Postcard from the Border... — Flamenco Australia Magazine

All crammed into a little cafe on Brunswick street in Melbourne. It's 1am and while the street is dead, the Cruzao Arepa Bar is in full party mode. Behind the steamed up windows, this tiny Venezuelan 'street food' cafe is packed to the brim, everyone is dancing and its unclear where the entertainment ends and the audience begins. Owner and barman, Eyla is slapping out a percussive solo on the coffee machine, even the smokers are rushing back inside just in case they miss something.For a Wednesday night this is no ordinary gathering. The cast of Paco Pena's “Flamenco sin Fronteras” are in town, their last night in Melbourne, they have to fly to Adelaide at 7am the next morning and (for some) sleep seems to have been put on the back burner. Ángel Muñoz and Charo Espino (husband and wife flamenco dancers), Paco Pena, the two flamenco singers and guitarists headed straight back to the hotel from the final Melbourne show. Although it would have been great to meet flamenco dancer, Ángel Muñoz after his outstanding performance, I'm glad for Adelaide that he got some rest! Diego Alvarez (El Negro), the cajon player, was for me a highlight. His percussive solos in the show were mind blowing!!! If you saw the show you may have noticed that in the second half he wore both black (Spain) and white (Venezuela). Right from the beginning of the show he was the first performer to cross over and always had a role in both worlds. Meeting him afterwards and getting the chance to chat a couple of times was an honor. He oozes confidence, personality and talent, continuing to give so much, long after the show had ended.Diego had a lot of great things to say about his cajon, a Mario Cortes, this was either humility or I need to get me one!!! I was left believing that his cajon deserved a spot on the bill. Not to take anything away from what is obviously a great cajon, when you watch Diego play, I think you will agree, he could make a cardboard box sound incredible. Ramón Martínez - more at home on a hot August day in Seville than he was on a cold, mid-winter morning in Melbourne - was charming... One of the nicest guys you could meet. I didn't quite get enough time to work out what it is about Ramón that makes me think he would be a great teacher... Approachability? Calmness? Openness? something... Definately worth visiting at the school where he teaches if you're ever in Seville. Daniela Tugues was also charming and as the evening grew long, her presence seemed to become more and more distance from the role she portrayed in the show, the more she relaxed, the less I recognised her... if that makes any sense? In one evening, from one person I witnessed a transformation from a tribal afro-latin dancer, to a talented flamenco dancer, to a generous star and finally a vibrant woman chilling with friends.In contrast...Carlos Tález seemed to be the same character on and off stage. Full of energy, always giving... He was switched on 110%... 100% of the time!!! At the after party, he sang a really cool, impromptu tribute to Joe Arroyo, the famous Colombian singer who had passed away the day before. Carlos has that kind of energy that makes you smile, laugh, dance and shout without him saying a single word.I never got to speak with Aquiles Báez (cuatro) or José Vicente Muñoz (bass), they were glued to borrowed instruments, merging seamlessly with the band that had been warming up the crowd before we arrived. Ricardo Sandoval, towering over everyone else in the room, seemed really content to be exactly where he was... dancing in a room where there's no room to dance. On the whole this was a great night that, for me, went deeper into the influence that Venezuelan music, dance and partying has had and is still having on flamenco.The cast are on tour for one month, but have been coming together on and off for this show over three years. It was great to see that beyond the play acting and stage roles, this is a cast that are living the life... 'Flamenco Without Borders!' A culture where the common Hispanic language is superseded by the more universal language of music and dance.And that is also why there will be no critique here... No review of a show where the legendary Paco Pena lets himself be overshadowed by so much great talent. His name brought the crowds, but it was his humility and grace that has allowed audiences to focus on the overwhelming collective talent that lies behind and beyond this show.Another great lesson that to really see flamenco... to really appreciate talent... to really come face-to-face with something great, you have to delve deeper than simply paying for a staged performance. You have to seek out the heartbeat that has driven everyone to that place and that time. You have to follow it blindly and jump on board without really knowing where you're going to end up!You may find yourself 'beyond the borders' of your own comfort zone at twelve past your bedtime in a strange city knowing that tomorrow there are people who will want a piece of you, but for Paco's cast on tour, this is the life they are living.For members of the audience, I'm not talking about adopting a groupie mentality and following the cool people. It's not about what you can take from flamencos, or what entertainment you can extract from a show or what lessons you can learn from a teacher.You have to be prepared to give with no thought for what you may receive in return.