Exploring the Roots of Flamenco

Flamenco is a journey through darkness and passion to reach the performer's inner soul; the search for duende, which is best described by Federico Garcia Lorca as:

"the power that climbs up inside the performer from the soles of the feet, the spirit of the earth which scorches the artist and produces an inspired performance."

The more Susan learned, the more she wanted to know. She spent two years reading everything she could find on flamenco, Spanish gypsies, and the folklore that permeates Andalusian culture. She read Don Pohren, Federico Garcia Lorca, Washington Irving, Ernest Hemingway and many more. These volumes paint a romantic picture of the life of aficionados and their discoveries of flamenco; a world of lush hillsides, tiny villages and colorful gypsies that sang and danced the nights away. Spain is becoming increasingly more modern; contemporary flamenco isn't as free and spontaneous as it used to be. Fortunately, the past is well preserved and authentic flamenco can still be found if you know where to look for it.