Taking a trip to Spain

Fantastic flamenco

The people of Bangalore recently got a taste of Spain, when a gala Spanish evening of fusion Flamenco performance was held.

The event, which was held under the patronage of the Embassy of Spain, had a mix of people from Bangalore as well as Spain. All these guests enjoyed the Spanish cuisine and wine made by chefs specially flown in for the occasion. But the highlight of the evening was, without doubt, the traditional Flamenco music and dance.

To say that the performance made the audience sit up and take notice would be an understatement.

Agustin Carbonell El Bola, a leading Flamenco guitar player and composer from Spain, had orchestrated the performance for the evening.

The traditional percussion instrument, cajon, was played by Jose Manuel Munoz Serrano and the vocal part was performed by Ruben Lobato Quiros.

El Bola led the sessions himself, along with dancers Karen Lugo and Tamar Gonzalez. The 40-minute-long performance was an explosion of energy.

The show started with Karen and Tamar giving a glimpse of their dance form, which was full of power and rich in traditional Flamenco expressions. They were assisted by El Bola on the guitar.

 The movement of their feet on the hard wooden floor was like music to the ears.

When this music fused with the sound of the cajon, a magical atmosphere was created.

The subtle movements and intense music had the audience members getting up from their seats to have a better look.

As the performance ended, the entire room was filled with a round of applause with people shouting compliments in Spanish.

This was followed by a guitar solo which also had each of the dancers giving a solo dance performance. Each movement was filled with passion and intensity which made the performance breath-taking.

The traditional Flamenco music and dance was followed by a fusion performance where the artistes performed with Kalbeliya dancer Asha Sapera and a Rajasthani music troupe.
The musicians Sadiq Khan, Eklar Khan, Zakir Khan and Abdul Rasheed created a magnificent atmosphere of traditional Rajasthani beats which were complemented with Spanish vocals.

The final performance, where Asha performed alongside Karen and Tamar, was a scene that the audience would remember for a long time to come.

The second part of the show was meant to highlight the common points of the Gypsy traditions of India and Spain, following the idea that Flamenco has its roots in the nomadic tradition of Rajasthan. And the artistes from two different cultures coming together, to create magic on stage, went on to prove that music is not bound by language.