Spain's Flamenco has its roots in India
PTI
Madrid
Flamenco a traditional art form which is described as one of Spain's most characteristic cultural
elements - has its roots in India's desert state of Rajasthan.
The energy found in flamenco dancing has characterised Spanish culture around the world as a
vibrant, fast-paced one and the art form was a gift from the gypsies who migrated to Spain from
different parts of the world.
In the capital city of Spain there are many tablao flamenco's (flamenco house) where the art form is performed.
The Michelin Guide recommended Corral de La Moreria restaurant as one of the most famous tablao flamenco in the world which is listed among the Madrid's top sites to visit besides the Royal
Palace of Spain and the Museum of El Prado.
Armando Del Rey, whose father started the restaurant back in 1956, told PTI it was said that the
gypsies or “roma” from Rajasthan migrated to Europe about several hundred years ago. Some of them settled in Bulgaria and a number of them in southern parts of Spain. These gypsies brought with them their music and dance, he said, which was then absorbed into the dominant cultures of Andalusia.
An official of Spanish Tourism explained Flamenco as an art form which includes singing, guitar playing, dance, handicapping, finger snapping and vocalisations.
Blanca Del Rey, a Spanish national award winning flamenco performer and the artistic director of
the tablao, said the flamenco's roots lie in India and brought here by the gypsies is a known fact among the artists here. These stories about flamenco's India-connection has been passed on by generations through the word of mouth.
However, she quickly added that Blanca proudly recalls her performance with sitar maestro Pandit
Ravi Shankar for an album 'From the Sitar to the Guitar.'
Notably, several fusion of Indian classical music and dance forms and flamenco have been performed in different parts of the world.
Malabika Mitra, a renowned expert of Kathak, an Indian dance tradition which evolved in Jaipur,
Benares and Lucknow, said the Kathak and Flamenco dance have several similarities of kinesthetic.
Mitra, who had performed in the International Festival of Music and Dance of Granada, Spain, said in both the dances much focus is on the footwork sequences. While, Kathak is performed wearing
ghungroos, flamenco dancers wear boots for the dance.
'Torobaka' an innovative show toured Europe featuring a unique combination of flamenco and the
Indian classical dance form Kathak. A joint project between celebrated British dancer Akram Khan
and award-winning Spanish flamenco dancer Israel Galvn was performed in Athens last year.
The Jodhpur Flamenco & Gypsy festival had been a grand even for the last few years which was
organised to promote the link between the Rajasthani folk musicians and the legendary Flamenco
and gypsy artists that live around the world.
