Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Not flamenco, but last time I was in Oporto I played shakuhachi in a Fado pub. It was a great audience!

Hello Jean, my name´s Antonio and I´m a shakuhachi player in Spain. I play a bit of flamenco on shakuhachi as I take lessons with the well known flutist and flamenco composer Juan Parrilla as we live in the same city in Madrid.

As a Spaniard I think that shakuhachi fits amazingly well with some of the palos "flamenco rhythms". In the very fast ones as Bulería I don´t like very much as shakuhachi looks a Western flute. I think that according to the nature of the shakuhachi is an instrument that is closer to the voice. In flamenco there´re some free singing styles as Taranta, Martinete, etc... It´s important to know the singing and the text to understand how to do it fater on the shakuhachi.

We did one year ago a successful experiment. We recorded Tientos a flamenco palo that is in 4/4. The instruments recorded are flamenco guitar, double bass, cajón, clapings and shakuhachi. Last Summer meanwhile I was in Japan I was recording a CD and there´re two songs that collaborated Ryotaro Shibata a friend that is flamenco guitar player, so first recordings are available.

One important thing is to learn the scale and how to use and to know when is finishing the palo and usually most of the starting of the palos are off bit.

If you have some questions feel free to ask.

Best Wishes,
Antonio.

I´ll upload soon some MP3 on my site and I´ll post in the forum the link.

Hola Antonio,

I am very happy to know somebody who makes the link between shakuhachi and flamenco. I also find that the shakuhachi can get married very well to some " palos " of the flamenco. Indeed, it is an instrument close to the voice and he allows inflections and micro intervals as the singing in flamenco. 

Regrettably, I am only a beginner, I begin hardly the study of the first ones honkyoku and my technique does not allow me to dash into the experiment flamenco-shakuhachi. I am delighted to listen your CD. Can one buy it?

I discovered a very good CD of Hozan Yamamoto entitled "Otoño" where he plays flamenco with prestigious Spanish musicians such as Chano Dominguez, Javier Paxariño or the guitarist Nono Garcia and in particular certain tracks  as "Aire de luna " or "Encuentros" very flamenco where the shakuhachi sounds really great, the others tracks are more jazz-flamencos.

In the pleasure to listen your CD.

Jean.

Olé Antonio !

This CD is very inspirational for me... just knowing that there is an artist out there putting together flamenco feeling and shakuhachi.

A beautiful journey, an evocative musical colors that weave through my Andalusian heart. The sound is original and beautiful. The different instruments create a musical ecstasy. Love this particular combination of instruments. I love too the beauty of the Shakuhachi with sensitive support of the guitar accompanist and hands claps.

The compositions are original, something new and expressive. Totally captivating!

The track “Para Jun san” is a music peice of wondrous beauty and mystery, and punctuated with passages of real drama. The rich tones of the shakuhachi and the Mongolian kargyraa throat singing brings a mysterious feeling. Simply wonderful.

I truly enjoyed it.

I think your compositions are superb, and I can't wait to hear more of them. You can also send me the CD. I appreciate the gesture to lower costs to the members of shakuhachiforum. You can contact me directly on my email : jean.huescar@gmail.com.  You can express in Spanish because English for me is a bit laborious.

Jean