Flamenco - How to find band mates that appreciate it and in a new town?

Question

I moved into a regional town in Australia, that is mostly surrounded by Blues, Rock, Pop or Top-40 musicians.

The closest answer I found here is this one, which has some good suggestions that apply to almost any new environment. Thank you.

However, I feel my situation is somewhat special.

I perform flamenco guitar, and out here in outback Australia - flamenco is mostly akin to "flamingos" - the bird! That's about as much as they know of it! The Gipsy Kings is another. I do play GK music, but only because most people recognise those songs - Bamboleo, Djobi Djoba, etc. And it's "easy" to dance to, and easier to play of course.

Sorry, but aside from some blues, I dislike the other genres. They are too common and fraught with people that think they can perform them, and worse - think they can sing.

I am not a snob, but I have been performing for over 20 years as a solo artist mostly, and I know music - from "that music". About the only people that appreciate flamenco are middle-aged retirees that also appreciate jazz, world music, and classical. I might as well play at retirement villagers (which I've done btw).

However, I want to try and form a flamenco group, with cajonero (cajon player), cante jondo singers (flamenco style), and maybe a bass player. YouTube "Paco de Lucia" and you'll know what I mean.

I know looking for Spanish or Latin people in this town is one option, which I've done, but unfortunately there is only ONE Spanish girl that also happens to dance flamenco, but for some reason she's not into it anymore and has resorted to partying, drinking, or dancing out at clubs for all I know.

So any tips on how I can convince Australians to join me!? Yeah - almost impossible.

Answer 1

No matter what the style of music, in this day an age it's getting harder to find people who want to get together and play. The emphasis is so much less on performance and so much more on recording. Being in a similar situation in that I've recently begun playing after a long layoff I've found that the best way to find people is to make yourself visible in music stores, teaching areas and try to introduce yourself to every musician you can find regardless of style. Also, attend as many live music events as you can regardless of style.

The more you expose yourself to the people who do actually play, the better your odds are of meeting someone. You are in a very specialized area and it won't be easy but persistence pays off.

Answer 2

The times I wanted to form a band, I just called up a few friends and said, "Let's form a band." It always worked. Of course, I was always forming a Western Swing dance band, so it was pretty easy. We did play a large range of music though (almost as many types as a ballroom orchestra.)