(English) Barcelona, the city of flamenco

One of the many characteristics that define Barcelona is its multicultural and cosmopolitan feel. The city is rightly proud of its long history and how it welcomes everyone, no matter where they’ve came from over the years. Everyone leaves their own little mark on the city and one of them is flamenco. Although itwas migrants from southern Spain who first introduced us to the art, it’s now a significant part of the city’s culture and something we perform with great pride. That’s because Barcelona is also the city of flamenco, as anyone who’s been here can attest.

All throughout the city, you’ll see numerous tablao bars and flamenco halls where you can enjoy live shows with a local beer or refreshing glass of wine. Lots of venues in the cityplay host to extensive performance companies and have welcomed to their stage some of the biggest names in the industry, who have all helped to make this style of dance so incredibly popular around the world. Furthermore, there are also a number ofgreat flamenco festivals and concerts held throughout the year showcasing current stars in the biggest venues.

Anyone who comes to Barcelona and enjoys this kind of dance, officially declared aworld heritage art by UNESCO, or even if you’ve never experienced it before, everyone should visit a tablaoat least once to experience the excitement of a night of flamenco in Barcelona. Just fifteen minutes on foot from HCC Montblanc, next to La Rambla, you’ll find one of Barcelona’s most prestigious flamenco halls, TablaoCordobés. Their dance hall, decorated in the purest Granada Alhambra style, has seen all the biggest names of this music and dance genre over the years, including Camarón and Lole and Manuel, along with other current stars, such as Miguel Poveda and Eva Yerbabuena.

On the other side of La Rambla, on Plaza Real, there’s another fantastic venue that specialises in the most contemporary flamenco style, offering up to three shows a night. Welcome to Los Tarantos, where young artists prove this art form is still very much alive and well in the city.

Just ten minutes’ walk from HCC Taber on Calle de Balmes, visitors can experience Barcelona’s Palacio del Flamenco, another fantastic place to enjoy a show with up to fifteen different performers on stage. Meanwhile, just seven minutes from HCC Covadonga on Calle de Aribau, you’ll find El Patio Andaluz, a great venue with plenty of tradition where you can experience the very essence of flamenco live before your own eyes.

Those are just a handful of places to show you the artistic side of Barcelona, and whilst they’re not all very well known to everyone, the cultural and entertainment options within the city are certainly very much alive.

Categories: barcelona