What is Flamenco?

Flamenco is comprised of song, dance, and instrumental (mostly guitar) music commonly associated with the Andalusian Roma Gypsies of southern Spain, otherwise known as Gitanos. The roots of flamenco, though somewhat mysterious, seem to lie in the Roma migration from Rajasthan (in northwest India) to Spain between the 9th and 14th centuries. These migrants brought with them musical instruments, such as tambourines, bells, and wooden castanets, and an extensive repertoire of songs and dances. In Spain they encountered the rich cultures of the Sephardic Jews and the Moors. Their centuries-long cultural intermingling produced this unique art form known as flamenco.  Our performance group will bring to you traditional as well as new flamenco or flamenco fusion incorporating other world rhythms.