who thought my fascination with doors would come to good use one day? recently, our city hosted the
calgary international flamenco festival which featured talented artists from around the world. in its 4th year, the festival awoke our senses to the beautiful culture that is flamenco. everything from the dramatic melodies of the guitar to the haunting notes of the singers which complemented so neatly with the rhythm of the flamenco dance itself - these series of shows provided a glimpse of a day in the life in southern spain.
one of the key organizers and featured performers of the festival is
Fiona Malena, someone i have admired and respected professionally and fortunate to call a friend for many (many) years. when she asked me to help with her upcoming show, "Puertas" she brought out in me a new dimension of enthusiasm in my work that i didn't think was possible. being a portrait photographer by profession, my work isn't featured much past my clients and their family and friends to enjoy and share. i have been able to collaborate with clients for the occasional poster advertisement, but this was a unique opportunity to share a few images of my hobby photography as a backdrop to an actual show.
 |
| la puerta principal |
the purpose of "Puertas" was to bring in different cultural influences into a flamenco concert, allow the audience to experience the differences (but more importantly the similarities) of how music/dance from different regions interplay with each other. Fiona's vision of the show was to have people feel how connected the art of flamenco is in spite of its differences.
for an unseasoned audience like myself, i particularly wouldn't know when one culture was being featured apart from each other. perhaps the breaks in the music and style may have helped, but the appreciation of the transition from one theme to another may have been lost on the casual observer, especially if it wasn't explicitly mentioned. Fiona believed that utilizing imagery could complement both her dancing and the music and would also provide just the right amount of atmosphere to let the audience immerse themselves in the story being told, while allowing our base senses to provide its own narrative.
 |
| la puerta judia |
in the planning stages, Fiona and i met for dinner and discussed the show. there were visions of grandeur that involved laser beams, pyrotechnics and little people on unicycles balancing on a camel's back, but Fiona shot my ideas down...thinking that it might be juuuust a bit over the top (she probably regretted asking me to help out at this point). but as we continued with her vision for the show, she asked if i would be able to share some of my photography, a portfolio of work she has sampled on those ever important social media sites like facebook and instagram (photographers - don't ever discount the importance of these sites...more on that on a future post). i of course was more than happy to share my work for her show and with a common understanding of expectations, i sifted through my photos to see if i can align with what she needed for her ambitious and thoroughly captivating plans.
the goal was simple - the show would be divided into cultural sections: latin, arabic, jewish and indian. the overall theme was in the name "Puertas" which is spanish for "doors". "Puertas" is a story focused on four doors or four portals to the cultures mentioned above. music would be composed and the dance choreographed with that in mind and the imagery would complement each section as a dramatic backdrop to the performers. and my job was to simply provide the four doors...
 |
| la puerta arabe |
so i went through my photography, challenged to provide architectural door images i have taken throughout the world while keeping in mind that i haven't been to places like israel or india. but as most travelers know, influences are everywhere no matter where you are and much like the food of a country, the influences and diversity from neighboring or even faraway cultures still manage to find its way in foreign lands. you just have to open your eyes to it.
+3.jpg) |
| la puerta latin |
luckily enough, i did find compelling images from my travels that suited each section which had enough interest to be a backdrop for featured performers but not overly busy to take away from them either. after the sign of approval from Fiona, we went ahead with the images shown here.
 |
| la puerta india |
i attended "Puertas" here in calgary and was simply amazed at the concert as a whole. Fiona and her ensemble were flawless, carrying with them a sensibility of their culture that was expressed in such a beautiful and immersive form. there were several moments throughout the performance where i did close my eyes and breathed in the vocals, the dancing guitar and the steady cadence of hand clapping and percussion. i listened for the light clicking of her shoes as she commanded the stage, broken by the timely joyous praise of "ole!" from people in the audience. even when i opened my eyes again, the beautifully crafted costumes, the passion for song and the breathtaking images of doors in the background pulled me away from home for at least that moment and brought me to a faraway place and it is that feeling of transport that i can say that it was a total success.
 |
| courtesy: fiona malena |
on a personal note, i've never seen my photos displayed at that size and resolution so it was a proud moment for me to see the images in the first place but to see them beautifully incorporated into the show was a really great experience. the feedback to the show and the images were very positive and i would like to thank Fiona for allowing me to be a small part of such a unique and inspiring opportunity. i hope that i can to continue to share my work with people and collaborate with passionate artists like Fiona and find new and exciting ways to explore my own creativity.
here is a sample of the show, (notice the huge amazing images in the background!) but more importantly features an interview with the talented Fiona Malena herself:
de jesus. ole and out.
+3.jpg)
