If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'd know that I have a particular affinity for informal forms and purveyors of art, or in other words street art and artists - be it visual of performance based. I therefore had to document the street artists and performers of Granada for you, and today's set of postcards does just that.
In particular, I was struck by the number of musicians performing in Granada's streets and plazas, which, on second thought is no surprise given Spain's long and rich musical tradition. It shows... and buzzes and mesmerises you as you walk around town - and how!
This gentleman is usually found around the Plaza de la Romilla of Granada, busking his music to people sitting along the promenade with cafes on one side and the spactacular Alhambra on top of the hill on the other. He entertained us for two breakfasts and one glass of evening wine.
I have never heard or seen someone playing the didgeridoo before this (at least that is what I think that is) and this gentleman was doing an absolutely fantastic job of it! He was keeping rhythm with those two wooden pellets in his right hand and the combined effect made you want to tap your feet and sway your hips! He was busking his unique music outside the main Cathedral in Granada.
It was around the Cathedral area that most other buskers and artists would tend to ply their art as well.
This gentleman is painting scrolls of Arabic poetry - something that the walls of the Alhambra are covered in. A common art in these parts, it seems, but incredibly beautiful. I only wish I knew how to read Arabic so that I could make an informed comment on what I was looking at!
I hope you liked this set of postcards as much I personally like it! This series of postcards is about to draw to a close soon, but beyond that I have some street photography related writing, and some London-based stories coming up... and also an important, very important announcement! Keep watching, and I hope you will not be disappointed with what comes up. :)
In particular, I was struck by the number of musicians performing in Granada's streets and plazas, which, on second thought is no surprise given Spain's long and rich musical tradition. It shows... and buzzes and mesmerises you as you walk around town - and how!
This gentleman is usually found around the Plaza de la Romilla of Granada, busking his music to people sitting along the promenade with cafes on one side and the spactacular Alhambra on top of the hill on the other. He entertained us for two breakfasts and one glass of evening wine.
I have never heard or seen someone playing the didgeridoo before this (at least that is what I think that is) and this gentleman was doing an absolutely fantastic job of it! He was keeping rhythm with those two wooden pellets in his right hand and the combined effect made you want to tap your feet and sway your hips! He was busking his unique music outside the main Cathedral in Granada.
It was around the Cathedral area that most other buskers and artists would tend to ply their art as well.
This gentleman is painting scrolls of Arabic poetry - something that the walls of the Alhambra are covered in. A common art in these parts, it seems, but incredibly beautiful. I only wish I knew how to read Arabic so that I could make an informed comment on what I was looking at!
I hope you liked this set of postcards as much I personally like it! This series of postcards is about to draw to a close soon, but beyond that I have some street photography related writing, and some London-based stories coming up... and also an important, very important announcement! Keep watching, and I hope you will not be disappointed with what comes up. :)
9 comments so far:
Funny how these photos look a little lonely, without an audience. Still, I guess that's part of the street artist's life some days.
Paco Pena eat your heart out! Buskers. Now there's another thing you don't see in Bangalore.
There still seems to be a significant Moorish presence/influence in the city.
This is beautiful - flaneur's paradise :) LA needs an artistic bailout. Thanks for sharing these pics.
It's getting better and better!
Wonderful to see this sequence of photos. (I'd not looked at your pix in a long time.) Glad you're still shooting :-)
Erinn: You're right. Despite the hubbub of people around the cathedral, no one seemed to be paying too much attention to the musicians. Only the didgeridoo guy and the scroll painter were attracting a few curious glances. Perhaps there are just too many guitarists in Spain!
Chailey: Indeed, Granada was one of the last bastions of the Moors and the Alhambra is one of the finest examples of Moorish architecture in the world. You can see the influences clearly all around the town.
Surajit: Thank you:) It was indeed a flaneur's - and a curious tourist's paradise:) I was both:)
SloMo: Thanks! :D
David: Welcome back!:) I couldn't possibly not shoot - been doing it for more than a decade now - although, I did have a two year period of chaos where my creative side suffered in agony. But that's in the past and this blog is testimony to that. Hope you will take the time to look around and visit again. I really appreciate your feedback:)
Never even heard of didgeridoo before!!
Jyothy: Well you should certainly listen *to* one! The combined effect of the didgeridoo and the wooden 'rhythm-keepers' (for lack of a better or actual term) was really cool!
Some really amazing fotos.Wow! Increible!
I love the black border, very professional.
I am writing a blog on learning-spanish-is-fun.blogspot.com, I'll be writing about Spanish Poets in the future.I'd like to link up to your gorgeous photos.
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