Petenera

Sharing my latest audiovisual about the Petenera Flamenca, a flamenco music style that branches off from the music of Peteneras, folk music with roots in both México and Spain.

The Petenera flamenca has been always surrounded in mystery, and has been one of the richest styles of flamenco music. Some believe it came from the Caribbean in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Other say the name "Petenera" comes from the name of the people who live in Peten, Guatemala. Others see its origins in religious and Gregorian Christian chants. Yet others point to the songs of the Spain´s King Alfonso X "The Wise".

During the 18th century, a female singer from Paterna de Rivera, called "La Petenera", put her signature on the Flamenco Petenera, making it very popular in southern Spain. Today the people from this town are the guardians of this style of flamenco.

To visit the audio-slide show enter this link: www.chicosanchez.com/petenera

 (Photo ©Chico Sanchez-All Rights Reserved)

For more of my photography work please enter my website: www.chicosanchez.com

What I saw on the plane

Iberia's magazine

Days ago I returned home to Mexico from a nearly two month visit to Spain to visit family and work on new stories.

On the flight back I was flipping through Iberia's company magazine and spotted one of my pictures published double truck! 

It was a photograph I took of a woman dancing flamenco, and carried the story title "Spain Alive" (España Viva). It has a Corbis credit, which licensed it from Aurora Photos, one of the photo agencies that distributes my pictures.

The image is from my audiovisual "The Angel" about flamenco music, that describes "The Angel," also known also as "el duende," which is a kind of spirit. It refers to a presence or trance that occurs during flamenco jam sessions which I've actually experienced first hand, years ago when I was a musician. Here is the image that was published in their magazine.

(Photo © Chico Sanchez - All Rights Reserved)

An important part of Flamenco is loosing its ancestral roots and is becoming an empty entertainment show, so I decided to do this story to show its spiritual and magical side. Today Flamenco is a misunderstood art, mostly due to it's commercial exhibits which doesn't maintain its essence.

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Below is the audio-slide show The Angel for which this picture was made.

The Travel Photographer "2010 Favorite Image Makers"

Tewfic El-Sawy has published The Travel Photographer's 2010 Favorite Image Makers.

I woke up to the pleasant surprise that I've been choosen as one of the "2010 Favorite Image Makers" by the blog produced by Tewfic El-Sawy. I'm really honored and it's great to be noticed by a top photography blog like this one. Thanks Tewfic and The Travel Photographer.

To see more please enter this link:
http://thetravelphotographer.blogspot.com/2010/12/travel-photographers-2010-favorite.html

(Photo ©Chico Sanchez-All Rights Reserved)