Welcome to a Boletín flamenco special. Guided by flamenco guitarist Santi Cruz, we’ll explore the roots of Spain’s most iconic art form: its legendary performers, the difference between juergas and tablaos, the meaning behind traditional dress, the sounds of soleás and bulerías, and the deep connection between flamenco and Andalucía. Enjoy!
👋Welcome to Boletín, an English-language newsletter covering historical, cultural and topical stories related to the A Level Spanish course. These newsletters accompany a student worksheet which can be downloaded freely here. This week:
Edition 137 of Boletín.
Special online event, register your interest here for a Zoom link.
Entrevista con Santi Cruz sobre el flamenco
PDF downloads
📌Issue 137
Hi all, welcome back and happy half-term!
Flamenco was inscribed into UNESCO’s Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad (Intangible Cultural Heritage) in 2010. I began reading about flamenco in about 2016 when I passed my PGCE. I learnt about the different palos, the way of life and learnt about Paco de Lucía (arguably the greatest guitarist of all time). It’s pleasing to bring this edition to students and teachers.
Boletín was on the brink of death recently after roughly three years of designing, editing and writing my Spanish Grammar Workbook. I had all but decided to call it a day. I want to thank Kate from Kate Maria Languages for inspiring me to revive it. She got in contact months ago and kindly put me in contact with Santi for a flamenco-inspired edition. Together they’re offering readers of Boletín a chance to join a special online event tomorrow called The Mysteries of Flamenco. See below!
I still refuse to use AI with designing Boletín although it’d be so easy. This project started in 2020 when my interest in typography/editorial design found a home in creating resources.I hope you all like the new cursor and enjoy this week’s edition.
Boletín is co-hosting a special event with Kate Maria Languages. On 27th October, from 6pm - 7pm, Flamenco guitarist and teacher, Santi Cruz will join us for a mini-lecture on flamenco. KML runs complete A Level Spanish courses with live lessons, after-school clubs and tutor support. They are also welcoming students to clubs and courses for German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Ancient Greek and Latin. Students and teachers of A Level Spanish are welcome to sign up for this free event, email Kate here to book your place. Alternatively, comment below and I’ll be in touch!
💃🏼 Entrevista con Santi Cruz
Would you be able to introduce yourself explaining a little bit of your background and Amor de Dios Academy?
Claro que sí! Mi nombre es Santi Cruz, soy guitarrista flamenco, y graduado en Magisterio Musical. Mi afición por la historia de la música comienza al conocer a los músicos del sexteto del músico Paco de Lucía, uno de los grandes compositores de música española, quienes me ayudaron a entender los detalles que hay detrás de estos rituales y arquetipos tan curiosos que tenemos presentes a día de hoy en nuestra cultura, y que hablan de una historia imborrable, que es la que cuenta el flamenco. La academia Amor de Dios, que lleva ya décadas funcionando en mi barrio del centro de Madrid, es la parte práctica de todos estos conocimientos musicales, al ser un lugar de encuentro y ensayo de guitarristas, “bailaores” y “cantaores” flamencos.
Of course! My name is Santi Cruz. I am a flamenco guitarist and a graduate in Music Education. My interest in the history of music began when I got to know the musicians from the sextet of Paco de Lucía, one of the great composers of Spanish music. They helped me understand the details behind these curious rituals and archetypes that are still present in our culture today and that tell an unforgettable story: the story of flamenco.
The Amor de Dios Academy, which has been operating in my neighbourhood in central Madrid for decades, represents the practical side of all this musical knowledge, as it serves as a meeting place and rehearsal space for flamenco guitarists, dancers, and singers.
Can you share a bit about the history and roots of flamenco for those who might be new to it?
El flamenco es el arte que tiene la capacidad de contar de primera mano la verdad (si entendemos por verdad lo que tiende a permanecer en el tiempo), la verdad sobre nuestra historia, sobre los sonidos que habitan en nuestra garganta, sobre nuestras costumbres y melodías, sobre los cambios sociales que España ha vivido. Es una música que habla de poesía y filosofía milenaria, que conservaron las comunidades que fueron desplazadas en los últimos 300 años de la sociedad, y la utilizaron de refugio para aquella injusticia.
Flamenco is an art form with the ability to tell the truth firsthand, if we understand ‘truth’ as that which endures over time. It tells the truth about our history, about the sounds that live in our voices, about our customs and melodies, and about the social changes that Spain has experienced.
It is a music that speaks of age-old poetry and philosophy, preserved by communities that were displaced from society over the last 300 years. They turned it into a refuge from the injustices they endured.
What elements make up a traditional flamenco performance and what technical vocabulary might one encounter here?