After a week in Vienna and Warsaw, I was able to relive the activity that more and more artists are developing. flamencos outside of Spain. The love and dedication they feel for our art is incomparable to what one finds around here. In my Viennese days, in the 1980s, we were just a handful; today they are legion. And I've also noticed that, like all bad habits, they are not immune to the perennial squabbles among colleagues so characteristic of the... flamenco patriotic. Especially among Spaniards. The Austrians and the Poles, which is what I've experienced most closely these days, feel such a great devotion to the flamenco They are willing to set aside any disagreements to fully enjoy the art while it lasts. Their dedication is total. The small industry they can barely sustain is gradually consolidated. The affection felt during classes, concerts, parties, dinners, and drinks is heartwarming. They enjoy being part of the flamenco family despite being more than three thousand kilometers from the heart of flamenco. They live it intensely every day, sharing their blessed passion for it. flamenco.
Dancing reigns supreme; that hasn't changed in all these years. The guitar is gaining more and more followers, and those who can sing are the ones who truly shine because they never stop. There are few of them, and of course, they're the most sought after. My partner, the flamenco singer Monica Clavijo, whom I want to thank from here for including me, has students from cantewhich is a clear indication of the desire to learn the discipline that is most difficult to grasp. The language and the special nature of cante jondo It's difficult to internalize them, but they certainly have the desire, and that's admirable. Meanwhile, here "official culture" belittles the flamenco until it practically disappeared from the schedules of mainstream television channels half a century ago, except in Andalusia, although it's not exactly thriving there either. Worldwide, Guirijindos, following the felicitous name of Manuel BohorquezThey're fighting tooth and nail for the flamenco in the most remote corners of the planet. Few musical and dance genres have managed to expand in this way. And here, it's like talking to a brick wall.
The condescending look many colleagues give towards those people who give what they don't have for a passion disgusts me. El flamenco The term "tourists," so often used by those with double-edged tongues, and the airs of superiority they exude, hides something darker: the fear of being outdone. And like a shrimp that falls asleep, it's swept away by the current; in a few years, they won't need anyone because they'll know how to fend for themselves, and many will be left "looking towards Rota." It's coming. There's no going back. The influence of certain elements has forced everyone to fend for themselves, and every day they need less of what until recently was essential: the national symbol. It already happened a long time ago with guitars.
"And if you don't believe me, just look at the platform you're reading these lines on, run from Vancouver by people who profess a genuine respect and love for the flamencoThey truly believed it and are building a ship that sails around the world under the flag of flamenco"The standard of Gypsy art, the banner of profound emotion, crafted with care, attending to every detail, putting our hearts into it."
I belong to an era when, when we went to Japan, we'd each take four guitars to sell there; however, it's been a long time since the Japanese came to Spain, tried out the guitars, and took them back, without intermediaries—they know the ropes. That's the end of that, the business is finished. The paintings of Shinyuku y Osaka They'll eventually become self-sufficient too. So, less talk and more action. These people study and prepare themselves so well that their guitar playing is incredible, their dancing is simply divine, and their singing gets better all the time. Someone will rightly say that it's essential to breathe the air of Cádiz, Sanlúcar, El Puerto and Jerez, Seville and Triana, Málaga and Granada, Córdoba, the plains, Jaén and Almería, the blessed lands of Huelva, Almería and Murcia, Badajoz, Madrid, the capital, and Barcelona. But whoever says that forgets that this air is increasingly polluted by modern trends and isn't so different from the air you breathe in New York, Moscow, or eternal Rome. Forget it. In less time than it takes a crazy priest to cross himself, the tourists...jondoThey will take over and seize the reins of flamenco, and, looking at us, they will say: if you don't pull your weight, we will. But, by my dear mother, this won't die. And if you don't believe me, look at the platform on which you are reading these lines, commanded from Vancouver by people who profess a genuine respect and love for flamenco. flamencoThey truly believed it and are building a ship that sails around the world under the flag of flamencoThe standard-bearer of Gypsy art, the banner of its deepest roots, crafted with care, attention to detail, and heartfelt dedication. Personally, I am proud to belong to this family and I hope that every port we visit will welcome such a commendable endeavor. And it had to be done from a city nine thousand kilometers away. You wouldn't believe it if you told anyone. Mitch and Jafelin Helten They believed in the flamenco And they have managed to embark a group of professionals to sail these seas of God carrying the news of flamenco to all corners of the world, doing our bit in the work that so many artists have been carrying out for more than a century.
Gades told me that when he was in the Pilar Lopez Company It took them a month to reach Japan by ship, they worked there for fifteen days, and then another month to return. Today, science is advancing at an incredible rate, and what happens in Torres Macarena It is known in Lima an hour later, thanks to those who work from here to make it so.
I've always been a defender of foreigners who love the flamencoI experienced it very closely for a decade and that leaves a big mark. Today, almost forty years later, we find that the flamenco In many places, the atmosphere is like strolling through the Santa María neighborhood, and don't say I'm exaggerating. And if I am, please excuse me; the cook isn't the fryer. And if it hasn't happened today, it will... tomorrow.
That's true. flamenco It is no longer the regional culture it once was; it has become an international art form, with followers and practitioners.canteThey're everywhere in the world. I don't like the term 'guiri' (foreigner).jondo'Because 'guiri' is a derogatory word for ignorant foreigners. I prefer to talk about flamencomembers of the diaspora or citizens of FlamencoLandia, that country that isn't on any map, but exists in all the places where fans gather to celebrate that great art we love so much. And don't worry, we won't steal the flamencoBecause Andalusia remains the blessed land, where we all want to make a pilgrimage to experience the flamenco there where it has its roots. This was shown at the latest edition of the Jerez Festival, that annual gathering of the flamencos of the world. With sold-out courses and shows, and bars and peñaIt's becoming filled with boundless revelry. I hope the people of Andalusia are proud that they've created an art form that delights so many.
I love this vision. It's like a religion; we're devoted to it. flamencoWe make pilgrimages to the holy land, we venerate the great ones, we spend our lives studying, searching for origins, trying to give meaning to our fervor, to our passion.
Yes, we were born far from Andalusian land, but we are flamencofrom the soul to the tip of the hair.
If I don't speak, nobody says I'm from beyond when I dance.
Unfortunately, some people believe that having "blue" blood is some kind of artistic advantage. I live in Jerez, and I wish people would see me for who I truly am: a flamenco artist!
Long live the lo JondoLong live the Flamenco that comes from within!
flamencoland, but it's not understood as a foreignerjondoThe pejorative sense is no longer there; it has lost the semantics of the last century. You're right that in Andalusia, and more specifically in Jerez, you can feel the flamenco Great, I'm writing this just to stir things up a bit, without any intention of offending, because "the early bird catches the worm." Cheers, Marlies.
Let's flee from "modernities" and uniformity! ... which are a shame
The article is interesting, and it seems that not everyone in Spain realizes the impact it has. Flamenco in the rest of the world…