Where Should You See Flamenco in Spain?
Tuesday November 25, 2008
Flamenco is famously an Andalusian tradition. Cities in Andalusia, such as Seville and Cadiz, capitalize on the association and serve up very touristy doses of flamenco at high prices to anyone willing to pay. In fact, though flamenco is still genuinely popular among Spaniards (and is not just for the tourist market) it can be very difficult to find an authentic show in the south.
So where should you go to see flamenco in Spain? I would suggest seeing it in Madrid. Immigration from smaller cities in Spain to Madrid means that flamenco has a strong tradition in the capital too. But as it is less well known here, the shows are not so touristy.
But where are the flamenco shows in Madrid? Check out the Best Flamenco Tablaos in Madrid
Pretty comical…everyone wants to see “the REAL THING”, but no one quite knows what that is. Tablaos are not known for being authentic, but tourists have no access to anything else…it’s a good quick fix for someone on holiday.
Estela Zatania, Editor
http://www.deflamenco.com/indexi.jsp
Thanks for your comment, Estela.
You’re right – no one knows what the real thing is. Lots of people talk about wanting to see ‘flamenco dancing’ – just that comment has made it into my list of Top Ten Myths About Spain
I also agree that a tablao probably isn’t the real thing. As I say on the page about these tablaos, the ‘best’ place to see flamenco is at a gypsy wedding or in a prison in Seville! Still, that doesn’t mean people can’t appreciate flamenco at a good tablao – as long as it is a good one. I liken going to a tablao to seeing BB King perform at Madison Square Gardens – it will probably be the greatest show you’ll see in your life, but it is a completely different experience to seeing an old man play the blues in a smokey bar in New Orleans.
All the tablaos I suggest were recommended to me by El Flamenco Vive in Madrid. That’s why it’s a ‘top four’ – because they couldn’t recommend five!
In my opinion, the best place to see real flamenco is in the El Sacromonte cave area of Granada in Andalucia – the real home of gypsy flamenco. Granada is well-known in Spain, and the world, as being the home of this wonderful cultural tradition.