Which flamenco where?
 

I will be in Granada, Marbella, Arcos, Jerez and Seville in June/July. Love dancing and flamenco when I have the opportunity to see it. If you were going 2 or 3 times in those placces which would it be? What about in the caves in Granada? I assume in Marbella would not be the best choice. Thanks

There is huge variety in the subject. I have seen performance in many forms and many places except 'tablao for the tourist' and I would not think the location matters. If pushed, the birthplace of flamenco is Seville or Jerez, I suggest one or the other.

Here is a list of major flamenco performances in theaters around Spain in June and July. The greatest artists tour the country all the time, and I recommend you to see if any dates fits your schedule. Mostly a local and knowledgeable crowd at the theater performances. http://www.deflamenco.com/agenda/events.jsp?accion=p

In Granada, I would recommend to go for the Thursday night performance at Peña Flamenca La Platería, one of the oldest exisiting flamenco clubs in Spain. In the Albaycín district close to the center and Plaza Nueva. This would be the real deal, and you could be up for an excperience to remember for very long. Sometimes they also have performances on Saturday nights. The performances starts at 10.30pm and the entrance is only some 10-12€ with one drink included. Also a restaurant, make reservations ahead. http://www.laplateria.org.es/

One of the greatest up and coming flamenco dancers in the world today, Patricia Guerrero, literally grew up here, and the greatest local flamenco artists perform here on a regular basis. This clip gives you an idea of the place and the atmosphere. Here, the extremely popular singer Diana Navarro from Málaga performs. She is not a traditional flamenco singer, but she has a beautiful voice and are fully capable of creating magic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgPrfjinEgQ

Sevilla is full of flamenco, and you can excperience the real deal every night at intimate Casa de la Memória in the midst of the Santa Cruz district. Popular with tourists, but the artists are dead serious and some of the very greatest perform here all the time. No food, no drinks, just flamenco: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...Andalucia.html

In Sevilla, you can also experience great sevillanas/flamenco atmosphere in one of the many clubs in the Triana district across the Guadalquivir river. This lovely part of town is a cradle of flamenco culture, and for example El Rejoneo in Calle Betis, 33 or Casa Anselma are close to a guarantee for a great night out. No need to come before midnight.

Samara Amador, singer daughter of living legend flamenco dancer Manuela Carrasco, often gets into action at El Rejoneo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPZT3ADgWsw

Sevillanas at Casa Anselma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrFo_GveR-k

Jerez is also a major flamenco city, and as in Sevilla there are regularly great theater performances. Otherwise you might go to one of the high quality tablaos in town where local artists perform:
http://www.latabernaflamenca.com/taberna.html

I would also recommend to drop by some of the fabulous atmosphere flamenco bars in Jerez. Here are great singer Jesús Méndez together with late guitar genious Moraito in Bar La Gitaneria a couple of years ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdl_o...eature=related

Fabulous singer Juana la del Pipa has opened a bar/restaurant with the same name, also in Calle Ancha: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rUeN...eature=related
http://www.jerezsiempre.com/index.ph...na_la_del_Pipa

You should also check out what's happening at Sala Compañia, one of the main venues for the prestgious Jerez flamenco festival in February/March: http://www.jerezciudad.com/agenda/ev...=2512&lugar=32

Marbella is not a flamenco town, and here you are more likely to see the touristy stuff. But the Málaga region, of which Marbella is a part, has got a great flamenco tradition, and some of the most cutting edge artists on the current scene comes from down here. Here's an always updated list of genuine flamenco performances in the Málaga province, some 50 events listed in June and July: http://www.flamenka.com/html/agenda/...da%202012.html

June and July is also high season for local, and often outdoos flamenco festivals where many of the greatest artists perform.
The Potaje Gitano festival in Utrera, close to Sevilla, is on June 30th: http://www.potajegitano.com/actualidad.html
The Flamenco en la Frontera festival in Morón de la Frontera is this year from July 3 to 7. http://www.flamencoenlafrontera.com/index.php?lang=en

The Algurugú was last week, but this clip might give you an idea of the atmoshere and quality of these local festivals. The 2010 edition saw some of the greatest female flamencos in the world on the same outdoor stage in one night. In the video, check out up and coming cantaora Rocío Márquez from 4.30, fabulous Marina Herédia from 9.40 and the most cutting edge bailaora on the current scene (and probably for a looong time to come) Rocío Molina from 12 mins. http://www.arahal.es/opencms/opencms...ideo_0105.html

Also many great flamenco artists in this years edition of the Córdoba guitar festival July 3-14:
Mercedes Ruíz dances on the 7th: http://www.guitarracordoba.org/welco...mercedes-ruiz/
Ballet flamenco de Andalucía on the 11th: http://www.guitarracordoba.org/welco...let-andalucia/
http://www.guitarracordoba.org/espectaculos/

The "Noches flamencas - Festival de las Cuevas" in Sacromonte, Granada on July 11, 13, 18 and 20. http://www.veranosflamencos.com/FEST...evas/index.php

NB!!! July 13 and 14. Festival de la Luna Flamenca (Flamenco moon festival) in Guaro, 10 mins drive inland from Marbella! A major concert in the spectacular 1800 seats outdoor Luna Mora (Moorish moon) theater on the 14th. http://www.visitcostadelsol.com/what...itorium-p26911

Two of the greatest female flamenco singers, Mayte Martín and Marina Heredia perform together with wonderful dancer Susana Lupiañez "La Lupi".
La Lupi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il-vn...eature=related
Marina Heredia, in my opinion the finest female flamenco voice today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkkI9q2viWA
Mayte Martín and her beautiful voice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGc98BfCoYA

Among the theater performances in "your" cities in June, I would recommend:

Sevilla:
June 13 and 14: Farruquito in majestic Lope de Vega theater (dance): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m0-0NoyovM

June 17 and 27: Wonderful up and coming singer Rocío Márquez in the stunning Real Alcázar gardens. This sounds like a recipe for a magical night. In 2008 she won the prestigious "Lámpara Minera" prize with the clearest majority since the early 90's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwAnMBUXGLQ

And I have to put in the world's leading flamenco singer Miguel Poveda in Córdoba on July 11. With wonderful dancer La Lupi from Málaga. Córdoba is 50 mins with the high speed AVE train from Sevilla. Here together with plain fantastic dancer Eva Yerbabuena: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q6tQQ9NuxQ

Poveda in a copla from the Almodóvar movie, Broken embraces/Abrazos rotos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3CJiJX-qLE

In other words: Peña la Platería in Granada, Casa de la Memória in Sevilla and the Festival de la Luna Flamenca just outside Marbella.

kimhe - as ever you are a mine of information. thank you for sharing all this with the rest of us.

Kimhe - Wow...what a fabulous and richly appointed landscape you draw. We'll be in Granada July 11 & 12. Would you recommend Noches flamencas on Wed the 11th or Pena Flamenca La Plateria on the 12th, if you could only see one.

Depends on who's performing on that night in Platería. Some of the greatest perform here every now and then, and not long ago Fuensanta La Moneta, voted best female flamenco dancer 2009 by Spanish critics, danced here.

Having said that, the Noches Flamencas seems as serious and good as it gets. On July 11th Sergio el Colorao sings. Hadn't heard him before, but I would very much like to anytime, obviously a great cantaor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y77dyvTpXo
José Cortés el Indio dances: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90tPix-mPo4

The performance is called "20 para el flamenco" (Twenty for flamenco), alluding to the 20th anniversary of the death of the greatest flamenco icon of all times, the legendary Camarón de la Isla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I1Yf8RHsZc

"no need to come before midnight". Is that true? I'll have to sleep all day to be awake at midnight.

We saw flamenco at Casa de Memoria in Seville. We made advance reservations. As I recall there were two or three sessions durning the evening and we went about 10:00 pm. The flamenco (I am not an expert!) was super.

"no need to come before midnight". Is that true? I'll have to sleep all day to be awake at midnight.>>

micheline, I have the same problem. IMHO the only way to deal with it is to move onto spanish time when you arrive, which includes meals and sleeping. sadly i haven't cracked this yet and i still end up crashing out at about 11.30 pm.

The "no need to come before midnight"-thing is about flamenco clubs/bars, not the regular performances in theaters etc. Most theater performances will start at 8-9pm so that you can go out for a meal afterwards and then continue on to the bars/clubs :)

Most theater performances will start at 8-9pm so that you can go out for a meal afterwards and then continue on to the bars/clubs >>

lol, kimhe - i think that most non-spaniards would think of having the dinner first, then the show, then a quick drink before bedtime!

I must admit that I neither use to sit down for the main meal of the day after a major flamenco performance, but the bar thing into the night I recommend very much...

Kimhe - any suggestions for Barcelona in June and July? Thanks!

The summer monts are not high season for flamenco in Barcelona, but Tablao El Cordobés on Las Ramblas is one of the best tablaos in the country, and it has got a high standing among the artists themselves. Great artists perform through June, the program for July is not set yet: http://www.tablaocordobes.com/espect...eneral/en/1/70

Also great artists at Tablao de Carmen. Established in homage to the greatest flamenco dancer of all times, the barcelonesa Carmen Amaya (1913-1963).
http://www.tablaodecarmen.com/index.php?lang=en&m=1

Carmen Amaya made her public debut sixteen years old on the site of the later Tablao de Carmen and in front of king Alfonso XIII at the opening of Poble Espanyol in 1929. Only very talented performers, some up and coming and some well established stars. Here is the fabulous bailaor El Junco at Tablao de Carmen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sENoCuTQYPs

And one of my favourite up and coming female flamenco singers, Alba Carmona from Barcelona (with Málaga roots), is new lead singer in the female flamenco (fusion) group Las Migas. They've got five concerts in the Barcelona region throughout June and July. http://womad.org/artists/las-migas
Program: http://www.myspace.com/albacarmona/shows

Alba Carmona (she comes in at about 1 min): http://www.myspace.com/albacarmona/shows
Alba Carmona with Las Migas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKGsi2UbHgg

Always updated program on flamenco performances in Barcelona: http://www.guiaflama.com/agenda/

Sorry, Alba Carmona after 3 mins 20 here, in the Flamenco Hoy (flamenco today) theater and movie performnace of Carlos Saura. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfahdNtOtVo

Another vote for La Casa de la Memoria.

http://www.casadelamemoria.es/entrada.htm

Very small venue -- perhaps 100 people in two rows of seats on three sides of a small "step-stage".

You can't buy tickets (15 Euro) online...only at the box office, and they seem to sell out by mid-afternoon.

The website says daily at 21:00, but when we were there (about 5 weeks ago) there was also an early show -- I think at 19:30, if memory serves. You could email them to check on that.

Shows last 1 hour and include guitar, singing and dancing, by very talented people.

SS

I'd also recommend Casa de las Memorias. Not much atmosphere but if all you're after is flamenco they have some of the best. When I went, one of the best female flamenco dancers(Maria ?) was performing and it was well worth the money. But I had to buy tickets for the day after as they were sold out at 3pm.

emily71,
In Casa de la Memória you may have seen Maribel Ramos "La Zambra": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyKi-LiUoYY
or Marta Arias: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquHMh7oIPo
or Marina Valiente: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77Zi2X75TPY

Only great dancers performing here. One of the absolute top female flamenco dancers in the world, Pastora Galván, dances here about once a week now. She was voted best dancer by Spanish critics last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2SBUcrJgeQ