The first time I entered Spain from France, after a long pause to let the workers change the wheels to fit Spain's narrower gauge tracks, I felt the throbbing beat of the Spanish guitar as the slow train clacked through verdant jungles of vegetation broken up by undulating ribbons of stacked-stone walls. No other music is so intertwined with the landscape and soul of its homeland like Spanish music, and Flamenco is the art at its core.
The Origins of Flamenco
Where did Flamenco come from? Christine Temin, in Seeking out Spain's furtive art and soul, surmises that, "it is a product of several cultures, and that Arabs and Jews hiding in the mountains to escape forced conversion to Roman Catholicism contributed significantly to its music.
Recommended Flamenco Walking Tour
Temin recommends the flamenco aficionados take the walking tour by Carmen, "the quintessential spitfire Sevillana Gypsy" when visiting Seville. The Independent has a great article on the tour as well: Showtime in Carmen's old stamping ground.
Carmen's guided walking tour departs daily except Tuesday and Sunday in the early evenings from the corner of Calle Sto. Thomas and Calle Miguel Mañara, near the Alcazar entrance (some reports say 6 pm, some 7 pm, check at your hotel). Pay what your conscience tells you.
Seeing Flamenco in Spain
Flamenco is music of the night. Late night. Many of the more authentic versions don't get really going until midnight.
The popularity of Flamenco has elevated the music out of sweaty, smoky bars into theaters and restaurants. There are a few problems with this, of course. One is that the tourist is always wondering about the authenticity of the performances, and indeed, most of the tablaos or clubs serve up a diluted version of the passionate music. Temin (and many others) recommends La Carbonaria, an old coal warehouse in the heart of Seville's old city. (Calle Levies, 18, Seville)
Web Resources for Flamenco
Flamenco World - General information on Flamenco
Festival de Jerez 2004 - February 27th to March 10th 2004, Jerez de la Fontera (Cádiz, Spain).
Spanish Hot Spots for Flamenco
VirtualTourist -Sevilla - Flamenco - Get other traveler's recommendations on seeing Flamenco in Seville
Sevilla, Flamenco A Spanish Art - A short history of Flamenco
Flamenco in Seville - Where to go
