A Thousand and One Stories of Peric N de C Diz [Tapa blanda]

"A Thousand and One Stories of Pericón de Cádiz," in the words of José Luis Ortiz Nuevo, translated and annotated by John Moore -- has more than a thousand and one delights to offer a English speaking audience. Sometimes when you read translations little nuances get lost, but this was not the case with this book. After reading it, I took the trouble to view an out-of-print copy of the original in Spanish, borrowed from a local flamenco dancer who is originally from Spain. I simply wanted to know if the translation held true to what little I knew about the Pericón de Cádiz, the revered artist of the flamenco and how it meshed with other oral histories.

Anyone who has read a lot of oral histories will know that the experience of reading a book like "A Thousand and One Stories of Pericón de Cádiz," is a lot like interviewing your elders about their lives - in that while the topics may bounce around and not follow in a chronological order, but the living breathing history spoke from the heart and mind of those who lived the stories is priceless gift to those who take the time to really listen. And while this was true of the book, it was such a treasure to see the life of artists in Spain from behind the scenes. Inside this book are rare opportunities to know more about the world of flamenco artists and the importance that this artistic medium plays in the heart of the Spanish mind and spirit. Beyond that, is the fascinating peek into the world of the great Pericón de Cádiz himself.

Lastly, I highly recommend this book for anyone traveling to Spain. I wish it had been available before a month long vacation I once took to Madrid and surrounding cities. It would have made my trip so much more meaningful, if I had understood the cultural references and points of view of those who lived in the time of Pericón de Cádiz. Think of "A Thousand and One Stories of Pericón de Cádiz," as a primer for getting the most out of your visit.

This biography is about the flamenco singer Juan Matinez Vilchez, who goes by the nickname Pericon. One of the bonuses to this biography is that can be read in a number of sittings if you are short on time as the stories are all a bit disjointed. If you read one story and then come back a week later, you do not feel compelled to reread and figure out what happened earlier. Each story in Pericon's adventures can be sampled and tasted on its own, but the entire package is worth consuming when you have the time.

You might have to Google a few things to figure out what event Pericon is talking about in Spanish history because things jump around a bit when he goes from talking about the Spanish Civil War on one page, to another event in 1947 on another. Pericon's stories were all transcribed, which is another reason these are more of an assortment rather than a coherent timeline of events.

One of my favorite stories in the book was when Pericon met his wife and described how they would sneak away to spend time together. Also, it was amusing reading about how his fans adoration could get a bit out of hand, as young women tend to do with any charismatic music sensation. I did not know much about flamenco before reading this book, so I definitely learned a few more things about this genre of music.

Mostly, I just enjoy reading stories, and the fact that these are biographical made it all the more worthwhile. Lately it is hard to find novels that really appeal to me, so reading about real people is often more satisfying. This would be a good book to purchase if you are planning a trip to Spain, and would like to know more about the traditions of flamenco music.