Jerez and Flamenco

Jerez is considered the "Cradle of the Art of Flamenco", and over the last century or more the city has produced many fine singers, dancers and guitarists. There are two "barrios" (neighbourhoods) of the city which could be described as the home of Flamenco in Jerez; the Barrio de Santiago and the Barrio de San Miguel, the latter being the birthplace of the Buleria. In Santiago the XVIIIC  Pemartin palace houses the Andalucian Flamenco Centre which contains a wealth of resources with audiovisual technology, a specialist library and a library of recordings.

Flamenco is a daily occurrence in Jerez' famous and numerous "Tablaos" (places where it is performed), Penas (Flamenco clubs) and of course the traditional annual Fiesta de la Buleria in September. There is also the Jerez International Festival of Flamenco held in February/March at the beautiful Teatro Villamarta. Even everyday it is hard to avoid (as if you'd want to!) the strains of Flamenco emanating from somewhere.

In 1922 the great poet and dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca from Granada and the Cadiz-born composer Manuel de Falla felt Flamenco was in danger of dying out and needed to be recorded for posterity, and they held a Concurso de Cante Jondo in Granada. Two of the great Jerezano singers of the day performed there: Antonio Chacon and Manuel Torre. The Cante Jondo (Deep Song) about which Lorca wrote so much, is the very fundament of Flamenco, ancient, raw and deeply moving. Often it is unaccompanied by a guitar. Listen out for styles like Solea, Seguidilla and of course Buleria to get close to the Cante Jondo.

Above: Flamenco in the streets during the Feria; two views of the Palacio Pemartin; La Paquera de Jerez.

Famous names like singers La Macanita, La Paquera, Lola Flores, Jose Merce and El Terremoto and the guitarist Gerardo Nunez are all from Jerez, to name a few. Look out for their recordings, but please never imagine Flamenco is some trivial tourist gimmick. It can be on occasion, but it is the very soul of Andalucia, deep in the hearts of the people, and - thank the Duende (Spirit/Muse) -alive and well.