travel writing

TRAIL OF THE DEEP SONG

Published in October 2007 National Geographic Traveler

Olé, guapa! Mira mira mira mira!

Whether it’s sung impromptu from a Granada balcony or performed standing-room-only in a packed concert hall, flamenco – that grit-voiced, staccato-heeled art of Andalucia – fuses virtuosic technique with wild abandon. The result? Sexy, elemental, and brimming with attitude, as thousands have discovered in U.S. performances by the likes of superstar dancer Sara Baras. Thanks to Spain’s recent efforts to make its premier art form more accessible, now is a great time to experience it in its birthplace.

Flamenco’s actual city of origin may be contested, but there is good reason to seek its soul in Granada. A bustling, stylish metropolis nestled under the protective eye of an ancient palace fortress, Granada is home to a potent mix of cultures and a history that’s as calamitous as it is long. Add plenty of sun, a delight in food, wine, and long conversation, and you’ve got a city where people have not forgotten that to live well is to feel deeply, to love passionately, and to eat with gusto.

“You never know where your next meal will come from,” insists Manuel Mingorance, a retired language scholar who grew up playing in the Alhambra ruins as a young boy. He’s only half joking. It’s a particularly Spanish version of carpe diem, and a sentiment flamenco knows well:  everything can be counted on to change in a heartbeat – and still, life will go on. It lends a brusque softness to the place, and a gentle reception for those travelers whose search for flamenco’s soul takes them to the warren of skinny streets, some no wider than arms’ breadth, of Granada’s ancient Islamic quarter the Albaicin.

Mari Cruz Garcia works at Casa del Capitel Nazari, a boutique hotel in the neighborhood housed in an authentic 16th century carmen. This vivacious young Granadina is expert at puzzling out paths through the maze of ancient streets. Asked to chart a route to Peña La Plateria, the illustrious flamenco association/bar that offers occasional, don’t-miss performances, Mari Cruz whips open a map, flashes a sympathetic smile, and marks a circuitous path along the Rio Darro. “Walk here, turn up here – and then ask somebody,” she says encouragingly.

The trick is that any way you wander through the Albaicin and its sister barrio, the Sacromonte, you find yourself deep in flamenco country. A weekend is just enough time to explore its back alleys and get a feel for the people and the way of life that produced it. With a little luck and planning, that can include some spectacular shows. “For the best events, you still have to dig for information,” advises Ann Mingorance, a high-school teacher and New Yorker who’s been coming to Granada for decades with Manuel, her husband, a native of Spain. Check the government-sponsored programs, she suggests – but also stop for advice at Carmen de las Cuevas, a school for aspiring flamencos located in a cave-complex close to the top of the Albaicin. “And if there’s something happening at Cueva La Chumbera, you’ve definitely got to go.” The most reknowned of the Gitano flamenco caves on the Sacromonte, La Chumbera hosts some of the most authentic performances you’re apt to find – and a breathtaking view behind the stage of  the Alhambra, lit up and stunning in evening finery.

On rare occasions, a weekend in Granada can include flamenco on the Alhambra grounds. Performance or not, the Alhambra is a marvel of Islamic design and devotion, a complex array of structures whose massive and imposing shapes belie the delicate interplay of light, shadow, and moving water within. It takes the better part of a day to explore its courtyards and gardens, which still leaves time to peruse the shops and duck in to the teterias along Camino de Elvira, and to head south to the Cathedral and Granada’s main shopping district.

Flamenco is a worthy focus, Manuel agrees, but he’s quick to suggest that art is less compelling on an empty stomach. Fortunately, Casa Julio – a tiny bar tucked into a side alley off the Plaza Nueva – has just the solution:  a steaming tapa plate of fried berenjena, Andalucia’s specialty eggplant.

In the service of history (of course!), a long soak in the Arab baths at the base of the Albaicin, where the walls have seen centuries of la vida Granadina, is a fitting end to a soulful weekend. Passion, exhilaration, hope and despair:  those old stones have heard it stomped out in complex rhythms by flamencos too filled with spirit to keep it inside.

TripPlanner info

TO SEE/LEARN MORE ABOUT FLAMENCO:

  • The Junta de Andalucia (regional tourism board) holds free evenings of flamenco lecture and demonstration in historic venues.  These evenings, repeated a few times each year, include performances by some of the region’s leading artists.  Find out about them at www.andaluciaflamenco.org, a leading resource for general info about the art as well.
  • Granada hosts an annual summer festival of music and dance, some of which is held on the grounds of the Alhambra.  Info at www.granadafestival.org.
  • Cueva La Chumbera is the site of flamenco performances offered under the auspices of the Centro Internacional de Estudios Gitanos.  The Ayuntamiento de Granada can provide information (www.granada.org; also check outwww.granadatur.com and click on flamenco information for phone #s, street addresses, and other).
  • Peña la Plateria is at Placeta Toqueros, 7, ph 958 210 650; check websites above for further info.
  • Carmen de las Cuevas (www.carmencuevas.org) offers classes in flamenco guitar, singing, and dance (as well as Spanish language and culture).  They have a useful website and keep their fingers on the pulse of Granada’s flamenco scene.
  • For monthly flamenco listings (in Spanish) throughout the region, check outwww.guiaflama.com.

TO STAY:

  • Casa del Capitel Nazari (www.hotelcasacapitel.com) has 17 rooms in an exquisite setting in the Albaicin.  The price is not budget, but it’s a bargain for a hotel that won Granada’s first prize for new hotels in 2005.   Travelers who prefer to trade authenticity for greater comfort (elevators, for starters – they aren’t allowed in the historic buildings) without sacrificing location or “wow” factor might consider El Ladron de Agua (www.ladrondeagua.com ), a new and stylish hotel fronting the Rio Darro.

TO EAT:

  • Casa Julio, a delightful spot on Calle Hermosa (just off Plaza Nueva), is jam-packed with locals in the evenings.
  • For a traditional (and mouth-watering) midday meal, the Albaicin treasure Mirador de Morayma located at Calle Pianista Garcia Carrillo offers a spectacular view of the Alhambra.
  • Order anything to drink at Los Caracoles, a family-friendly bar near the San Nicolas mirador that’s as much community center as it is food-and-drink purveyor, and they’ll bring out a dish of their trademark snails steamed in a savory herb sauce.