∞ KEFF MORAN – Feedback

My name is Keff Moran, I’m currently 63 years young, and live in La Puebla de Cazalla, Seville. I’ve lived in Spain since 2010, moving here from my native Ireland, however, I was raised in Stockport, some 20 miles from the metropolis of Manchester UK… Between 1975 and 1989 I was what is commonly referred to as a “Roadie” or stage technician for several significant rock and metal bands, as a teenager I toured the UK with fairgrounds and circuses as a crew member, in between, turned my head to most things, digging graves, working on construction sites, factory worker, driving trucks, and numerous other jobs. In 1989, my life drastically changed direction, when I was involved in a near fatal road traffic accident that left me in hospital for more than 12 weeks, with leg, hip and back injuries, my left leg below the knee was amputated due to extent of damage. As I said earlier, I came to Spain to be with my then American girlfriend who was working on contract at the USAF base at Morón de La Frontera, but lived in Utrera, where we lived for a year and a half before moving 5 km from La Puebla. After another year or so, my girlfriend’s work visa ended, combined with the failure of our relationship, returned to the US, whereas I, being European stayed in Spain, I moved into the village and set myself a 6 month return to Ireland period if things didn’t work out, happy to say, they did… Since living in La Puebla, to fill in the empty spaces, I got the opportunity to achieve one of my lifelong goals, to sing with a band, spent so many years behind the stage, now I was on the stage, thanks to local band Paso Estrecho who gave me that chance. I later sang with another band from the village, Metralla, who were more my musical style, hard rock and heavy metal. Again, thanks to Paso Estrecho drummer, and now dear friend Fernando, who offered me the opportunity to broadcast, I now present a music program on our local radio, Radio Puebla 107.7fm, which is a nostalgia program featuring the best of rock and metal from over 5 decades. It’s called The Music Machine…

My first experience of the Reunion de Cante Jondo was in 2013, making it
a great time to hangout with my new friends from the village. Now, flamenco is a musical genre I knew nothing about, or wanted to
learn about, I felt that it wasn’t a part of my cultural background, and
therefore didn’t interest me, but over the years it’s something that’s
begun growing on me, not so much the musical aspect, although the dance
and guitar aspects give me pleasure, but it’s more the awesome ambience
and the equally awesome people involved with it’s popularity. Through this amazing event and organisation I met many awesome people,
who have since become the closest friends, Beau Bledsoe and family in
Kansas City, Neil Battram, Jordan Shipley, Gerry Lubensky, who’s become
something of an iconic figure in the village, especially during the week
of the event. Then there’s the people who attend the dance and guitar courses, who
without, would make the event less interesting, I’m referring to the
beautiful people who attend from several European countries, in
particular Germany, who are tutored by the incredible professionals
Antonio Andrade, and Ursula Moreno, plus the PR team who publicise and
organise this amazing event, Javier Andrade and Heidi Schreiber and then
the young lady, the somewhat unsung heroine deep down in the engine
room of this incredible ensemble, who keeps the cogs oiled and
maintained, making sure the whole thing runs as smooth as can be, the
incomparable Ms Victoria Génova who in my humble opinion is the life
force of this leviathan…

Thank you, to one and all involved, for making the first week of
July here in our beautiful sleepy hollow of La Puebla de Cazalla a most memorable time…