There are flamenco tablaos in Madrid that resist the passage of time. This is what happens every afternoon at Teatro Tablao Flamenco Torero, right in the center of the city: the resistance of a raw art form with the joy of a flamenco party and the passion of artists who live their art with their voices and their bodies. No microphones or loudspeakers. Essential Flamenco is held every day and you can buy your tickets here.
The interesting thing about this venue is the closeness, the intimacy that arises in this vaulted space in the heart of Madrid: there are no tricks or gimmicks, the musicians, singers, and dancers are just a few inches away from the audience. And the magic begins as the art resonates in the cave.
Of course, the experience begins on the surface, at street level, with a welcome drink to warm the body and soul, while flamenco classics play in the background. Once you’re in the mood and with the seguiriyas, bulerías, fandangos, and tientos in your body, it’s time to go down the stairs to the flamenco cave.
Shortly before the show begins, there will be a brief talk, lasting just fifteen minutes, summarizing the history of flamenco and its roots. Where it comes from, where it is going. And then the show begins, with a bang .
In this exposed brick cave with almost two centuries of history behind it, the artists perform and make the stage their own without the need for amplification: there are no microphones, no speakers and, mind you, no service either. Flamenco without interference, without plates or glasses clinking: just flamenco. Everything is natural, intimate, close, and part of the artists’ deepest selves, of the art of flamenco.
The philosophy of Essential Flamenco is based on five pillars: authenticity (with a return to primitive flamenco “that reaches the pure, deep roots,” as its creators define it), respect for art (ART in capital letters, with grandeur and elegance, avoiding noises that interfere with the experience), closeness (face to face, connecting with the duende), intimacy (pure connection, the show envelops the viewer), and a return to the roots (without machinery, embellishment, or artifice).
The names behind the show
The stage machinery of this flamenco show is driven by the passion of personalities such as Juan El Mistela, the show’s artistic director. Winner of the National Flamenco Critics’ Award, his nickname was given to him by Farruco: “You are like Andalusian Mistela wine, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter, always with feeling.”
Juan El Mistela directs a team that includes Morenito de Íllora (vocals), Jesús de Rosario (guitar), Batio (cello), Rafael Jiménez and Kike Jiménez (percussion), and dancers Andina de Bahía, José “El Bocadillo,” and Luana Rubin.
In this corner, passions are unleashed, the overwhelming energy of flamenco styles, of the dancers, of the cajón, of the Spanish guitar… Pure revelry.