Flamenco and Andalusia simply belong together. Jerez is one of the strongholds of flamenco and hosts a large festival every year that attracts many visitors. We wanted to find out more about the tradition of flamenco in Jerez.
Flamenco, an artistic genre from Andalusia, has been a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010. The art form has been widespread since the 19th century and is characterized by songs and dances that are performed in a unique way.
The emergence of the art movement at the beginning of the 19th century is closely linked to historical, social and cultural developments in Andalusia. The population group of the Andalusian Gitanos played a decisive role in its promotion. For many years, it was even claimed that they were the sole creators. There has been much debate in research on the subject, many different theories have been put forward and there is still no real consensus today. What is certain is that, based on linguistic studies of the texts, a “gypsy” origin is more likely.
Centro Andaluz de Flamenco in Jerez
There has been an institute in Jerez (Centro Andaluz de Flamenco) dedicated to research since 1958. You can visit it free of charge and we took a look around. (Opening hours Monday to Friday from 9 am to 2 pm)
The documentation center is located in a beautiful house. The building is the so-called Pemarton Palace, which was originally known as the Palace of the Marquise of La Mesa de Asta. It is an outstanding representative of Andalusian palatial residential architecture and an example of medieval architecture with the city of Jerez de la Frontera. From a beautiful inner courtyard, you reach the upper floor with a small film room, some exhibits and the heart of research, the library.
The aim of the work here is to safeguard and promote literary and musical artistic manifestations related to the songs, dances and guitar touches of the art of flamenco. Seminars, courses and events are organized to help spread the art form.
During our tour, we watched the Spanish film, looked in the display cases and took a look in the library. We quickly realized that you can’t get very far here without knowing Spanish. That’s a shame, as I find the subject very interesting.
But we were able to learn a little bit from the showcases and the pictures in the movie (and my few bits of Spanish).
What makes flamenco so unique?
Flamenco is not a uniform form of performance. There are also different interpretations that sometimes only show the singing and sometimes the combination of singing and dancing, always with the support of instruments. The most important “components” are singing (cante), instrumental playing (toque), dancing (baile) and percussive elements such as rhythmic clapping (palmas) or playing the castanet.
For many tourists, flamenco mainly involves the guitar and dancing. We experienced a show in Cádiz that only featured singing and guitar. Only locals were guests here, who particularly enjoyed and celebrated this type of performance.
Singing is the central element of flamenco. The interpreter must master high vocal technique requirements. Many texts have been passed down orally and have hardly changed since the first written records at the end of the 19th century. It is traditionally sung in the Andalusian dialect. The lyrics usually deal with loss, unattainability, love and pain, which the singers emphasize very impressively through gestures, facial expressions and, of course, their voices.
In addition to the singing, clapping is an important part of the performance. However, they don’t just clap rhythmically, but also clap between the beats, depending on the song. The actors sometimes clap loudly and brightly and then again muffled and quieter. I find it particularly exciting when everyone claps something different, which can almost lead to a meditative sound. In addition to clapping, finger snapping is also a popular element.
Of course, instruments also play an important role in flamenco. The flamenco guitar is the traditional instrument for accompanying singing and dancing. I was amazed at the dexterity with which the guitarists coaxed the most amazing melodies out of the instrument. The artists also like to use percussion instruments such as castanets, the cajón (a wooden box with a sound hole at the back and a striking board at the front that can be adjusted with screws) and their own bodies.
For many visitors, dance is certainly the most important aspect of flamenco. It is performed by dancers and illustrates the lyrics of the songs in a completely different way. Visitors who do not understand the lyrics are also offered a visual illustration. The dance is characterized by impressively rhythmic footwork. The heels clatter, there is stomping and the foot drags across the floor. That alone is a melody of its own. But it’s not just the feet that play a decisive role.
Every part of the body is involved in the dance: Upper body, arms, hands, fingers, even the direction of gaze and facial expression are important. In addition, the dancers twirl their dresses around so that I hardly knew where to look first.
Attend a flamenco performance in the Tabanco El Pasaje
There are many ways to experience flamenco in Jerez. We decided to visit the Tabanco El Pasaje, which offers shows at certain times.
The visit is free of charge. However, you don’t have a seat and have to stand behind a waist-high barrier. The view here is restricted and the waiter keeps meandering past.
If you prefer to sit at a table, you must reserve one in advance. These seats are “subject to a charge”, as you have to choose a small tapas menu when making your reservation, which also includes sherry and drinks (depending on what you specify). The tables are then in the immediate vicinity of the small stage and you have a very good view of the artists.
After the doors had opened and we had been allocated our table, we had some time to look around the room. The walls are decorated with posters and pictures from the flamenco and bullfighting scene. The bar serves sherry (for example Fino, Oloroso and Amontillado) as well as other drinks. I like the location and I can imagine that you can have a good time there even when there are no shows.
We were able to experience a show put on by a guitarist, a singer and a dancer. I really enjoyed it. The singer, who also did some dancing, had an amazing way of telling us his story. The facial expressions and the sound of the voice were enough to make the story clear.
The dancer really captivated me. Her body language expressed joy, sorrow, anger and love wonderfully. She also showed us impressive choreographies with step sequences that were so fast and expressive that I could only marvel. Unfortunately, the guitarist’s skills were almost drowned out by the strong presence of the two. He often played sequences of notes so quickly that it was almost impossible to follow his fingers.
The event lasted about 1 hour and I was very enthusiastic and impressed.
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