Flamenco;
an Englishman’s passion was my first foray into
the world of flamenco, a book that I was very privileged to have published by flamenco
sapiens, the editorial arm of the Museo del Baile Flamenco
in Seville. Since its first publication in the summer of 2006, just a few
months after this state-of-the-art museum (the first and only one of its kind
in the world) opened its doors, the book has become the one that my career as a
writer has been most associated with.
I have since completed a trilogy of books
concerning the art of flamenco and the people who (in my humble opinion) best
perform it – the Andalusian Gypsies, but it the first book - celebrating its 18th
birthday, or coming of age, this year - that is the one that has received the
most attention.
Some
of the literary platforms like Good Reads claimed that the book “taps into flamenco's history and is a
great learning resource for anyone with an interest in flamenco”; while Google
Books said, “This
book provides a fascinating insight into this much mis-understood art form”. Culture
Spain claimed “it brings flamenco alive in a uniquely effective way”.
My intention when
embarking on the journey that resulted in the publication of this book was
that it would help the reader to understand and appreciate the art of flamenco.
I endeavored to explain the difference between traditional flamenco song and
dance performed by non-professionals, and commercial flamenco. The main purpose
was to explain the two immensely different sides of flamenco, the glitter and
sparkle theatre flamenco, and the cante jondo, the deep songs that have existed
in Andalucía for approximately 500 years. One needs to encounter the
spontaneous, raw emotion of pure flamenco, because it is far removed from that
which dominates today’s scene. One must remember is that flamenco is an age-old
art that has been preserved by non-professionals, people who have used flamenco
as a form of expression.
I also wanted to inform English-speaking people who
might have an interest in flamenco about the superb flamenco that exists in
Andalusia. This desire emerged simply because of the problems I encountered
when I first became drawn to this wonderful art.
The Gypsies have played a great part in the evolution
and the preservation of flamenco, and it is with them that the art of flamenco
is at its best. Whether one believes that flamenco is the music of the Gypsies,
or that it is, as García Lorca described it, ‘the greatest creation of the
Spanish people’, will continue to be debated for centuries to come.
One
thing that is certain is that if it were not for the Gypsy communities of
Andalusia, flamenco would probably have dissolved into the abyss of time.
Whether the Gypsies were the first performers of
flamenco or not, it does seem that it is with them that the art comes into its
own.
I do not profess to be an expert on the art of
flamenco, just a passionate follower of it, and I have merely offered my
personal opinions and preferences throughout this book.
My
basic views and fundamental beliefs have not changed following years of
maturing within the art of flamenco, if anything, they are now even more
strongly implanted with time and experience.
Flamenco is not just a strange form of music, which to
the unfamiliar sounds like the painful tones of a desolate race; it is a
magical gift that has been bestowed upon the people of Andalusia. It is a
contagious dance that is so passionate it will leave one spellbound, or an
outburst of duende-fuelled song that invades the soul, or a light-hearted bit
of fun where nothing seems to matter and time is unimportant.
Long may it continue!
Flamenco: an Englishman’s passion
is available in hardback and paperback.
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