Tony Bryant

Several years ago, I began working on an idea for a book about my life as a writer and journalist in Spain. The book, I imagined, would include all of the people I had interviewed during the last 20 years or so, along with those whom I had met who had made an impression in some way. I quickly decided that this would be far too big a task, as the list of interesting individuals was vast to say the least, and so I had to rethink the project. I then began searching through the archives of the SUR in English for interesting interviews I had conducted for the newspaper, along with other files I had dusted off after many years of sitting dormant in my studio. I soon realised that the book would focus on the expat artistic scene of the Costa del Sol and set about compiling a suitable list of candidates to be included. This proved much harder than I first imagined, not because there was a lack of interesting people, but because there had been so many. After almost three years of working ...

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...

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, which began airing on CNN this weekend  (21 August).  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.   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.  My involvement also included taking him to see an authentic flamenco performance, and ...

  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, s...

The life of one of Utrera’s true ambassadors is to be turned into a new docufilm, which is currently being filmed on location in Utrera and in other districts of Seville. Something Wild: The story of Bambino tells the history of this celebrated singer’s life, from the white-washed streets of Utrera to Madrid, and back. The film’s director, Paco Ortiz, was tasked with documenting Bambino’s illustrious, and also confusing and tragic, life story, and he claims that his film will put the record straight once and for all. Born in Utrera in 1940, Miguel Vargas Jiménez was an ambassador of the rumba-flamenca, a style of flamenco that helped (along with its reputation as one of the cradles of flamenco) Utrera pin itself firmly into the history of flamenco. Better known as Bambino, he became one of the town’s most celebrated artistes, branching away from his family’s long flamenco tradition to create his own intimate style that turned him into one of the most commercially successful flamen...

  Seville has numerous different barrios just waiting to be discovered, but some of the lesser known districts often get overlooked by visitors who head straight to the tourist hotspots of Santa Cruz and Triana. One of these is the Barrio de La Macarena. Located to the north of the city centre, La Macarena is enclosed by the best-preserved section of the ancient city walls. This stretch of the Almohad fortification connects two of the three remaining gates that allowed access to the city. The horse-shoe arched Puerta de Córdoba is adjacent to the San Hermenegildo Church, a 17th century temple dedicated to Saint Hermenegildo. Local legend claims that the saint was beheaded in front of the Puerta de Córdoba after rebelling against his father, the Visigoth King, Liuvigild, in 585. The monumental Puerta de la Macarena is next to the Basilica Santa María de la Esperanza, the temple that houses one of Seville’s most worshipped images of the Virgin, La Macarena. Although all sacred ima...

Back in 2004, or somewhere around that time, I decided to start researching a book about the family tree of an old flamenco singer called El Pinini. Not much had been written about this man because little information existed at that time, other than time-worn tales and stories that had been passed down through the ranks of the family. The research was by no means easy and there were times when I almost gave up on the task, but being 'extremely British' in my attitude towards difficult projects, I decided to take a deep breath and carry on. That deep breath would continue for around seven years, as I painstakingly pieced together this mammoth Gypsy lineage. The book was published in 2011 by  Flamenco Sapiens ,  the Seville based publisher that had produced my first book -  Flamenco; an Englishman’s passion . Two years later, the Spanish version of the book was published under the title of  Herecia del Tiempo.  The presentation of this edition took place in Sevi...