Flamenco in Sevilla
 

My wife and I will be June 19 and 20, 2006 in Sevilla. We wish to attend the flamenco show at Flamenco de Casa Memoria one of those evenings. Is it necessary to get tickets ahead of time? If so, how do we do this. Thanks!

You can buy a ticket at the boxoffice earlier in the day of the performance. I have seen flamenco at Casa Memoria and at Los Gallos and think Los Gallos is superior by far.

Los Gallos is a superior venue, and they tend to get the better performers.

Hi DSinger and laclaire,
Speaking of flamenco and Seville...

I just read that Cristina Hoyos, the flamenco legend, director of the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía and performer in Carlos Saura's "Bodas de sangre" and "El amor brujo" , has created a new Museo del Baile Flamenco in Seville-opened this spring.
It's a private initiative but partially subsidized by the Seville City Hall and Andalusian regional government.
The museum/center is planning for future VIP nights for groups with a special tour of the museum, a flamenco performance by top talent accompanied by wine and tapas.

www.museoflamenco.com

laclaire,
I've read all your great flamenco posts here and know that flamenco is a particular passion of yours. Have you heard about the museum? Any scoop?

I had heard about it and am excited to go and see it. I have worked with a few people involved in its inception and am excited to be collaborating with them this coming year. You will hear more about that, though, I am sure.

They are doing a great job at getting the best artists. Hoyos is not only a legendary dancer, but she is an astute businesswoman.

Thanks for info!

DSinger...LOs Gallos is #1 in my book...we sat in the fist row and the sparks from the heels literally flew! Very colorful, feels like an intimate venue..get there early...
Stu T.

We loved Los Gallos too, but this new venue sounds fantastic--I might have to go back to Seville SOON! Thanks for the great information.

I hope Los Gallos is not the best Seville has to offer. I saw the show there a month ago and found it to be dull and uninspired.

I grew up watching Jose Greco, Lola Flores, Carmen Amaya, Antonio, and their collaborators. At Los Gallos the singers croaked and the guitarists fumbled. The dancers were good natured, but their dancing barely hints at the excitement that was generated by the great ones of flamenco who preceded them.

happytrails- growing up with the performers you have mentioned and seeing those at Los Gallos is not even a comparable experience. No one has been able to touch Carmen Amaya ever, and there is a reason that most flamenco in Barceona automatically is "dedicado a la faraona" (dedicated to the Pharoah (Lola Flores)). Of the small venues offering daily dancing and singing in Sevilla, Los Gallos is a good place. Then, of course, you have the stages where you can see the "greats" of today (Canales, Rocio Molina, Manuela Carrasco if you are lucky. . .).

Where were you that you had access to those performers?

I saw Carmen Amaya at the McCarter Playhouse in Princeton (1957), Lola Flores in Spain, Antonio in Spain, and Jose Greco at various times in the States.

Also, while I lived in San Francisco in the late 1950s there were flamenco artists living there who had guts and fire. If you can't give me great artistry, at least give me guts and fire--something Los Gallos doesn't deliver.

Back to Casa de Memoria- we saw the show there and it seemed that the performers were young students rather than seasoned professionals. This is not to say they were bad and I don't really have anything to compare it to but the show was interesting and exciting at times. This was an early performance (7-8PM?) as there were lots of families with younger children there.

Well, happy, ¿qué te puedo decir? You have had the opportunity to see some really amazing artists and you did so before flamenco underwent the big shift. . . when it became another performing art complete with dance academies and specific performance venues.

I have been to all kinds of venues, from private homes to huge stages, and it always helps me when watching to forget about where I am and just watch how the dancers interact with the others on stage. More than guts, fire and technique, I am thrilled when I see that a group on stage performs as one. There is just nothing like it!

Has anybody seen the Madrid company, Noche Flamenca? They will be touring the U.S.A. next fall and I would like to know if I should see them when they are in town.

Happy- I am working on a book for them! They have great dancers (keep those eyes on Soledad Barrios) and they work really well as a group. I have been to see them in NYC a few times and really enjoyed their show. This past January they performed at the flamenco festival to rave reviews by the New Yorker. Do it!

Interesting thread.

I've never seen a flamenco show, but I enjoy recordings of the great guitarists -- Sabicas for a classic, and the more recent work of Paco de Lucia and Tomatito.

Are there still venues where one might experience non-professional flamenco, bars where it might just happen late some night?

pausanias- so many people are looking for that and it is pretty hard to find outside of a family setting. There are flamenco aficionado bars, but generally even there you find performances and fans who are really into the art.

Aside from weddings and family get togethers which is where you get the best impromptu flamenco around, you should try to go to festivals.

My first was the Festival de Río Gordo near Antequera. I went with 2 flamencólogos, a gypsy man (related to Remedios Amaya) and a fellow dancer. We got in around 11 pm after the wildest car ride ever. Tickets bought, we went inside and it was basically an outdoor stage with tables and chairs set up, as well as a full bar with tapas and such. Drinks were 2€, so of course, everyone was hitting the bar. As the 2 flamencólogos knew the performers, we went back stage and hung out until the show started, then headed out to the audience and watched the spectacle, which ended around 4 a.m. Then we got a few of the performers and drove to Zambra where some of the guys had a peña (a place where aficionados go to sip sherry and listen to music. . . there is also a full though small stage). We set up camp there and emerged at about 10 after a night of up close dancing, singing and clapping. That was definitely the night to remember.

laclaire -- Wow. That sounds pretty close! Lucky you, and thanks for the tip.

Thanks, laclair. Will do. Good luck on the book.

Happy- here is the link to the New Yorker article on the festival:
http://tinyurl.com/o5sh4

She did a lot of research for the piece and I think a lot of her opinions will be in line with your feelings having seen many of the greats (I forgot to ask, which "Antonio" are you talking about?), and now looking for more.

Pausanias- I forgot to mention the Ferias. The big one is in Sevilla, but Málaga has a great one on August where you can find tons of fabulous flamenco, not to mention delicious food.