Tag Archives: Flamenco

Spain

An Evening of Flamenco Magic in Seville

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.

Ray, Gerry, Michelle and Shelley under the Setas of Seville

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.

Gerry, Michelle and Shelley near the stage

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.” 

Spain

Flamenco show in Sevilla

When we were Sevilla we decided to go to a traditional flamenco show. After doing some research we decided to go to the “Casa De Flamenco” which is the only show in Sevilla that is totally acoustical.

We had excellent seats and had a great view of the stage.

View of the stage from our seats.

The performance began with the guitarists “El Perla” and the singer “Emilio Florido”  coming out on stage. They began with a guitar solo and then Emilio doing a song before the dancers joined the performance.

Flamenco dancers in the Casa de Flamenco in Sevilla.

The flamenco performers of the Casa de Flamenco.

The four performers were spectacular and entertained us for two hours. The acoustical performance was very intense and was set in an intimate environment. The limited amount of spectators and the small venue made the atmosphere almost magical. Everyone was mesmerized by the spirit and emotion of the traditional Flamenco. It was a very enjoyable and a unique experience.

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”

Spain

Unique Spanish Restaurant

We went to a new restaurant in Alicante called “La Flamenco Bar” located on Calle San Francisco. The street itself is interesting because it has large mushroom figures along the street. It is referred to as “Calle Seta” Spanish for the mushroom street.

Ray and Shelley on Calle Seta (Mushroom Street)

We arrived at the Flamenco bar shortly after it opened for the evening. We were able to check out the bar and look around before it started to get crowded. It was larger than we anticipated with lots tables.

Inside the Flamenco bar in Alicante

There were photos on the walls of key attractions from each province in Spain. There are 50 provinces in total and some of the photos were very interesting.

Photos on the walls of interesting places in Spain

We walked around looking at some of the pictures before finding our seat. There were some pictures of places we have been to which made it even more interesting to see the pictures.

Ray, Shelley, Liz, Felipe and Mike at Flamenco Bar with a picture of  La Alhambra in the background.

We sat down at our table and waited for the bar to begin to fill up with patrons. It wasn’t very long and the bar was full of people enjoying a drink and waiting for the entertainment.

Full restaurant waiting for entertainment

The entertainment arrived and began to play some traditional Spanish songs. Although we didn’t know the songs it was great to listen to. The singer had a beautiful voice and the people sang along with her at times during the songs.

Entertainment playing for the bar.

People enjoyed the music and in some cases would get up and dance. There was one gentleman who danced a flamenco style dance and was quite entertaining.

Patron doing a flamenco style dance in the bar

The evening was an enjoyable experience and highlighted the great culture of the Spanish people.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”