Flamenco

A recent visit to Spain culminated in a visit to Barcelona where I had the opportunity to see the famous flamenco dance show held at the traditional Tablao Flamenco Cordobes on La Rambla.

The venue was small and very dark with limited stage lights so posed a difficult photo shoot under such low light conditions. This required shooting at various ISO values, from 200 up to 1250, depending on the available light.

In conjunction with my photos I recorded live audio using a Roland Edirol R-09 digital recorder and used this audio to prepare a slideshow of the event.

The final slideshow can be seen below:

Flamenco is a Spanish musical genre with origins in Andalusia and a term that refers both to a musical genre, known for its intricate rapid passages, and a dance genre characterized by its audible footwork. The origins of the term are unclear. The word Flamenco, which applies to the song, the dance and the guitar, did not come into use until the 19th century.

Flamenco embodies a complex musical and cultural tradition. Although considered part of the culture of Spain, flamenco actually originates from one of Spain's regions: Andalusia. However, other areas, mainly Extremadura and Murcia, have contributed to the development of several flamenco musical forms, and a great number of renowned flamenco artists have been born in other territories of the country.

It is generally acknowledged that flamenco grew out of the unique interplay of native Arabic, Andalusian, Sephardic, and Gypsy cultures that existed in Andalusia prior to and after the Reconquest. Latin American and especially Cuban influences have also been important in shaping the rumba flamenco form. Flamenco is the music of the gypsies and played in their social community.