At the start of September there’s a few great Flamenco festivals going on in Spain! Granada and Seville are two of the cities with some of the best Flamenco and dance festivals in Spain.

Flamenco, the name of both the music and the dance, is from Spain and a big Spanish tradition, but its main roots are from Andalusia itself. The best Flamenco starts come from the south of Spain too, from Andalusia, but its also had a big influence on the whole of Spain and is a huge tradition all over the country. Flamenco bars started being cafés and bars where people could go for a drink and enjoy the music, in the 1880s, but over time the tradition has changed into a complex tradition.

Dancing Flamenco

Singing Flamenco is difficult and there are strict rules for the rhyme and metres of the music and the singing and the Flamenco dancing itself! Some of the best known Flamenco stars from Spain are Camarón, Paco de Lucía and Morente.

At the start of September we’re lucky enough to have the chance to go to see some Flamenco festivals in Seville and Granada. On the 5th of September there’s a “Night of Flamenco” on in Seville, followed by another festival from the 7th to the 13th of September called the Festival Internacional de Música de Cámara Joaquín Turina, the International Music Festival. This festival isn’t strictly Flamenco but it’s a big music festival in Seville and a great chance to see some typical Spanish music and experience some live music in the city. There’s more information about the festival on their website.

Typical Spanish Dancing

In Granada there’s just as much Flamenco music going on too, and there’s a few festivals over summer and into September. The Festival “Los Veranos de El Corral”, The Summers of the Corral, is on during July, August and September, and is a young Flamenco festival where some of the best young new acts can be seen.

The Festival Flamenco de Ogíjares, Flamenco Festival of Ogíjares, just outside Granda in the south of Spain ,is one of the most traditional Flamenco and singing Festivals in Granada and has been running since 1979. The Festivals become so big that it’s now celebrated with the help of the Flamenco group “La Yerbabuena”, a competition for young new stars.

In September there’s a bigger festival called “Festival Flamenco del Albaicín”, a big festival celebrated at the end of summer in a village called Albaicín just outside Granada. It’s the most popular fesitval between the people of Granada.

In Salamanca at the moment we have a Salsa course going on for those students studying Spanish with us who want to learn more about the Spanish culture and their dancing traditions! Spain is lucky enough to have loads of traditional dancing, singing and dress and the students taking part in the Salsa classes are having a ball whilst learning about Spain. Why don’t you give it a go?!