Duende

I am in love with a flamenco guitarist!

To be fair, I'm also in love with several flamenco dancers too. But I draw the line at the singers - what is it about girth and singing voices? Then again, maybe if I just close my eyes I could be in love with them too!

As you'll probably guess, I'm just back from my flamenco show. Wow, it was amazing - probably incredibly touristy but I'm sold on it. I wish I could dance like that. We had the works, flirtatious, soulful, dramatic, fiery, athletic - but all passionate, every single note and step. I was exhausted just watching.

And it wasn't only the dancers either - the singers and the guitarists were amazing too. Particularly the soulful one with long dark hair and sparkling eyes!! The way he made a guitar sing was truly beautiful.

While I was in Cordoba I happened across a Flamenco exhibition, so I knew a little bit about its traditions - its roots (and continuing culture) as a gypsy art form, and I also knew that it was very passionate, but nothing prepared me for what I saw (and felt). For most of the performance I was hypnotised by the rhythm, movement and sound - the way the dancers and the singers could turn their bodies and voices into musical instruments was amazing. The fire of the dancers was awe inspiring. The women danced as if there was no-one else in the room and with complete pride in the way their bodies moved. And the male dancer - well now I know where the Spanish snake hips you see on some men here come from!

I was also taken with the connections with Middle Eastern music and dance - from the sounds of the voice to the hand movements. All very reminiscent of other cultures, but in an art form that is quintessentially European to us now.

As I said, I am in love!