Festival Flamenco

Festival Flamenco Internacional De Albuquerque has been held for 25 years from 1987 to 2012.  It was born from the National Institute of Flamenco, and supported by the University of New Mexico, College of Fine Arts, the Department of Theatre and Dance.  It is the largest Flamenco festival in the United States; and has been said to be world-class; the finest Flamenco outside of Seville, Spain.

Flamenco is a genre of Spanish dance, song and music originating in Andalusia, Spain in the 18th century.  It has its roots in gypsy tradition and Romani culture.  The principle facets are singing (cante), dancing (baile), guitar playing (toque) and hand clapping (palmas).  However, this dry explanation does not begin to explain the Flamenco experience.

I had the pleasure of seeing Flamenco live for the first time in Atlanta, Georgia.  First at the concert of Vicente Amigo (see a video clip here); and then again in concert with Paco de Lucia (see video clip here).  And I fell in love -with the simplicity of guitar, cajones (drum boxes), and hand clapping; the plaintive, soulful, passionate voices of the singer, and the bright, colorful, passionate, stacatto dancing.

The Fiesta Flamenco, which is the culmination of the week long Festival Flamenco, is a compilation of all the performers.  It is held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center here in Albuquerque. Happily I was able to score a ticket at the beginning of the week, since both Friday and Saturday performances were sold out!

So imagine being in a dark theater.....  the lonely sounds of a guitar begin to play.  As the lights start to rise on the stage, you see the guitar player, perhaps one or two cajones with players seated upon them, and one to three singers.  A spotlight begins to glow - and within that glow is a beautiful spanish woman, slender, dressed in vivid red, her hair in a bun with a spanish mantilla comb, and draped in a brilliant yellow fringed shawl.  The cajones take up the beat of the guitar.  The singer beings to sound and as one, hand clapping keeps time to the staccatto beat of the her heels.  As the singer pours out his passion and soul, the woman becomes in turn fiery, soulful, passionate, exuberant, commanding - twirling and pounding the stage.  She whirls with the shawl spread out like wings and masterfully returns it to her shoulders secure for the next move.  Her hands curl and turn elegantly through the air.  The passion and fire just take your breath away! The singers call to her - commanding, entreating, encouraging. The audience shouts "Ole!"

While I could not tape or photograph the live performance, here are some examples of Flamenco that I found online.  I encourage you to experience it for yourself - live and in person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqxJMCQxb_Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTRPi1pwjfc

And here is Olga Pericet, whom I saw perform - she was outstanding!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5mKmgvclqw