Thank you’s

I hope the Thanksgiving holiday was sweet for everyone. It always makes me think about friendship and what makes them long-lasting when they are.

And on Saturday, we had another beautiful show at Club Bonafide, where the audience is somehow always magical to me. People who come to our shows there, come willing to be taken on a journey where they come through wide-eyed and trust me to enjoy what their sense take in. OLE! 

My colleagues, Adrian Alvarado and Jeremy Smith, were as generous as ever with their talents. This was the first time I have worked with them together and also the first time I sang one of my favorite Brazilian songs, Encontros e Despedidas, a creation by the angel, Milton Nascimento. 

I am ever so thankful to all of you were came to make this the beautiful event that it was. 

Oh, and I also got to enjoy a performance by my musical sister, Carmen Estevez. I feel super honored to be her friend. She blew me away with her band, Brooklyn Gypsies, which she sings with and also plays percussion. She is an inspiration to all women for sure! 

---

Bárbara Martínez Syrah!

Turns out you CAN purchase your bottle of Syrah red wine from Santa Bárbara, California bottled by City Winery! You just email Ellen Gold at ellen@citywinery.com and she will help you. I believe it's $35. Shipping is available too :)

 I am thinking to donate proceeds to a wonderful cause. Suggestions welcome! 

Photographer: Darin Reed

SYRAH THOMPSON VINEYARD:

The steep hillsides & south-facing exposure of Thompson Vineyard ensures complete ripeness. Low tonnage and a cool climate produces amazing concentration, robust dark crimson color and equally rich, yet elegant flavors from these classic Estrella Clone Syrah grapes.
• Santa Barbara County, CA AVA• Alban selection Syrah over multiple rootstock

• VSP and Scott Henry trellising
WINE STYLE: Notes of licorice, ground pepper, incense, Chinese black tea, roasted meats and copious quantities of blackberry and cassis fruit. Admirable stuffing, full-bodied power, and dazzling delineation makes for an impressive Syrah that should drink well for at least 7-10 years.

More info here:
https://citywinery.com/chicago/wine-shop.html

VocalMania at Zinc Bar

I loved seeing such a vibrant community of singers and musicians last night at Zinc Bar for Vocal Mania. Lauren Kinhan led this group of singers, featuring Dominique Eade, Kate McGarry and others, each with their own style and personality. One young woman is a teenager who attends LaGuardia High School! And the Jazz Trio that accompanied were true warriors: Bob Albanese, Vince Cherico, Paul Gill. 

Thanks to Adrian Alvarado for joining me and the Trio. And much thanks to the audience, who was game for joining me in the art of Palmas and jaleos!  

City Winery Flamenco Wine!

We had a blast playing at The Loft at City Winery for a brunch concert on Sunday. Thanks to Cristian Puig, who is from Argentina, I was inspired to try singing a chacarera for the first time. I was also vibing from my Argentinean roots on my mother's side....Chacareras have a vibrant rhythm that makes you want to clap and dance, just like flamenco! And it turns out that Guillermo Barrón, who played percussion with us, is quite a fountain of knowledge as far as LATIN American rhythms go in the extraordinary web of variants.

The more I studied this particular chacarera, which is called La Oncena (written by Eduardo Lagos & Juan Goñi), the more I came to appreciate the gorgeous poem within. My favorite verse is this one:

No me importa que no escuchen,

si no quieren escucharme;

mi cantar lo aprende el viento:

alguien habrá de heredarme.

(I don't mind that they don't listen, 

if don't want to listen to me;

my song will be studied by the wind:

someone must inherit me.)  

Another highlight of this show was the wine bottle with my name on it! Yes, they actually put a label with a photo that I love, taken by Darrin Reed during a performance with Sol y Sombra Flamenco Dance Company in Long Island. 

I'm still working on finding out whether we can keep offering this bottle to people interested. I would love to save the proceeds for a worthy cause involving music and young people in inner cities. 

I tried the wine just yesterday and it was EXQUISITE. I am verrry picky with my wines, and I do normally go for Malbec these days pretty much exclusively, but this was a Californian Syrah with a deep velvety characterful flavor, and I was genuinely impressed. 

So I will keep you posted about availability of the bottle but you must remember to save it and put a nice long stem rose in there every once in while :)  

Flamenco in Maine

I have a warm place in my heart for Maine. For a girl who grew up in the city, endless coastline roads framed by thick trees and charming farms...well, it's really romantic to me, and not just in the lovey-dovey way but in a sentimental way. 

 It was tons of fun working with local dancer Lindsey Bourassa and my good old partner-in-crime, guitarist Cristian Puig.

We presented so many cantes that I love: Caña, Tientos, Malagueñas, Martinete, Fandangos... And the venue was very sweet, a sort of small and cozy art center in Portland called Mayo Street Arts. 

View fullsize