2 days ago I saw Cristo's post on Facebook that he'd be here in Sevilla soon. I had not seen him since fall of 2010 when he was touring with Ricardo, but since he lives in Southern France, thought i might have seen him before now.
I assumed, being a highly respected flamenco singer that he'd be very busy here but I went to say hi at the Peña Niño de Alfalfa last night where he was watching a friend dance.
Fortunately his friend asked him to come up and sing for the final bulerias fiesta. What an amazing voice - so powerful. He's one of those people that's on a whole different plane from the kind of person I'm used to or that even exists in my culture - extroverted and confident but more importantly living his passion all the time. It's so inspiring to be around someone who does their art in the way he does. He believes in sharing it and doesn't like competition between flamenco people. He seems like he can't stop himself from singing when he isn't talking.

I'm thinking about that today, after reading a post yesterday from a kind of inspirational blog that talked about what happens when the momentary 'hit' of inspiration leaves. They said that people who live for the next inspired moment when they can feel something big, are like druggies. That you can't survive on inspiration only. That the rest of the time it is hard work. I see in myself that I often come close to a stop when the inspiration leaves. The author likened it to breathing.. that inspiration is like the beginning of inhaling. That you have to continue and exhale deeply, and if you only ever breathe in the beginning of the breath, your breathing will be shallow and panicky. Looking for something to lead you without trusting in yourself and what you want... Looking for something big to come out of the sky and bonk you on the head before you want to get up and do anything. i think the paralysis that comes between 'hits' of inspiration, of talking to God, of feeling something grand, are due to the ghosts and the trauma that some people have to face when life goes back to just being 'normal'.
Maybe it's a perception from the outside that some people are different but I don't think so. (Trite comments about everyone being human and having problems aside... it's how those people deal with them) there is somthing different about people who are unafraid to express themselves genuinely in front of an audience, who have big, open hearts to share their art and to always enjoy life, who's passion keeps them truly alive, whether they make a living from it or not. (I'm not saying everyone who performs is like this. Very far from it).