Feliciano Fiesta News Page
NEWS 2006
last update 10th December 2006
If you enjoy this site The Fantastic Feliciano Site and Bob Conti.com are great places to visit for news of José. We share the noticeboard with the Fantastic Feliciano site and it can be accessed here
Bob's pictures - pictures taken by Bob Conti while touring with José
Click here to read the news stories we found in
2002
2003
2004 (first half)
2004 (second half)
2005
If you play guitar there are a large number of tabs to be found here
1st January 2006: About an hour ago I was feeling somewhat dispondant about the lack of news to begin the new year; I looked at the Personal Web Site and happened upon the fact THAT José will be back in Europe in March :) I have to see José this year so a great start to my new year!
Amongst my Christmas presents was Bob Conti's "An Evening With Sitting Bull" which includes José's voice and guitar on some tracks. It is a phenomenal work and you must listen to it; I will do a review on the Seen and Heard Page later today or tomorrow.
The other news from the Personal Web Site is that José has a new management team.
8th January 2006: I did not finish the review of "Sitting Bull" last weekend and still have not done so as I have some technical problmes at the moment. In the meantime I found this story about José's recent vist to Boston quite amusing!
15th January 2006 click here for some nice photos of José - some of them are new to me!
22nd January 2006: Tina posted some good links on the notice board click here , here , here , and here to read them and go to the Seen and Heard Page to read my review of "An Evening With Sitting Bull" if you did not see it last week.
23rd January 2006: Tina tells me José is on German TV on Wednesday! I have asked her to post the name of the TV station on the notice board.....if anyone sees it tell us about it :)
29th January 2006: The news this week has been found by other people! Thanks to Tina for telling us about José on German TV and, I hope, enabling people to attend the gig in Puerto Rico last night. Also Fil found the news that José is to appear at the famous Viña Del Mar Festival in Chile on 23rd February. Great venue, I've been there :) !
Sadly the listing for the Polish gig has been removed from the Tour Guide, to be repalced by dates in Nevada.
12th February 2006; Hi, no update last week as I had nothing to update! Tina sent me this about the big gig in San Juan two weeks ago. I found this about Chris Conlon José's personal assistant. If you are in Seattle go and see José with someone you love on Tuesday. :)
19th February 2006; Thanks to Marie Rose for this story about José's forthcoming trip to South Africa I am sure I am wrong but I can't remember him going to Africa before.....someone correct me!
26th February 2006: In February 1971 a young José Feliciano appeared at the San Remo Festival in Italy. His performance is still talked about today, it had the audience screaming; some wept with joy at this young performers artistry.
Thirty five years later (virtually to the day) José recreated that emotional performance thousands of miles away from San Remo. In Viña Del Mar in Chile he performed in front of a capacity audience of 15,000 people who screamed yelled and sang their hearts out in response to him. José and the band responded by giving a performance which for some musicians might be described as a life time best; for them it was just another great night in which they "swept the board" seeming to win all the awards.
At the end of that performance José sang "Che Sera" just as he did all those years ago in Italy. We congratulate him and the band on their well deserved success. click here to see videos of the concert.
5th March 2006: After his huge success in Chile José headed for Mexico where he appeared in Cancun at a gig without the band. Tina found this interview which he gave while in Mexico.
As already reported, José has been invited, for the first time, to star in the Cape Town Jazz Festival. I am told that this will be his first gig in Southern Africa since the early seventies (he appeared in Cairo, at the Mena House Hotel, in 1983). To read about the Cape Town festival click here
and here ; thanks to Fil for those links.
12th March 2006: 10th March was the thirty third anniversary of the first time I saw a live Feliciano gig. To celebrate that we have something special!
This picture was taken by José's key board player Greg Smith and given to me by Bob Conti. It shows José's triumphant return to the Viña Del Mar Festival. This was Bob's comment on the festival (written on 27th February). "Exhausted, just returned from Chile.. the festival was great, Jose won lots of awards,.. amazing! He won just about everything there was to win, It was a huge festival and a very big event in the hispanic world. Thousands attended".
This has been a good week for Bob because his web site is finally up and running! For Feliciano fans there is a huge treat on Bob's site. The "Genius" CD is re-released with additional tracks. So that no one loses out Bob has put the new tracks on the web site as free down loads; he asks that people who did not buy the CD do not abuse this and I add my own plea to that.
Bob commented thus on his site. "The site is new and just up and running. There may be a page or two that are not working perfectly but I wanted to give everyone the option of downloading free of charge the two Jose Feliciano songs that were left off of some of the earlier versions of "The Genius of Jose Felciano". All "Genius" albums now contain all 12 songs. This offering is just for those who purchased the album. Please respect that and be so kind as to refer anyone who might be interested, to the website. Enjoy the music!
Feel free to hear samples of other albums I have produced and written on the "Music Page" at Bob Conti.com".
PLEASE do listen to Bob's music you will love it! If you order any of his CDs you will get a free tape of the wonderful album "An Evening With Sitting Bull".
19th March 2006: I know everyone likes new pictures of José so click here :).
26th March 2006: José and the band are headed to South Africa this week for the Cape Town Jazz Festival in which they appear next Friday; more news of this as I get it. In the meantime click here and here to read about the festival.
2nd April 2006: No news from South Africa BUT Tina has sent me this link suggesting José will be in Germany and Austria this summer. There is already a gig on the Personal Website's tour guide for this period (not in Europe). I assume that there will be some "refining" of the exact arrangements - so watch this space!
6th April 2006: I am told that José and the band have just returned from a brilliant trip to South Africa and "Africa was wonderful. Once again "The Genius" was spectacular. Jose drew more of an audience than any other artist on bill. Roughly 5,000 people attended his show alone. Standing ovations and encores ensued. Another wonderful experience all the way around. "José and the band stayed in an area with baboons, zebra and penguins (!) close by It was "quite a trip but most of all it was all about Jose and his brilliant performance"
9th April 2006: Look at the top of this page! I always wanted us to have a photo page :)
16th April 2006: Happy Easter! I thought this article on "Chico and the Man" was interesting. The DVD is available on Amazon.
22nd April 2006: There are some GREAT new pictures of José on Bob Conti's site - use the link above to go there.
30th April 2006: Several weeks ago Tina found details of a number of European gigs to be held in July. Nice to see them confirmed by the Personal web site.
Go on, admit it, who is dusting off "10-23" to play a certain track tomorrow? :)
7th May 2006: José has been praised this week for the views expressed in this interview about a new Spanish language version of "The Star Spangled Banner".
Two updates in one day :) Just heard from Phil that José's gig in California last night was a huge success with two standing ovations and José on stage for two and a half hours; the show included a new version of "Rain" (?) more news if/when I have it......anyone have anything on Europe to share? All I know is that the gigs in VIenna are at a race track.
14th May 2006: Not much news this week except that José played "First of May" during the House of Blues concert and when he encountered a slight problem with the electric guitar he joked about donating it to Hard Rock Cafe :)
28th May 2006: Just noticed an additional date has been added to the list for the European tour on the Personal Website, anyone going to any of the gigs probably needs to keep an eye open for changes.
31st May 2006: I have just heard that José's appearances in Dominican Republic were a huge success - during one of the shows he was presented with a life time achivement award. The event was filmed and will include footage of the gig and interviews. I don't know how or when this will be presented but I am told "The people really love Jose. Wherever he and the band went crowds, fans and working people all showed up to return some of the love that Jose puts out there on a regular basis".
4th June 2006: Bit of a mystery this week! Fil found this video of José from the 1970s but does any body know the song and who are the band members on the video?????? Alan thinks the keyboard pleyer is Rush Robinson.......name that tune and that band :)
11th June 2006: Thank you to Eileen for posting this comment on the video Fil found last week "The song is "Heaven Knows", a Donna Summer hit if I recall. I know for sure that the bass player in the video is Ted Arnold. I'm almost sure that the percussionist is Sartuse (spelling ?). I'm betting that the video is from 1978-79 or so". Apparantly, the drummer is Marcus Terry.
There are more videos linked to the same page, use the link I gave last week to go there.
I am going on holiday later this week so, unless something comes up in the next couple of days, the next update will be on 3rd July as José begins the tour of Austria, Germany and Croatia, if anyone has news use the notice board.
PS! On Friday I go on holiday.....a year ago to the day I also went on holiday knowing I would see Jose when I came back.
Two days before the London gig a group of young men decided to blow themselves and others up. In the aftermath of the bombings I did not see Jose.
Jose is again headed for Europe, I won't see him this time but can we all pray, hope, remember that "Killing's not the Answer" and may Jose make his music in peace this time.
At the time of the bombings Susan Feliciano quoted a bible passage for which I don't have the reference or exact wording but, "If only this day you had thought of peace"........can we all think of peace this year?
2nd July 2006: No new news welcomed me back but Tina found these nice photos of José from last year.
9th July 2006: Tina posted this on the notice board earlier in the week. "I must tell you José gave a amazing concert. He started with Golden Lady and many songs I've never heard from him Live. One piece he played only guitar and sang a wonderful Lovesong. I'm so impressed and I can't believe, he's getting better and better. I want to say THANK YOU to the Band, they are all so close together and giving José so a nice background, it's really very wonderful. The audience called José back and then he gave Imagine". Nice to have some news of the German concerts.
Tina also found this review of a concert José did a few weeks ago. Thanks Tina.
16th July 2006: At last we have news of the European gigs. Tina sent this
Review Concerts in Rosenheim and Freiburg
Sunday, July 2nd Rosenheim
The concert was hold in the Kultur-und Congreßzentrum in the center of Rosenheim. Outside in front of the Hall before the concert started, I talked with fans from austria. We agreed José is the best guitarplayer worldwide. They came from Salzburg and they visited Josés concerts in the Jazz Cafe in London and in Timelkam and Voitsberg in 2004. Everyhere I vistited concerts of José it is wonderful to talk to people, who admires the artist and musician José Feliciano. Mostly we have the same opininios in politic, in lifestyle, being tolerante and the dream and hope of peaceful life all over the world. I can't tell you, which songs Jose gave during the concert but many songs I've never heard from him. The audience was totaly impressed all the time and they called him one time back by clapping and shouting Josés name.So he came back and talked about peace around the world. José is praying for peace. A very loudly applause arrived him. He gave - Imagine - with the text You may say José is a dreamer and some people sang but you are not the only one - So this concert was like everyother amazing, impressing, funny. What can I say muy feliciano
Saturday, July 8th Freiburg
The concert was during the Zelt Music Festival outside of Freiburg in the open countryside. A special area in the midldle of nature with tents and a big top. Many bars and barbecue areas with the flair of a fun fair. Before the concert starts, one man of the organisation team told us, he worked 18 years to get José and the band for a concert at this Festival. He and his crew were so happy and lucky that they gave José and the band a Serenade by arriving at the festival. Wow what a warm welcome. So the concerts starts and José gave a new song called - She's in my blood - and told us next year will arrive a new english Cd with only personal material. José gave a complete different programm than in Rosenheim. For example he played - Not Knocking on Heavens door - , which is very popular in Germany. The audience was totally enthusiastic with clapping and trampling. He had to come one time back. He gave the mostly german audience, not many latin people were there, warm and kind words about the Football-Worldcup, this words touched the german souls very deeply. At the end of the concert we had all this special feeling Muy Feliciano.
My Review is very personally, because I love the music very much, so it’s everytime positive. At home I felt very sad, because I can't visit all concerts which are so near where I'm living.
Con amor
TINA.
I also had this from Bob Conti, it was written about a week ago. "The tour is brilliant, Janet.. We´re hanging out in Gratz (day off) and the shows are going very well... sold out most places.. beautiful weather, great music and El Maestro.. what more could one want?"
I will put Tina's reviews on the Seen and Heard Page next week
21st July 2006: JUST (two minutes ago) found this in my in box from Phil in California. I knew nothing of this gig - did anyone else? It sounds magnificent! "saw a 2 hour concert with Jose and his band last night at the Sycuan Casino. He layed some songs that I've never heard him do live before. There seams to be new live material. The band and he sounded great. Before playing Malaguena, he told the
history behind this composition and how he had performed it first in boys camp at the age of 12. A new version of "rain", he also sang"knocking on heaven's
door", some Sinatra, and there was an amazing guitar duel between Jose and his base player Federico Pol. "The first time", "in my life", "bamboleo", "what I say" were other songs. He talked about the differences between people in the US and how that should be a strength to any country, and not a reason for onflict. Also urged to pray for peace in the world. He got a long, standing ovation. I cannot remember a concert where he didn't get a standing ovation. And I've seen a lot of them over the years. Thanks Phil.
23rd July 2006: Marie Rose sent me this, about the concert in Wurselen, earlier in the week "After a beautiful walk in the forest around, the fortress of Wurselen we went to see the concert of Josë. People already started to scream and where calling José before he came on stage José came on stage around 20.00 clock, he and the band looked in great shape under the deep blue sky of Wurselen. José started the show with the song..Chico and the man. Followed by, the beautiful love song
Crazy heart.
The band and José where in great shape and the show went on with songs like Affirmation, In MI Viejo San Juan, Rain, Bamboleo. Than he was sweeping up the audience with his medley of the song Samba Pa ti. And nobody was standing still everybody was clapping in there hands and swinging on the stairs where some people where using the stair as the dance floor. Great ambiance, great atmosphere, everybody had a good time under the shinning sun of The fortress in Wurselen, also the band had a great time and me and my friend we had the time of are life.
Than Jose played a song that I never heard before it was a beautiful instrumental song which Jose dedicated to his sound engineer Jim Durkin.
He called it Durkins Mood. Than he went on with songs like Que sara, Seriá facil
And than came slowly the time to say goodbye. José thanked the Guys with whom he has been working in Europe, and also the audience ,who was giving him a standing ovation,with the unforgettable song Light my fire.
José went off stage and people where calling him back and back and where clapping in there hands untill finally José came back and offered us his last song ,before he went back to the USA.
A beautiful rendition of the song what I say from The unforgettable Ray Charles.
Than came the time to say goodbye to José and the band.
I would like to say special thanks to The band ,José's manager Jorge Pinos and to José himself for giving me and my friend a unforgettable night of music and fun.
Marie-Rose and Gerard
I will post the reviews by Tina, Phil and Marie Rose onto the Seen and Heard page next week. Also look out for some additions to a revised photo page in the next few weeks :)
I just found out about this new version of "Rain". Apparantly José heard some music with a reggae feel and decided to emulate it and did so with one of his oldest hits.
30th July 2006: Sorry if anyone looked for an update earlier today I am in a rush! Tina found several sites with information about the European tour. click here , here , here , here , here , and here
6th August 2006: Click here for some great photos of the European tour.
José is to receive a life time achievement award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation on 7th September (nice birthday present!). José does a lot of work for and with the Hispanic/latino communities much of which gets little coverage and this award recognises that fact.
14th August 2006: José seems to be having a well earned break during August with only one gig listed on the official tour schedule click here for more information. Equally, if anyone knows of unlisted gigs e mail me!
20th August 2006: Nice to see an update on José's personal site this week. The update confirmed roumours of a new Spanish album and suggested that José was in the studio with Rudy Perez last week. News of a project with Rudy is good and I hope they replicate the success of the first "Senor Bolero". One of the rumours I heard was of an album of duets...sounds interesting!
27th August 2006: SOOOOOOOOOOOO! it IS an album of duets and with a Mexican theme! click here to read a report of a press release about the new album. I LOVED "A Mexico Con Amor" so I look forward to this one!
3rd September 2006: We do seem to have seen a growth in the number of videos of José's music available on line recently. Keep checking on You Tube (I gave a link on 4th June) as they seem to have frequent updates. Also check out this, tribute to Celia Cruz and this rendition of "Zorba the Greek" . Anyone know when and where either video was shot?
10th September 2006: Happy birthday to José on his "official birthday" and to celebrate it was nice to hear about his appearance at the Hispanic Heritage Foundation Awards where he received a life time achievement award and sang "Oye Como Va" with his sons :) read about it here, the picture is nice too :)
17th September 2006: Tina found this interview . Apparantly the Hispanic Heritage Awards are to be shown on TV in America later this month, it will be interesting viewing for Feliciano watchers esecially if it includes José's performance with Jonathan and Michael.
24th September 2006: I have no news at all this week! However, Phil is going to a gig tonight and said he would tell us about it. Look out for a possible update later this week. I am on holiday from Friday so after that there will be no updates until 12th October.
25th September: as promised, Phil's comments on last night's gig.
Last night I drove to the Kern County Fair in Bakersfield,California, to see Jose perform for 90 minutes. The Fair is a huge amusement park with ten's of thousands of people. Since the concert was free people were standing in line an hour before it started. He started out with Ain't no Sunshine, then To Love Somebody, Bamboleo, Knocking on Heaven's Door, Cien Anos, California Dreamin', Rain (new version), and many others that now are standards in his shows. The encore was La Bamba and people were dancing like crazy. It was a warm California night, and as I was leaving I saw that there were even more people standing outside, since the sound carried far outside of the open arena. It was a great concert.
15th October 2006: As I just got back from my holiday I don't have much news but this video is rather good....thanks Fil!
22nd October 2006: Alan has pointed out that several on line CD retailers including Amazon UK are listing an album called "José Feliciano Y Amigos" with release dates varying from 14th November to 4th December. Whether this is THE new album or another compilation is unclear, but, given what we know of the new album, it seems possible. More news as we get it!
29th October 2006: DIsappointingly, I have no news this week :( There is no further clarification as to whether "José Feliciano Y Amigos" is the new album or not.
5th November 2006: I now know that this is the new album and that people who have had a sneak preview have made very positive comments about the content. I don't know who designed it but I love the cover, "looking good" :).
7th November 2006: Use the link I gave on Sunday to see the track listing......interesting :)
12th November 2006: This is the only article I have found about "José Feliciano Y Amigos".
I don't know if I should keep giving links to Youtube but The Hispanic Heritage Awards and "Going To Chicago Blues" are not to be missed.
19th November 2006: It is now almost two years since I last saw José so this was good to see; filmed in Careless, in Arizona, on 7th October it is good to see and hear José and the band looking and sounding sooooooo good, even if it did remind me of what I am missing (and of what I missed last July).
December 3rd 2006: Two days before the new album comes out there is still little news on it, various on line retailers now have samples of the songs although they seem to be in the wrong order!
The new album did get a mention in this article which also mentions another new album due in February. "The Soundtrack of My Life" is a project José has been working on for some time and there is no other information.
Linda has sent me some photos she took at the Iridium Club; I am checking with the club to see if I can use them and will post them if it is OK to do so.
10th December 2006: I am somewhat disappointed that Amazon.uk do not have "José Feliciano Y Amigos" in stock yet. I will not know hear it until the new year as I am going on holiday on Thursday. When you get it please post on the notice board so there is some news on the subject
Linda sent these photos which are used with the permission of the Iridium club. Linda made the following comment about the gig.
"Jose was gentle, soft spoken, smiling, and accomodating backstage. He talked to me about some music that I told him I loved very much and reminisced about his dog Trudy when I told him I saw him back in 1968 when he had first become so famous. He has been my #1 for almost 40 years!!"
Alan found this on "The Soundtrack of My Life" confirming it will be released on 23rd January.
Soooo! this is my last up date of 2006! Feliz Navidad and look out for a new style news page in 2007!
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