I am off to see if any of Mi Amigos who run the verious eating and drinking establishments here have pulled out any of their hair... As of last night many of them looked as though they were about to... YIKES!!! I think it's the pallea.... Hey Superfrog ya got any Paella??? tee hee!!!!!

~Mel~

Novillada and Arles has Paella feaver...

Okay I woke up this morning to the sounds of Um pa pa bands.. Oh la la Feria has arirved.. This morning was the first Novillada of the Feria. 6 younger Novilleros against 6 younger bulls. Well, one of the Novilleros is one of the kids that I took photographs of back in November... JUANITO. Here are a few pictures From today's events..

OH LA LA UMM PA PA BANDS!! GREAT!!!!! ARLES IS BEING INVADED BY UMP PA PA BANDS!! hmm wonder if they do private parties... Okay can you imagine this band in my tiny little flat!! ALE!!!

This is Fran Gonzales.....This is Sofianito:

This is Damien Castano:

This is Cayetano Ortiz he actually took the ears and won his fight.

This is Luis Manuel Casares

This is Juanito: He's the one I photographed in Fontvielle back in November... My how we grow up in just a few short months...

Well, gang that's it from the Novillada... I am off to find the best Paella in Arles.... Hmm it's not like I have only a few choices... Some how I think what the Gitanos are cookin at Chez Paul will be the best....

A bientot....

I am back in Arles... And it's got the Feria feavah!!

Okay gang I made it back to Arles safe and sound. The flight back was quick and uneventful... Picked up my car and made my way to Arles. Took a little detour.. eh give me a break... I barely slept on the plane.... hmm couldn't remember if i should go toward Aix en Provence or Salon??

Finally agreed on Salon... Good choice.. Finally got back to mi casa... All was well with the exception of three of my plants... But this being the Easter season maybe something will help my other plants.... Well, I set off, yesterday in search of bulls... This Weekend is the Easter Feria here in Arles and the whole village has a fresh coat of paint and there are little white tents everywhere. They have set up a space in Gimeaux where they have put the bulls for the Corridas... Aye!! Here are few shots of the Bulls.. Okay folks please no hate posts to my blog... It's all good.... These Animals are treated like gold even when they make it to the Arena ring. I just wanted to show the majesty of these beasts....

Here are a few shots of the Corse de Camargues that took place also at the Arena in Gimeaux. These first shots are of the Guardians and I tried to get the torreros but these guys fly when being chased by the Camargue bulls. Here are a few shots of the events.

Okay here is a quick lesson on Bulls Camargue bulls: Their horns point to heaven... Spanish Bulls point forward... tee hee there endeth the lessonHere are a couple of shots of the Corse De Camargues... The Torreros have to try and grab a piece of string tied between the bulls horns..Okay gang that's it from Roman Gual for now.. Keep your eyes on the blog.. Men in tight pants are coming soon!!!!

Whaao!!

Well, Look what ya find when you're walkin around in Denver.. Tee hee.. It's always nice, when I am missing the Gitanos to run into them . Hey what can I say? Even in Denver I am never to far away from mi "Amigo" and his little brother... tee hee... Hey I just have one question.... What's the deal with the scarves?????? LOVE THESE GUYS!!!!
Oh la la here's a pic of my mom and the Poulette.... Oh la la look at those smiles. We had such a good time!!! tee hee.... He was so sweet to me and my mom. Molt Gracies L'Estimo Meu Amore!!!

The Gitanos Come to Denver

Oh la la

I mean really what more can be said about this little band of Gitanos??

I am sitting in a hotel room, it's two in the morning.. Well, Daylight savings time has begun in the States so it's actually three... eh who cares I am still riding that Gitano wave... The Boys played the Denver Paramount, well, what would be lastnight now.. As always they did not dissapoint. Two 50 minute sets of their music, running the full spectrum of their entire 20 year career..

Okay to start the whole thing off, my mom and I drove up from Pueblo, (two hours south of Denver and my actual home town) We decided to have a girls weekend... A little overnighter in the big D and seeing the Boys play was the bonus!!!

I do have to send out my apologies.... I was unable to get any decent shots of Canut and Paco. Canut has the voice and soul of a poet and he is one of my dearest friends... I am always moved to tears when he sings. It's just the joy of his voice and knowing where his song comes from that moves me this way.. He also has been known to move me to tears of laughter.. LOVE YA CANUT!!!

Okay here are some pics from the show and i'll yak more about it later...

ALE POULETTE!!! Okay I am way to partial to the oldest Reyes brother but hey he's one of my best friends and he's the love of my life... ;-)))))))

Nicolas, not only does he have the voice but he ain't bad on the guitar as well...

Poulette, and Andre.. Hangin out during "Sabroso"

Nicolas, The Gipsy with the Golden Voice and Tonino El Maestro...


Tonino... El Maestro!!! Need I say more?? This Gitano makes a guitar sing!!!

Pacheco God of all Percussion.... This honorary Gitano can Rock!!!!

Nicolas, Pacheco and Tonino.... Did I mention that these guys are brilliant???

Who Are the People in your Neighborhood?

Well, Kids

I probably should have started this a while back but oh well, it's better late than never... I'll be doing an installment of "Who are the people in my neighborhood?" every once in a while just so you get to know some of the people in my life in Arles.... In the short four months that I have been in Arles I have met some wonderful people.. Most of them I have known for a while as I had met them on previous visits to Arles... Being there for an extended period of time has allowed me to get to know them better.... As for my neigborhood..... Well, all of Arles is my "hood" tee hee.... So along down the road I will be introducing mi amigos to you... These are the people who make me feel like I am truly at home in a country that is far away from my own..

And I am blessed to have each and every one of them in my life..

First up, and does this really suprise any one? tee hee... The boys at " Chez Paul"

As most of you know... Well, I am sure all of you know... The Gitanos in Arles are a huge part of my life... They are my extended family here in Arles... At any given night at the bar you can hear anything from the Gipsy Kings to Camaron de la Isla, and Jose Reyes being played... This place is run by Paul. Paul is, as you can see from the photograph of the Reyes Clan... He is the son of one of the Reyes' sisters, Faionne.... Just a bit of triva for those of you who are familiar with the music of the Gipsies... His sister is Bernadette, of Canut's "Bolero" fame... Just thought I'd throw that in...

Here's Paul doin what all of these guys do best and that's sing.... This happened to be on one of the "Homage nights" This night was the Homage to Cameron de la Isla.. On any given night who's who in Gitano music just shows up... If you are there it's an amazing treat to sit and just listen to these guys sing... This night Juanito, and his little boy just happened to be there...

It was amazing to sit and listen to not only Juanito sing along with the Camaron songs but his little boy sang too.. 8 years old and he knew all the words to the song and he sang it with just the same passion as his father did...

Sometimes I have to sit back and look at where I am. I sort of take an inventory of how I ended up at this time and place... I suppose we all do that.. What leads us to where we are... The Gitanos are a part of my experience here.. They have allowed me to share a small part of their world..

Well, this is it for installment 1. Right now I am in America.. Hangin out with friends and family. I will add more to my blog about the people who I call friends in Arles...

~Mel~

The Gipsies invade New York!!

Oh la la. WOW !!

All I have to say is my boys sold out one of the biggest houses in NYC!! Radio City Music Hall...

For me it's very strange.... When I first met these guys it was through a mutual friend.. They were the Gipsy Kings... Cool!! First band I had ever seen live! Now I just know this little band of Gipsies from the South of France as Poulette, Canut, Nicolas, Patchai and Andre... So it's amazing to see them headline at Radio City... Not only headlining there but selling the damn thing out!!

As always this little group of Gitanos were spot on.... I missed the first couple of songs due to some managment issues.. But.... After a brief discussion with the powers that be about exactly who I am... hmm somehow that was all cleared up.... tee hee At any rate... We were able to enjoy the show from a backstage vantage point. I will say this about seeing them from this point of view.. you do hear the music in it's purest form.... Radio City is huge and things tend to get muffled... Andre's sweet voice tends to loose it's self in all of the space.... And some how all of the guitars over power him.. It was an Amazing show.. As always... Canut sang with that passion and soul that he always sings with. Singing his signature song. "Montana". Listening to him sing that song and knowing where the song comes from and what it is about brings tears to my eyes.... When his brothers add their harmonies to his song.. Those Reyes Boys know how to touch your soul... Of course Tonino being the guitar god that he is.. Never disapoints.. I don't really keep track of set lists or anything like that... Most of what they played were songs from all of their previous recordings.... Which is never a let down... I have always said that they would be just fine singing "Row your boat" and I would be happy... I do have to say this... And yes I am partial to the oldest of the Reyes brothers... My boy sang!!! Poulette belted out some wonderful riffs during "Pena Penita" that just blew me away!! Hmm always knew that the sweet one had it in him..... Simply adding to the magic of the whole evening.... Of course the back up band well, what is a group without it's support?? "Sabroso" showcased this very talented group of musicians.... It's amazing when a group gets it right.... These guys are what they are. Gitano Puro... But for two months out of the year they are genuine rock stars!!

So my next stop with the Gipsies will be in Denver.... For me seeing these guys play is a treat. I am honored to know them as the brilliant musicians that they are and most of all I am blessed to share my life with them and they in turn do the same... I never thought that this chica from Pueblo Colorado would be friends with Royalty... eh their just the Reyes boys... tee hee

So after all of the weather problems and all of the complaints of lost voices and the countless lines of "chicas" who pass through. These guys still have it... If you sit and talk to them they will tell you about all of their problems and what happened to them on their way to where they are. But when they step onto that stage they truly are Kings!!