Mention was made of Belgian guitarist Rafaella Smits recently in the comments. She was in the same master-class as me with José Tomás in Alicante in Spain in 1974. I have a couple of photos from back then. Here is one:
Sadly, I don't remember everyone's names--this was a long time ago! At the end of the class a few of us gathered on, I believe it was called the Ramblas, for a group photo. From left to right: the girlfriend of another Canadian guitarist, a guitarist who I didn't know, next is an English (or maybe Scottish?) guitarist whose name I also forget, but who was resident in Alicante for a long time and who had beautifully hand-copied and fingered (in various colors) manuscripts of pieces in the repertoire. Funny I remember all that but not his name. Next the other Canadian guitarist whose name was Allan I believe (I remember he used to practice so much he got deep "tracks" in his fingertips stained with green from corroded strings.) and another guitarist I didn't know--he might have been French. Next is the Mexican guitarist, Marco, who went on to a university teaching career back in Mexico. I remember him telling me that the Guardia Civil used to pick him up a few days before May 1st and keep him in custody until after--international worker's day--simply because he was a Mexican and as far as Spain under Franco was concerned, was therefore a communist! Next is, I believe, Rafaella Smits and her friend, another Belgian guitarist. Then, in the back in the red shirt is a Latin-American guitarist, but I forget from where. In front, crouching, is an Anglo-Irish guitarist that I shared an apartment with who liked to practice on the terrace so he could get a tan at the same time. Behind him in the white top, is another Latin-American guitarist as is the gentleman beside her with the beard--I believe he was from Peru. The young fellow behind them I don't remember. Back to the front, crouching next to my roommate is an American guitarist. Standing behind is a guitarist from the Philippines, a fine player whose name I forget. Finishing up in front are me looking up, and my good friend Klaus Helminen, from Finland, who spoke seven or eight languages and played a Daniel Friedrich guitar.
Let's hear a performance by Rafaella Smits. This is Elegie by Mertz:
Huh, somewhat didn't occur to me until you mentioned it that, of course, 1974 Franco was still in charge. I'm curious, how was the guitar, and visiting guitarists like yourself, viewed by the regime?
ReplyDeleteYeah, he died a year later. I had no global awareness back then. This was my first time out of Canada--and I hadn't even been to eastern Canada. All I did was get a haircut before I flew. Spain back then was really safe. Lots of Guardia Civil with machine guns on every corner. No crime, not even any graffiti. Perfectly safe, unless you were a communist!
ReplyDeleteI went to a little bar/coffee shop (same thing) across from my apartment just after I moved in for a cafe con leche. After a few minutes the bartender said. "you're a guitarist." Yes. "A classical guitarist." Yep. "You study with Jose Tomas." None of this was a question, by the way, just statements. Ok, Tomas did live in the neighborhood and he was a famous musician, but wow. Small world. Actually, that was a flamenco bar with a jukebox that only had flamenco discs. And the bartender just took one look at my nails and that was it.
Very interesting! Must have been great.
ReplyDeleteChanged my life.
ReplyDelete