Master of Castanets

Posted on Thursday, June 16

Libby Komaiko: Dancer, Choreographer, Artistic Director, Founder of Ensemble Español and Master of Castanets
By Debby Storms

Dame Libby Komaiko has been recognized for many achievements over her career, including being the first American artist in history (in 1982) to be decorated with Spain’s highest honor “Lazo de Dama” (Ribbon of the Dame) de la Orden de Isabel La Católica by his Majesty Don Juan Carlos I, King of Spain for her artistic, cultural and educational work throughout the U.S. One of her greatest, though perhaps less-recognized, accomplishments is her mastery of castanets, which add such evocative beauty to Spanish dance and music. Arte y Vida Chicago asked Dame Libby about castanets. Here are some of her thoughts.

Castanets: a love-hate relationship
“People are attracted to castanets because they are rhythmic like your heart. In fact, your left hand is your rhythm hand and it goes straight into your heartbeat. They are a percussive instrument, but also can be very melodic.

But they are indeed hard to learn how to play. You have to use the smallest bones and muscle groups in your body. And you have to have very good castanets in order to produce good sound. People get upset with them because we want instant gratification – and you will not get that with castanets. They take practice, practice, practice.

Castanets and Carmen Amaya
Carmen Amaya, whose artistry and mastery of flamenco dance were such that saying her name is like saying Anna Pavlova for ballet, aspired to dance inn the classical style with castanets. The story is told that she eventually did perform a classical piece with castanets at Carnegie Hall – only to have a critic pan her. So even the “Queen of the Gypsies” had trouble with castanets …

Castanets and the rhythm of life
The compas, or rhythm, begins with the heartbeat heard in the mother’s womb. The cante begins with the birth cry, and immediately the little fingers begin to move …