Granada, a city on the pulse of Flamenco

 

Flamenco, described by the playwright-poet, Garcia Lorca, as "one of the most gigantic inventions of the Spanish people", is the art form most readily associated with Spain and in particular the south. Its specific origins, although shrouded in much myth, undoubtedly lie in Andalucia, nurtured by its sizeable gitano(Gypsy) community.

The Gypsies' presence in Spain dates back to the 15th century, when they largely settled in the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, later occupying the areas vacated by the Moors upon their expulsion from Spain by decree of Philip III, in the early 17th century. Although it is unlikely that they brought flamenco with them to Spain, the gypsies quite possibly synthesized their own musical forms with those of the Moors during the near two centuries of their cohabitation in Andalucia.

Today, with flamenco's fame at an all-time high among a growing international audience, many come to seek out its roots and soul in Andalucia. Granada ranks alongside Seville, Jerez and Cadiz as one of its most vibrant centres. Some of the great figures of flamenco dance, guitar and song have hailed from the city. Many originate from the Sacromonte district, a rural idyll on the city's eastern flank, renowned for its cave dwellings and a thriving gitano community. It is only proper, therefore, that our Flamenco

activities give prominent coverage to the Sacromonte, with a Guided Walk (including a visit to an interpretative museum on Gypsy and folk culture) and a night-time performance of Flamenco dance and music.