Month: November 2016

“Kings of This Music”: From Camarón de la Isla to Pedrito Martínez

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When Pedrito Martínez sings for Yemayá—as he did at the beginning of his show in Boston last week—the crossroads open: oceanic crossroads, lived crossroads, crossroads of transformation, crossroads rooted in Cayo Hueso, Havana, where Pedrito grew up, Elegguá’s crossroads where choices are made, destinies are reversed, and intention translates into meaning. A man seated in the back of Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, feeling the space change with the music, Continue reading ““Kings of This Music”: From Camarón de la Isla to Pedrito Martínez” →

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Announcement – eBook coming!

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In early 2017, I’ll be releasing a practical eBook on how to build study abroad programs and how to turn around study abroad program performance in 90-days.

Based on years of developing and directing programs in Brazil, Cuba, and Spain, the content is designed to help universities and third-party providers build and manage solid, high-impact study abroad centers. Two courses and consultancy services are connected to this project!

Please subscribe to the mailing list and like our Facebook page for updates!

Los Cuentos del Sirocco

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Este cuento es dedicado a los granadinos y linguistas que, hace poco en su conferencia,  discutieron el artículo que escribí sobre el mensaje urgente de Flamenco en un momento de tanta transición e inestabilidad, un momento que nos recuerda de épocas del facismo.

This is dedicated to a recent conversation at a Linguistics conference in Granada, Spain. The article, Flamenco for the Future, helped catalyze discussions and that really is the point of SiroccoBlue. 

Los Cuentos del Sirocco

“Cuenta los cuentos del Sirocco,” me dicen, “del viento que es invisible, que nos trae la lluvia y los aguaceros de nuestra memoria.”

Escucho al aire y empiezo a transcribir:

Continue reading “Los Cuentos del Sirocco” →

Stories of the Scirocco

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On a recent trip to New Haven, watching so many Sicilian and Neapolitan families gather to celebrate birthdays at a local restaurant, I felt inspired to re-visit the work of Mario Trimarchi and started to re-write an earlier article on this great artist. You may recognize the photographs from before, but the writing takes on a new directions.  “Products,” and by this Trimarchi means his jewelry and drawings, “mainly tell stories. They are not just shapes.” This brief article explores pieces of those stories—stories and aspects of storytelling that Flamenco also engages, embodies, and transmits.

Continue reading “Stories of the Scirocco” →

Testimonials from Brazil

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Two great testimonials from Brazil arrived! The first is based on the college essays (statement of purpose, personal statement, writing samples) that I help students develop through a draft writing process. Professor Paula Mussumeci also highly recommends the scholarship applications assistance that I’ve been giving. I do this work in the Boston Providence, and New London (CT) area, free of charge to students, and I run workshops in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. If you are interested, please find me on facebook. Continue reading “Testimonials from Brazil” →

Flamenco for the Future | Stories & the Arts in Troubled Times

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Flamenco is a music and dance of resiliency and protest. It has been, at times, an urgent call to gather and unify in the face of systematic oppression and genocide. At the height of its expression and expressivity, Flamenco endured (and continues to endure) the same rise of fascism that the world is currently moving towards.

Continue reading “Flamenco for the Future | Stories & the Arts in Troubled Times” →

Scholarships & Grants for “Minorities”

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“Minorities” is a misnomer and I put it in quotes for that reason. The world’s true minority is, without a doubt, “white” (however that is defined). Continue reading “Scholarships & Grants for “Minorities”” →

Scholarship Opportunities for College

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One of the Sirocco Blue readers sent a list of new scholarship opportunities. Continue reading “Scholarship Opportunities for College” →

Pedrito Martínez & Band, Tonight in Boston!

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Cuban singer and percussionist Pedrito Martínez and his band have been a huge hit in Manhattan for nearly a decade. A master of Cuban music, Martínez goes beyond the traditional form, drawing on complex rhythms, jazz, and pop. Martínez’s musical talent Continue reading “Pedrito Martínez & Band, Tonight in Boston!” →

Tomatito: Legend of Time | Concert Review

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Led by legendary Flamenco guitarist, José Fernández Torres (known around the world as “Tomatito”), and accompanied by his son (José Fernández “Tomatito Hijo”), a royal Roma lineage tore through Boston’s Berklee Performace Center on Sunday night.

Continue reading “Tomatito: Legend of Time | Concert Review” →