Tonight was one of those evenings that sneaks up on you and ends up being something really special. We went to a flamenco show in the Setas area of Seville—such a cool part of the city, with those giant mushroom-like structures overhead and a little buzz of life all around.

The venue was small and cozy, almost like stepping into someone’s private living room, but with a stage and just the right amount of drama in the lighting.

We sat near the front, close enough to see every expression, every snap of the fingers, every stomp of a heel. With a glass of wine in hand, it already felt like a perfect way to spend the evening.

The show started simply: just one man with a guitar, sitting alone under a spotlight. The room went still as he played—something about the way his fingers moved made it feel like the music was pulling stories out of the air. Then came the others, gradually—first a singer, with a voice so full of emotion it gave me goosebumps. And then the dancers. Wow.

There’s something electric about flamenco up close. The passion, the sharpness of the movements, the connection between the performers—it was like watching a conversation in a language I didn’t speak but somehow understood.

Each piece built on the last, rising in energy and intensity. You could feel the room responding to it, getting pulled in deeper and deeper.

The whole thing lasted about an hour and a half, but it honestly felt like maybe thirty minutes. Time just disappeared. When it ended, I didn’t want it to be over.

I can’t imagine a better way to experience flamenco than in a place like that—in Seville, near the Setas, glass of wine in hand, surrounded by music and movement and feeling. After the show as we stepped out into the beautiful Seville night, I kept thinking of something I’d once heard: “El duende se siente, no se explica.”  which means Duende is felt, not explained. And that’s exactly what tonight was, it wasn’t just a show. It was something deeper. Something that’ll will stick with me for a long time.

“El duende se siente, no se explica.”