Tapapiés
Tapapiés defines itself as a Ruta Multicultural de la Tapa y la Música en Lavapiés (en). Tapa is, of course, the Spanish gastronomic insight into the science of appetizers: a small, free of charge (that's important) aperitif from the local cuisine to accompany, in fact, literally, to cover your drink (it's easier to chase a fly sitting on food than one struggling in the liquid). Lavapiès is a popular neighbourhood of Madrid, formerly the Jewish quarter, where, so goes the hypothesis, people were washing their feet before entering the synagogue (lava piès means wash feet). Madrid has always been very dirty and was reputedly so even in a time where all cities were open rubbish bins. To this day, Lavapiès remained a cosmopolitan, modest if not outcast, but more than anything else, culturally bustling area. It's the place where to unleash street artists in Madrid.
This year, les Pompettes were part of the artists giving free, live and top-level performances for the pleasure of the curious, the explorers of hidden jewels or only the pedestrians. We enjoyed a selection of their work with visiting British friends, Dean and Charlotte. Dean has an amazing proclivity for beer drinking so he could manage this aspect of the event fairly well, while I had to eventually surrender to coffee instead. I had him record the song below while I was taking alternative shots with a second camera. Some sudden jolts or bizarre zooms might be caused by the few rounds of beer we already had at this point. The theme of the song was precisely the one I would have wanted Dean to help immortalize and diffuse to a large audience, as he's making a living pretty much from contradicting what is being sung here, in terms he didn't understand not even because they were in Spanish. I hope his wobbly camera-work here will help save his soul when the Last Judgment comes and Dean will have his VIP corridor straight to hell (I'm sure I finish there with him as well although through the economy queue).
Here are some pictures from our participation to this year's event. Let's hope Les Pompettes will be featured every years from now on until fame kidnaps them from Madrid.
Everything for us starts in Felipe III. On this occasion, Julia met Canito.
With Dean & Charlotte, exploring the south of Madrid from above before getting there.
In Tirso de Molina, Guille is ready to perform. He didn't bring his drums but is fully prepared to kick some beats.
Julia attentive to the show.
Yerik, the group leader, composer, also a singer, is the big Pompette.
Checking the tempo.
Not only with their own music, but also with their own hand-made instruments.
An artist from the Third Art visiting his peers from the Fourth, immortalized the performance of les Pompettes and generously donated it.
Continuing the show with more original creations in another corner of the capital.
The other side of tapapiés: las tapas. Here of carpaccio at the stand of a carnicero. 2.5€ with the beer.
It's too much beer per tapa, so soon enough they have to be ordered separately.
