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(11/23/09 4:25am)
The heat in the full Memorial Hall already started before the show. It perfectly complemented the passion that the dancers of “Noche Flamenca” conveyed in their two-hour show Friday night.All through the performance, the crowd looked astounded and intrigued at the whirling dancers on stage.The passion and intensity of the show was inextricably connected to the dance that they performed. Flamenco is known for its strong emotions and the use of dance and music for storytelling.Its roots are in Andalucia, a region of Spain that is home to many different ethnic groups, of which various have had to endure forms of oppression or exploitation. Flamenco is the accumulation of all their fears and tragedies, and it is for this reason that the music and cantes are so abundant in emotion.The setting was simple yet intimate: the only props on the stage were chairs for the guitarist and singers.The show opened with guitarist Eugenio Iglesias performing his “Solo de Guitarra,” and it was fascinating how just one guitarist could silence the whole crowd. His crying guitar gave goosebumps and set the tone for the evening.Noche Flamenca effectively used light to structure its show: the spotlight dimmed after an act was finished and focused on the main performers of the next song to indicate a reprisal of music and dance. The other players on stage were left in the dark when they were not performing, creating a mysterious setting.The artists were mainly dressed in red and black, emphasizing flamenco’s link with love and tragedy. The guitarists and singers were dressed in all black, which made the dancers all the more distinguishable for everyone in Memorial Hall, even in the seats further removed from the ends.Dancer Rebeca Tomás stole the show with her “Sueño.” She wore a gorgeous, draped red dress that accentuated her swift, passionate movements to the guitar sounds.The audience gasped at the emotional expression that her dance was able to convey. She was given a standing ovation, and when she and the music halted for a brief second, the crowd burst out in applause. In one quick move, she would grab and lift her dress, giving the audience a look at her dancing feet.The audience was relieved from the intense concentration and passion when a staff member removed a few chairs from the stage. The out-of-form man performing this task stood in strong contrast with the toned dancers.But even after this, the dancers captured the attention of the audience within seconds when they resumed. Nobody wanted to miss a second, and words such as “aggressive,” “ fierce” and “ intense” were used more than once by the appreciative crowd.Noche Flamenca is an authority in the world of flamenco, a world previously absent from Memorial Hall. But after Friday night’s show, flamenco is no longer a foreign treasure, and Noche Flamenca is to thank.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(11/10/09 5:43am)
Indie rock, though usually thought of as uniquely American, is created around the world.The showcase of Chinese underground music tonight brings three Chinese indie artists, who represent some of the best in a genre increasing in popularity internationally, to UNC.Bands Carsick Cars, P.K. 14 and singer/songwriter Xiao He are leading names in the Chinese indie rock scene.“It might strike some people as strange and dissonant,” wrote Amy Zhang, chairwoman of the organizing committee, in an e-mail.“When you think of media’s predominant representations of China, you don’t exactly think guitar riffs or electronic dance beats.”The concert is organized by the Social Commentary Committee of the Carolina Union Activities Board.The bands have gained some fame internationally but are relatively unfamiliar to American audiences.“They are well-known in China. If people there listen to indie rock, they listen to this,” said Wenhua Shi, a lecturer in the communications department who hosted radio shows in China.A panel discussion and Q-and-A about Chinese music and youth culture will kick off the evening, led by Shi, professor Robin Visser, who specializes in Chinese urban culture and Charles Saliba, tour manager for the bands and a key player in the indie rock scene in Beijing.“You can see the panel as a radio show, where you get an introduction before you listen to the music,” Shi said.Zhang wrote that the concert is a different way to access China. “It challenges our static perceptions of Chinese culture and people by checking out subaltern narratives about China, from China,” Zhang writes.Although this is the first U.S. tour for Carsick Cars, the band already has gained some fame outside of China by opening for Sonic Youth on their European tour.“Even if you don’t understand the lyrics, the melodies and energy are just the same as in English music,” Shi said. “Also, in these bands you can hear American influences, such as from Sonic Youth, Bob Dylan and The White Stripes.”P.K. 14 was named one of Time magazine’s “5 Asian Acts to watch in 2008.”Xiao He incorporates ancient Chinese religious poetry and aesthetics into contemporary rock, Visser said. “These are fabulous musicians,” Visser said. “If students want to get more insight into what’s happening in China, especially Beijing — they’ll learn about its youth culture and the arts.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(11/04/09 4:28am)
Through personal stories about the roots of blues music, William Ferris documented his home state of Mississippi in the 1960s and 1970s.A folklorist and professor of history at UNC, Ferris is now showing his photography until Nov. 30 at the Center for the Study of the American South at the Love House and Hutchins Forum on East Franklin Street.These photographs and their stories are bundled in Ferris’ book, “Give My Poor Heart Ease,” the result of Ferris’ touring Mississippi.He documented memories and voices of African-Americans speaking about and performing blues music and other authentic musical traditions.“I grew up on a farm in Vicksburg, Mississippi. I learned the hymns in Rose Hill Church and soon discovered that everyone sung from memory. In order to save those hymns, these people had to be recorded,” Ferris said. “I started on a journey to document and record the worlds of these people around the state.”Ferris recorded both ordinary people and artists. One of his subjects is world-famous blues artist B.B. King.“I never planned to meet B.B. King,” Ferris said. “At Yale University, I gave a talk about him, and a young woman came up to me and asked if I wanted to meet King. I was thrilled.”King donated an entire record collection to Ferris’ archive.“You can go much deeper into the story by listening to their music,” Ferris said about the CD and DVD that come with his book. “It opens the door to their world in a very significant way.”His enthusiasm about his subjects and authenticity of the photographs have inspired students.“I like the way the photos feel unstaged, as if you would open a door and get a brief glimpse of the world these people inhabit,” said Caroline Hatwell, an American Studies major from King’s College, London.“I would love to do a trip like this; there’s so much fascinating folklore in this country.”The collection has also served some students as a guide to Southern blues music.“Professor Ferris’ photos are a firsthand look into the world of Mississippi blues,” said Frank O’Hale, also an American Studies major, in an e-mail.“They show an unedited view of the South, of the people who created and shaped an iconic form of American music.”But the ultimate goal of the collection is to keep a record of that unique culture.“These voices will be remembered,” Ferris said.“That was the pledge I gave these people when we met, that I would tell their story, so their lives will never be forgotten.” Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(09/29/09 3:54am)
For young writers, a chance to talk with a successful author can be a great inspiration, but it can be hard to come by.Students of the Living Writers class are given a chance to learn from contemporary novelists through a series of lectures.Tonight, Cary Holladay, known for her Southern writing, will deliver the second lecture of the series. Pam Durban, professor of the Living Writer course, said she considered the first lecture by Tobias Wolff on Sept. 10, a great success.“We opened the doors and windows so that the people that couldn’t get in and were standing outside could also hear the lecture,” Durban said.Once again, tonight’s lecture offers both students and the public an interesting writer and prize-winning author Holladay.“She is a very lyrical writer, concerned with language and the music of language,” Durban said. “She plays around with time and memory.”Her works included the novel “A Fight in the Doctor’s Office” and the short story collection, “The People Down South.”Holladay and her husband, writer John Bensko, both teach fiction at the University of Memphis. “In the course, we talk about time, how they use point of view, how the stories are structured,” Durban said. “We talk more about the craft of writing and how the craft achieves the art.”Sarah Smith, a senior English major, said she feels lucky to have gotten into this 15-person class.“I really feel like the writer’s visit helps me with my own work, since each writer has specific advice for young writers like myself,” Smith said in an e-mail.In order to prepare for Holladay’s visit, the students have read a collection of her short stories. “I really get a little starstruck when meeting any of these writers who we have spent so much time talking about,” Smith said.“She has been very successful doing what we all would consider a dream job.”The next writer in the series is Stuart Dybek, who will be lecturing on Oct. 15.