Flamenco in Jerez de la Frontera

Translation disclaimer: This page was translated using automated software for your convenience. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of the translation. The content will be manually reviewed later.

I've seen dozens of flamenco shows in my life, always aimed at tourists: tacky colors and predictable choreographies full of tricks. But in the oldest, original peña in Jerez, Bancador El Pasaje , I found true authenticity. Just six tables with four chairs and a selection of dozens of sherry varieties straight from the barrels, each with its own unique flavor. Here, I was completely swept away by flamenco puro . This is the birthplace of flamenco. Originally, flamenco consisted only of singing and guitar; the dance came later. But what a soul lies within.

On a mini-stage stand a singer, a guitarist, and a dancer. The soul, the passion—it all comes to the fore. Whether the singer wails, "Ay, ay, ay, I hit my thumb, " or sings with a grimace, " Mia mujer no puede caccar " (my Spanish is getting worse, but that's how I understood it), it doesn't matter. These aren't songs, but passionate stories full of fire, pure corazon , with stirring rhythmic shifts that transport you to another emotional dimension. That's what I love, and for me, the foundation of all art and cultural appreciation: honest emotion.

A highlight, and it cost our private table for two, just tapas and drinks, at least 25 euros. Besides, it makes me realize how expensive our restaurants are. Here, a menu del dia costs 8 or sometimes 10 euros for four dishes and two glasses of wine.

It was a fantastic day, although the later visit to the world-famous Tio Pepe bodega, through a beautiful, majestic estate, was fascinating. We saw thousands of barrels, but for me, at €15.50 per person, it was less captivating than, say, the tour of De Halve Maan brewery. Again, genuine goosebumps are the norm.