Skip to main content

Quest's World of Wonder comes to Málaga

 

During the July of 2021, I had the pleasure of participating in an episode of CNN’s travel documentary Quest’s World of Wonder. British journalist and CNN anchor man Richard Quest had chosen Málaga to record an episode of his popular travel series, seeing as he has a 40-year connection to the province. His parents purchased an apartment in Fuengirola back in the ‘70s, and so Richard uses this as his base when visiting the area on vacation.

I was first approached by his research team in 2020, but the Covid pandemic derailed the project. However, now that we are seeing a return to some sort of normality, the programme was rescheduled, so the ever-curious journalist arrived in Málaga in July to start work on the production.

As well as being interviewed about my connection to the world of orthodox flamenco, I acted as the cable news network’s middle man in Andalucía.

CNN had also lined up a string of local celebrities to interview, including Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe, son of Prince Alfonso, the tourism pioneer who founded the Marbella Club Hotel. The film crew also visited top sites and monuments in the capital of the Costa del Sol, while also enjoying a private tour of the Picasso Museum.

I first met up with Richard and his crew in Mijas, where we enjoyed breakfast in La Boveda de Flamenco, a traditional style bar that proved to be the perfect back drop for this part of the programme. While the cameras rolled and an ever-increasing group of spectators converged on the opposite side of the street, we discussed the Costa del Sol and tourism, the expat community and, of course, flamenco. The delightful patio of the bar made an impression on the journalist, especially seeing as it is the local meeting place of the village’s stereotypical characters. He also became quite excited at the site of a drove of donkey taxis that trundled past, instructing his cameraman to make sure to get them in the shot.

My involvement also included taking him to see an authentic flamenco performance, and arranging some dance lessons at a local flamenco academy, during which, the characteristic presenter attempted to understand the essence of the buleria. I don’t think that Richard quite got to grips with the intricate footwork and the fluid arm movements of the buleria, but his determination was a pleasurable, and highly amusing, experience. He told me that he is “a frustrated tap dancer”: watching him trying to attempt the zapateado seemed to confirm this.

I was also tasked with taking him shopping in order to kit him out in suitable attire in order for him to look the part: being of a slightly eccentric nature, this proved to be an interesting and somewhat enjoyable task. He took time out to visit local shops, where he admitted that he is “addicted” to purchasing colourful ceramics and artisan goods. This was confirmed during our stroll around the winding back streets of the town, where he disappeared into labyrinth of artisan boutiques in search of nick-knacks to take back to New York.

My few days assisting Richard Quest was a most pleasurable experience: his sense of humour and his genuine interest in the province made this one of the highlights of my summer. The experience was made even more enjoyable because of the friendliness and consideration of his hard-working crew, who went out of their way to ensure everything ran as smoothly as possible.

The filming finished at the Kelipe flamenco tablao, one of the longest-serving clubs in Malaga, and Richard was absolutely mesmerised by the authenticity of the show, claiming, “this is nothing like the tourist style of flamenco witnessed in the hotels on the Costa." How right he is!


Check out Tony Bryant's website

https://tonysureng.wixsite.com/tonybryant?fbclid=IwAR3_Zh_RnuQi4v6yWpxPpduM0POfwktKG6s8L5h1mTqlInc53Ia036aA9co

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The wonders of Seville: a magical city just waiting to be discovered

Now that travel restrictions are starting to be relaxed after almost two years of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, visitors to Andalucía (and those who live here) are once again starting to return to discovering some the beautiful areas that this magical region has to offer.  Seville has always been one of the most favoured towns in Andalucía and, prior to the pandemic, it attracts hundreds of thousands of new visitors every year, along with those who have fallen in love with the province and return on a regular basis. However, the capital of Andalucía has so much to offer and no matter how many times one visits, there is always something new to discover. Unfortunately, until now, there have been few guides in the English language that offer first-hand information and expertise concerning this incredible destination. Author, journalist and travel writer, Tony Bryant, has enjoyed an almost 30-year association with Seville, and his knowledge of the city and how b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fearless pensioners

  Daredevil pensioners Some of my most memorable and fulling encounters have been with the older generation, because they often show a capacity for plain speaking having passed that point when they care about inhibitions. We often ignore the link between the older and younger generations, and overlook the fact that senior citizens often act as an inspiration to the young. There are many senior citizens on the coast whose unprecedented determination to help others can sometimes put the younger generation to shame. I am often amazed at the zeal of the people involved with the various charities on the coast, especially seeing as most of them are well past retirement age. One such charity is Age Concern, a Fuengirola-based association that caters for the needs of the over 50s. Along with its programme of events to raise money to run the association, Age Concern also organises an annual challenge, a charity fundraiser that is not for the fainthearted. In 2018, the charity organise...
Post a Comment
Read more

A few words from Luis El Marquesito about Tony Bryant and his book The Clan of El Pinini

  How can it be? My earliest memories of my family are of the warmth of my mother, the smile of my father, the glance of my aunt, the affection of my cousins and the love of my brothers. I remember that my ancestors intrigued me and I would wonder how they had lived and what had been their beliefs and their preoccupations, and I wondered if these things were just Gypsy things or the things of everyday people. My father taught me that to be Gypsy was to be no better or worse than anybody else, but he said it was something different to live the life with freedom, and he stressed that the respect for others was fundamental, especially the older generation, because they are the source of our wisdom. The first references I have of flamenco are from my parents, and the figure that was most emphasised was my great grandfather, Fernando Peña Soto – El Pinini. They said that he was a Gypsy born in Lebrija and that he had come to live in Utrera when he was eight-years old. It was sai...
Post a Comment
Read more