What is duende in flamenco, and are tablaos worth it?
Duende is what aficionados call the moment everything catches fire in a performance; Lorca gave a famous lecture on it, and it happens in peñas and family gatherings more often than on stage. Tablaos, tourist venues dating from the 1950s, are not where you are most likely to hear the best flamenco.
Duende, and where to hear it
When everything comes together and something catches fire, the aficionados say there is duende. Lorca gave a famous lecture on it. It happens in peñas and at family gatherings more often than on a stage.
The tablaos — venues with a show for tourists — have existed since the 1950s. They are not where you are most likely to hear the best flamenco, and a tablao in Madrid is a long way from Jerez. Remember too that the sevillanas danced at the Feria de Abril are not flamenco, though they look like it to visitors.
- Duende is the spirit or magic of a great performance; Lorca gave a famous lecture on it.
- Tablaos, venues with shows for tourists, have existed since the 1950s; it is unlikely that a tourist will see the best flamenco in a tablao in Madrid.
- Sevillanas, the four-part dance of the Feria de Abril, are not flamenco, though they look like it to visitors.
Cuando todo se junta y algo se enciende, los aficionados dicen que hay duende.When everything comes together and something catches fire, the fans say there is duende.
No es probable que un turista vea el mejor flamenco en un tablao de Madrid.It is unlikely that a tourist will see the best flamenco in a tablao in Madrid.