Flamenco is the sound of Spain, a tradition of music and dance that was developed in the 18th century and that remains popular in Spain today. It originated in Andalusia, home of our Cordoba and rural Andalucia UnTours, though it grew to be embraced all over Spain and is performed widely to this day.
The music is percussive and lively, with quick successions of notes. While we may first think of brightly dressed dancers, passionate singers, and the clapped percussion of the dance, music is at its core, and the Flamenco guitar is the backbone of the performance.
The Flamenco guitar is a particular instrument, one that diverged from the classical guitar in part to give louder sound in the popular cafes that hosted a burgeoning flamenco scene. The instrument is made of a lighter weight wood and with strings that are closer to the frets so that notes can be played more quickly and with less resonance. This creates a brighter sound and allows the quick flutter of crisp, distinct notes that are a hallmark of the style.
Flamenco guitar is often performed on its own, with a guitarist tapping his or her own rhythm on the face of the guitar itself. It is probably one of the most accessible and enjoyable entry points into this musical tradition.
As a new generation of musicians picks up the guitar, the tradition expands. Meet Baris Yavuz, the flamenco performer who will headline our upcoming Weekend in Spain, a series of interactive events on Zoom that explore the history, food, wine, culture, and arts of the country. Our collection of talks, classes, and performances will offer an immersive experience of Spain, until we can return to travel.
Until we can get back to European travel, we hope you can join us for a series of virtual events that are part of our UnTours at Home series. Baris will join us for a short, private performance at the end of November. You can sign up for it here!
He will play a longer performance, share some of the history of the music with us, and answer our questions live during our Virtual Weekend in Spain. Tickets are on sale now for the full weekend in December and for a short performance at the end of this month!
We hope you can join us on a Spanish Untour soon to discover Flamenco in the country’s clubs and concert halls. But until then, we hope to see you on Zoom.