Player: Emma Maleras

This will be the first in a series of short introductions to some of the well known castanet players. All of these short entries will be found on the page "Players" in the left menu! More exhaustive biographies will follow later! 

EMMA MALERAS

Perhaps the most well known, and beloved, figure in the world of castanets today is Emma Maleras (i Gobern)! Born in 1919, she already as a young girl showed interest in spanish dance - one of her idols were the legendary Antonia Mercé/La Argentina - and she studied both classical and folklorical dances at a very high level.

Coming across the castanets in many varietes of dance, and frustrated at the lack of any real and serious castanet studies, she deviced not only a notation for the castanets, but a whole methodology of castanet studies, leading to her becoming a professor in castanets at the Institut del Teatre in 1973. Among her many pupils through the year, one can find such names as José de Udaeta and Consol Grau (both of whom you can read more about below)!

She apparently semiretired in the sixties, and the latest photos and videos I've seen of her seem to stem from the nineties, so if anyone has any information about here today please contact me - crotalogia@gmail.com!

Emma Maleras y su Ballet Español

Here is a lovely find on the internet today! A vinyl rip of the legendary Emma Maleras and her Spanish Ballet performing four numbers.

1. Punto Cubano
A happy cubanesque number. Maybe a little trivial, but the castanet arrangement is spot on!

2. Fiesta de los Fandangos
More somber than the preceding piece, it showcases the versatility of the castanets - that it is not only suited for expressing ligther moods.

3. Ole Tus Pies
As you could expect from the title, it not only features the castanets, but also what I believe to be Señora Maleras stampeding footwork! The second half offers a change in mood, but the rolling castanet licks combined with the sound of her heels makes this, for the general public, the quintessential "spanish" music.

4. La Clara Fuente
Here the ferocious playing of the castanets totally overpowers the entire orchestra, leading to what almost feels like a battle between the two. Need I say who goes away with the victory? ;)

I couldn't find any dates for this, but the orchestral backing does give it a very 60's mood, for whatever reason, and I think that would be an educated guess.

DOWNLOAD HERE!

[Originally posted at cantaresviejos.blogspot.com!]

Introduction

Hi there!

I thought I would tell you all a little bit about myself, my name is Marcus Larinen, a 26 year old finn born and raised in Sweden - and a long time aficionado of the castanets/castanuelas/crotales/etc!

Music in general is one of the major spices of live, one which I could not do without, and I believe the same goes for many of you! Ethnomusicology especially has been a particular interest of mine, even though ethnic percussion has never been 'my thing'.

The castanets, however, are a totally different story! Many people may find their sound uninspriring and boresome, but then they have never heard the likes of Lucero Tena or Emma Maleras! I remember my first encounter with real castanet playing, via a Youtube video with José Udaeta performing together with Consol Grau and Montserrat Carles of the TOCS - and I was hooked!

The virtuosity displayed by them, and the life with which they managed to imbue these small carved pieces both touched me and intrigued me, and of course I had to begin playing the castanets myself, and in the years since my first encounter my love affair as cooled and been lit aflame again many times, but they will never leave me!

I hope this blog might help any and all interested in the castanets, whether listener or practicioner! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact me at crotalogia@gmail.com!

I thought I would end this first post with a picture of a recent purchase: an instructional DVD, one pair of fibre castanets from Castanuelas del Sur, and one in grenadilla from Castanuelas del Jale!