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'Flamenco; an Englishman's passion' comes of age


 



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.

https://www.amazon.com/Flamenco-Englishmans-passion-Tony-Bryant/dp/B0CRPK4P8Y?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vD2uAl1zlLvLn3J5eHFgFcsuOWTNdhzypFQjy20Y4fcGG0QN5bjkrNpH5_AIZgJWUbLxxzLPGJhC8WkZoYk0P2VTJcbFMN6tMkVMujTXSx0.91WmueEYkIhlXpc1I7e7VeITG80pIkSarQxdVyTs1J8&dib_tag=AUTHOR

 


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