Zero 7 and Sia, the best of YouTube....

This is a perfect example of why I love this song, and this singer, and this band so much. Watch it all the way through and then let's talk about being exuberant. I love watching Sia because it is so obvious how good it feels to be able to have that voice, that joy, that full expression flow out of you. No wonder she does that cute stuff with her hands. I would love to talk with her some time. And Kudos to the guys from Zero 7. They create such a great opportunity for people with such great voices, like Sia and Jose Gonzalez. I really admire them. It's like the best business advice I ever got: B people hire C people to make themselves look better. A people hire A+ people 'cause they aren't afraid to learn and they want to succeed! Go Henry & Sam! And, thanks!

Flamenco and Dinner at the El Cid

Recently I went to the El Cid Restaurant for the Flamenco Dinner Show. I will admit right now that I have a soft place in my heart for the El Cid, so I had a great time. If you've never been there I will tell you it is really a fun experience. It isn't like they're the youngest, or best Flamenco dancers ever. But, that's not the point! People, this is happening in your city! You owe it to yourself to experience this!

First off, it's not what one would think of as a typical Hollywood show. As you enter off of Sunset Blvd. you wind your way down lots of steps that have been warped over the years (El Cid was built around 1900 and was used to screen "Birth of A Nation" which opened in 1915 and had 12 reels of film!). It feels like you're going back in time and you catch a whiff of the glory days of 1950s Hollywood. Once you enter the El Cid, you're in an authentic replica of a 16th century Spanish Tavern, complete withoutdoor gardens and seating, and an indoor stage, armor on the walls, and very dim lighting. It's great.

You order dinner (filet mingnon, pork tenderloin, Paella, and others, including a vegetarian option) and then the show begins. A singer, a guitar player and two women dancers take the stage. An aura of Gypsy Kings pours off the stage and the show begins.

One of the women who dances has a certain Bride of Frankenstein quality that I suspect inspires a cadre of admirers. They both give great performances and I was reminded again of the physicality of Flamenco. The intimacy of the El Cid really contributes a lot to the overall experience. You're practically right there on stage with them.
I remember the first time I went, several years ago, I thought the singer was going to keel over right there on the stage, as he closed his eyes and rubbed his hands together. In between belting it out he'd close his eyes, lean back, and be so relaxed I thought he was going to fall askep. But then he'd lean forward and let loose again. He's got a great voice for Flamenco and he's looking better a couple years later now than he did then. The guitar player reminds me of Kieth Richard.
I guess what I am getting at is that this isn't the youth obsessed, perfection obsessed, special effects driven performance one might expect from Hollywood. This is people performing from the heart, performers who are obviously human doing something they obviously have done for a long time and which they clearly love to do. It's really refreshing, actually.
The Flamenco and Dinner at the El Cid is one of those things that is so totally and completely just "what it is" that it is really trancendental in its just being what it is and not being what it is not. And, I say: Right on.
And, if you dont' like it you better watch out. With arm strength like they have (you try clapping that hard for that long) I am sure either of the women could give you a spanking till the cows come home, and I should probably just stop right now. But really, these women do not sit at home and obsess about whether their bodies look like Elle. They are themselves and they get up there and perform. They express themselves. As do the musicians, and they love what they're doing... in my book that's real beauty.
BTW, this is who El Cid was.