Alma Gitana [Gypsy Soul] is the brain child
of lead singer and percussionist Stuart Waldner. In the fall
of 2003 Stuart, along with compadres Bob Elliott and Duane Corn
formed Alma Gitana to share their unique style of flamenco fusion
with audiences throughout the region.
Since November, 2004, Alma Gitana has enjoyed
performing in a wide range of festivals and venues, including
but not limited to: Louisville’s WorldFest on the Belvedere
(2007 and 2008); Adelante Latin Jazz Festival, at the Jazz Factory;
three appearances (2004, 2005 and 2007) at Cincinnati’s
Cincy-Cinco Latin Festival; Frankfort’s Farmer’s Bank
Summer Concert Series; Cincinnati’s Center for Contemporary
Art; and various restaurants, festivals and coffee houses within
the tri-state area.
Alma Gitana was a featured performer in the
Downtown Lexington Corporation's annual series, "The Best of
the Bluegrass," [April 2007] a ten-day festival saluting the
region's unique culture from the arts, to music and thoroughbred
racing!
Alma Gitana’s music can best be described
as flamenco-Arabic fusion.
Alma Gitana Core Members are:
Bob Elliott—Owensboro, Ky., flamenco guitar and vocals
Duane Corn—Evansville, In., flamenco guitar, laud and vocals
Scott Stoess—LaGrange, Ky, bass and vocals
George Wakim—Mieh Ou Mieh, Lebanon, oud, Arabic violin,
dumbek and vocals
Stuart Waldner—Frankfort, Ky., lead vocals, cajon, darbuka
Guest artist have included:
Dave Farris—Lexington, Ky., percussion
Joanna Hay—Frankfort, Ky., violin and mandolin
Reid Jahn—Louisville, Ky., soprano and tenor sax
Kenneth Metzker—Miami, Fl., percussion
Nick Radina—Cincinnati, Oh., timbales and percussion
In the fall of 2008, Alma Gitana will perform
at Louisville, Kentucky's WorldFest and be featured group at
the Bowling Green International Festival in Bowling Green, Ky.
After experiencing Alma Gitana, an audience
member from Cadiz wrote, “Gitanos Americanos, Gracias por
traer un poquito de Andalusia, me siento en casa. Olé,
olé y olé!” (American Gypsies, thanks for
bringing a little of Andalusia, I feel at home! Ole, ole y ole!)
The passionate and soulful performances of Alma Gitana will
make you want to shout “Ole” too!
Friday, August 31, 2007
A World of Fun
Close to 100,000 expected to attend cultural extravaganza
By Larry Muhammad
. . . Part of WorldFest's entertainment will
be Alma Gitana (Spanish for gypsy soul), a Lexington-based flamenco
fusion band featuring two guitars, a fretless bass, and an oud,
the Arabic equivalent of a Renaissance lute. "Flamenco has a
lot of Arabic influences because Spain was occupied by the Moors
for 800 years," said Stuart Waldner, a member of the ensemble
and its spokesman. "I play a cajon, a wooden box drum that was
brought into flamenco from Peru by a really famous guitarist,
Paco de Lucia. We think our music invites the audience to get
involved. They can dance and enjoy the experience of a very
interesting and diverse culture. That's what WorldFest is all
about."
August
30–September 5, 2007
A Gypsy Soul Shakedown Party
With wandering jive, Alma Gitana keeps Flamenco
Alive
By Charlie Denison
When was the last time you went to see live
music that put you in another world? When was the last time
you were transported and taken by foreign melodies and grooves
that were both enchanting and enthralling?
On Friday, Aug. 31, at Natasha’s Café,
the live music itself is a cultural experience; it’s not
country, rock, soul or funk, not metal, industrial, polka or
punk. Alma Gitana, meaning “Gypsy Soul,” will perform
roots music from southern Spain and the Middle East, known around
the world as flamenco.
Every month Stuart, Duane, Bob, Scott and
George bring their love and joy to Natasha’s and proudly
carry on the tradition of flamenco for friends, family and appreciators.
Flamenco music is a mystery in this part of the world, but these
five musicians — somewhere along the way — all discovered
the music that changed their lives and strongly encourage anyone
to expand their musical comfort zone and be delighted by something
different.
Singer and percussionist Stuart Waldner has
always been open to new music — especially music from other
countries and cultures. When guitarist Bob Elliot introduced
him to flamenco for the first time, he was struck and seduced
by the spiritual sound.
“The music affected me in some deep and
profound ways,” Waldner said. “It grabs a hold of
you and doesn’t really let go.”
Waldner, who received a bachelor’s degree
in music performance with an emphasis on percussion from the
University of Kentucky, considers himself a musical gypsy. At
a young age, Waldner started a musical journey exploring the
sounds of the world.
“Ever since I was really little, I was
fascinated,” Waldner said. “My brothers and sisters
would always watch ‘American Bandstand,’ but I’d
watch ‘Soul Train.’”
Waldner found all different types of rhythms
and melodies during his exploration. He had music wanderlust
and longed to be captivated in a way he hadn’t been before.
Still, it was not until 1999 that Bob Elliot introduced him
to the beauty and complexity of flamenco. After playing together
with Elliot and guitarist Duane Corn for a few years, in 2004
it was time to expand. After asking around for bass players
in town, he reached former Velvet Elvis bass player Scott Stoess
and asked if he had any experience with the unique style.
“I thought he was joking at first,”
Stoess said, “but when I got over there and played with
them, I realized flamenco is so inherently rhythmic that it
gives me a lot of space to play around the downbeat. It really
appeals to me.”
All five “gypsy souls” are seasoned
musicians: guitarist Bob Elliot studied with local luminary
Jerry Belsak in the late 1970s and played flamenco guitar for
the Ballet Espanol of Louisville in 1987. Corn is classically
trained and also received both a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor
of Music Education degree from the University of Evansville.
George Wakim, originally from southern Lebanon,
is a left-handed, self-taught violin player who also dabbles
in the oud (a relative of the mandolin) and the tabla. He joined
the band in 2005. His unique influences bring an Arabic style
to the table that is enchanting and hypnotizing, creating what
they like to call “flamenco fusion.” The more they
play at Natasha’s, the more new people arrive. Even though
they have a lot of return visitors, those new to their sound
are dumbfounded.
“Traditional flamenco is pretty intense
and demands a lot of attention from the audience,” Waldner
said. “Our music really invites people to get up and dance.”
The performance begins at 9 p.m. Friday at
Natasha’s Café. All ages are welcome. If you feel
reluctant to explore a different world of music, remember what
Stuart says: “You don’t have to be a gypsy to have
a gypsy soul.”
Flamenco Fusion is some of the most exciting
and engaging music on the world music scene. Alma Gitana (Gypsy
Soul), a Lexington-based fusion band, is gathering recognition
for their fine blending of flamenco with Middle Eastern music
and jazz influences. Their excellence has emerged from their
musicianship along with the teaching and encouragement of established
flamenco artists. “Being musicians from outside the culture
of flamenco, we are striving to learn the music as deeply as
we can,” said Stuart Waldner, the lead singer and founder
of the band. “That means having as much contact with and
exposure to the Flamenco artists that come from the music’s
homeland in Andalusia, Spain.”
One supporter of Alma Gitana is Alfonso Cid,
an internationally known singer of traditional Cante Flamenco
and a native of Seville, Spain. “I’m really impressed
with what I’ve heard of Alma Gitana’s music,”
wrote Cid in response to an e-mail inquiry. “I’m really
amazed at how musicians from other cultures embrace Flamenco
and make it part of their lives. That makes me feel proud of
being a person from Andalusia, and it’s amazing that the
music from where I am makes such a big impression on such good
musicians. These guys from Alma Gitana really care and are doing
a great job on introducing Flamenco to bigger audiences.”
Waldner
traveled to the “Big Apple” with other members of
the band to attend concerts across the city during the 2007
New York Flamenco Festival. He met Cid during that trip through
the flamenco guitarist, Arturo Martinez, who has been a friend
and teacher to Alma Gitana. Cid coached Waldner in techniques
of flamenco singing.
Alma Gitana is getting recognition from other
quarters, as well. The group was featured last year at the Jazz
Factory in Louisville as part of the Adelante Latin Jazz Festival.
“Alma Gitana provides a fascinating mix of gypsy jazz and
rhythmic precision that entranced the audience,” said Ken
Shapero, owner of the Jazz Factory. “This is a band that
takes care of business.” To see the band one need only
travel as far as downtown Lexington where they usually appear
at Natasha’s Cafe once a month.
The group grew from the ensemble of three:
Stuart Waldner, vocalist and percussionist, and Bob Elliott
and Duane Corn, both guitarists. Later Waldner would propose
that they expand and form a flamenco fusion band, but starting
in 1999, they were part of Jaleos Flamencos, playing traditional
flamenco accompaniment for flamenco dance performances. These
days the band is accompanied by flamenco dancers only on special
occasions, like for their recent show at the Thoroughbred Theater
in Midway, where they were joined by dancers Chandra Nair and
Jennifer Laughlin, both of Mecca Studio in Lexington.
During a recent Alma Gitana show at Natasha’s,
Waldner introduced a flamenco instrumental piece that prominently
featured Elliott’s guitar work. He remarked that without
Elliott, the band would not be.
"My Dad went to a flamenco show, made
friends with the musicians and brought them all home for a party,”
recalled Elliott. A late night of live music, dancing and jovial
spirits kept the young boy, who was supposed to be in bed sleeping,
riveted to the upstairs banister where he peered down and listened.
“For a boy growing up in rural western Kentucky, it was
sure exotic and foreign sounding,” said Elliott. Years
later, having rediscovered one of his father’s flamenco
records, Elliott shifted his priority away from playing folk
and rock on his guitar. He connected with virtuoso flamenco
guitarist Rene Heredia, a “true gypsy” from Sevilla,
Spain, who had taken up residence in the U.S. Elliott continues
making annual trips to Colorado to study with Heredia.
After some solo public shows on flamenco guitar,
Elliot invited Waldner to join him on percussion. Waldner, an
accomplished percussionist, had been a musical gypsy himself,
gathering experience with various styles in the world of drumming,
from rock and jazz to hand drumming in the West African styles
of Mali and Senegal to traditional Irish and Scottish percussion.
"When Bob asked me to play percussion,
he gave me recordings to listen to,” said Waldner. “I
was blown away by the rhythmic complexity of flamenco.”
Waldner now plays percussion for Alma Gitana on a variety of
instruments, but most prominent is the cajón, a drum
box originating in Peru that has been widely adopted into flamenco
music over the last 30 years.
Next to join was Duane Corn. He had met Elliott
at a flamenco guitar workshop. When he moved to Lexington in
1999, he saw Elliott and Waldner play and was eager to join.
Corn brought highly skilled guitar technique to the group. He
had trained in classical guitar (also becoming a member of Lexington
Guitar Trio). Corn also plays the laud, a stringed instrument
of the Spanish folk tradition, known to some as the Spanish
mandolin.
In early 2004 George Wakim joined the band
bringing another strand of exotic sound with the Middle Eastern
music of the oud, a stringed instrument that is the ancestor
of the Rennaisance lute. The oud has a fretless neck that allows
for the playing of micro tones and pitches that slide into one
another, Arabic style. Wakim also brings Arabic style violin
and singing, as well as tabla playing. “I had seen George
play at Mayfest,” said Waldner. “I thought right away
that he’d be great to have in our group. He came to a rehearsal
and has been with us ever since.” Wakim’s roots in
Middle Eastern music come from his upbringing in Lebanon. When
hearing him play, he’s so good, it’s surprising to
consider that he’s self taught on all of the instruments
he plays. He also crafted his own violin, having studied instrument
building with the late J.B. Miller of Lexington.
Scott Stoess later in 2004 joined Alma Gitana.
His masterful playing of the fretless bass blends into the music’s
weave giving it a foundation and providing a good groove when
called for. Stoess first became known in the Lexington music
scene as a member of the 1980s band, Velvet Elvis. He has since
played freelance, and has recorded with Patrick McNeese.
Occasional guest artists include Reid Jahn
on soprano and tenor sax, David Farris on percussion and Nick
Radina on timbales and percussion.
Download
a printable PDF of this article.
© 2007, Campbell Wood. All rights reserved.
Story and Photo by Campbell Wood
Alma Gitana is group of very talented musicians, who fuse together
their musical backgrounds to create a collective sound that
embraces flamenco and Arab influences. A fusion sound rooted
in flamenco.
The band was formed in November 2003 by three
Lexington, Kentucky musicians: Bob Elliot, Stuart Waldner and
Duane Corn. Since then it has performed at “juergas”,
coffee houses, restaurants, art festivals and Latin music festivals
in this region.
“The idea of Alma Gitana is to do something
that stands on its own musically, something where the audience
can get up and dance and participate, [creating a sound] a little
bit more familiar than traditional Flamenco”, says Waldner.
“We are so excited about this music that we want to share
it.”
Their repertoire consists of unique arrangements
of songs written by some of Spain’s most progressive flamenco
fusion bands as well as some original material. Regardless of
the music’s origin, Alma Gitana infuses the songs they
play with their own unique musical style and sound.
The reaction to their style of music has been
surprisingly positive.
“People seem to be very attracted to
the sound. A lot more accepted it than I expected. […]
Evidently there are a lot of people around here with Latino
or Spanish blood. Even if they are not Latino, Spanish or Mexican,
they are very attracted to this music,” says Elliot.
Corn shares that feeling, arguing, “To
have a gypsy soul you don’t have to be a gypsy. It is all
about the way you approach the music. It’s about walking
into a different new world.”
Alma Gitana will continue performing locally,
but also looks to expand their performances regionally in theaters,
festivals and soon they will start recording their own material.
Alma Gitana will be playing on March 3 at
the Thoroughbred Theater in Midway from 8 to 10 p.m. For more
information call Alma Gitana at (859) 699-0563.
Download
a printable PDF of this article.
© 2007, Andrés Cruz. All rights
reserved.
LEXINGTON - Alma Gitana es un grupo de músicos talentosos
que juntos fusionan sus habilidades musicales para crear un
sonido colectivo abrazado en una mezcla de influencias flamencas
y árabes. Un sonido de fusión enraizado en el
flamenco.
La banda fue formada en Noviembre 2003 por
tres músicos de Léxington, Kentucky: Bob Elliot,
Stuart Waldner y Duane Corn. Desde entonces el grupo se ha presentado
en juergas, cafés, restaurantes, festivales de arte y
de música latina en esta región.
“La idea de Alma Gitana es realizar algo
que se distinga por sí mismo en términos musicales,
algo con que la audiencia se levante, baile y participe, [creando
un sonido] que es un poquito más reconocido y familiar
que el flamenco tradicional”, dice Waldner. “Estamos
muy emocionado con esta música y deseamos compartirla”.
Su repertorio consiste de arreglos singulares
de canciones escritas por algunas de las bandas más progresivas
de fusión flamenca de España, así como
también, material original. Sin importar del origen de
la música, Alma Gitana incorpora a esas piezas su estilo
y sonido musical único.
La reacción a su estilo de música
ha sido sorprendentemente positiva.
“La gente parece sentirse atraída
a esta música. Mucho más aceptada de lo que me
esperaba.[...]Evidentemente hay mucha gente por aquí
con sangre española o latina. Aunque no sean españoles,
latinos o mexicanos, se sienten muy atraídos hacia esta
música”, dice Elliot.
Ese mismo sentimiento es compartido por Corn
quien argumenta que “para tener una alma gitana no se necesita
ser gitano. Se trata de cómo te acercas a esta música.
De entrar a un mundo nuevo y diferente”.
Alma Gitana continua presentándose
localmente pero también busca expandir sus presentaciones
regionalmente en teatros, festivales y pronto piensa grabar
sus propias composiciones.
Alma Gitana se presentará el 3 de marzo
en el teatro Thoroughbred en Midway de 8 a 10 p.m. Para mayor
información llame a Alma Gitana al (859) 699-0563. Alma
Gitana will perform on March 3 at the Thoroughbred Theater in
Danville.
