Flamenco on the Rio Grande!

I know Sarah Ward and Xiomara Quinones thorugh Eloy Cito Gonzalez.  Eloy sang and played guitar for Season 3.  It was the first time he had ever gotten in a boat, and it snowed.  He played through it and it was beautiful.

Eloy is a flamenco guitarist and he is connected with the National Institute of Flamenco.   As I was driving through the south towards New Mexico I had a vision.  Could I incorporate dancing in tinyboatsession?  I’d done enough sessions and spent enough time on rivers that I felt something like this was possible.  Then I had a vision.  A dancer on a sandbar while a guitarist played Flamenco.  I reached out to Eloy and described the vision.  I told him I didn’t know exactly how it would work but that I thought it could be beautiful.  He said he was in and introduced me to Sarah, a dancer, and Xiomara, a singer.

When I got to Albuqeruque I wandered down the river and waded in.  I looked at the sandbar and imagined how the shot might look.  In my mind, it was so beautiful tears came to my eyes.   After a few phone calls with Sarah about what logistics she would need for dancing we set the date.

They arrived in the last light of the day--A singer, guitarist, dancer, and a canoe all collected at the river.  There would be no time for a rehearsal, tinyboatsession doesn’t have them.   I’d never had a tinyboatsession with this many parts.  I tested the sound, doing my best to balance two microphones dancing, singing, and playing.  Then we were off.  Xiomara’s voice filled the Bosque, Sarah stomped on the sandbar. Eloy strummed in the canoe.  My heart went in my throat and I saw what I imagined, though this was even more beautiful.