I wanted to share a short video I shot during a trip to Spain last August. It wasn’t just any trip, it was a road trip with my ladyfriend Serena through Galicia, Spain, where my mother was born and a place that has become very dear to me, having been there several times going back to when I was just a young boy. But it started, of course, with our arrival in Madrid from Miami.
The plan was to just spend a night in Madrid before heading off to Santiago de Compostela by train the following day, and if you’re gonna spend just one night in Madrid what better way to spend it than at a flamenco show, yes? I mean, you really haven’t seen a flamenco show until you’ve seen one in any of Madrid’s historic tablaos. Nuff said.
Now, I’ve been to Madrid several times before and have seen flamenco performances at Corral de la Morería, Cardamomo and Casa Patas (which closed after the pandemic) – but I’d never been to the oldest flamenco tablao in the world, so we made a reservation at Tablao Flamenco 1911, located in Plaza Santa Ana. It’s known as “The Cathedral of Flamenco”, having hosted the best artists in the history of the art form as well as being part of the culture and social life of this vibrant city.
Here’s a look at the video (recorded with the Xiaomi 13 Ultra camera phone), which features dancers Sofía del Río, Clara Gutiérrez, and a smoldering closing set by José Maya, who has shared the stage with international pop stars such as Marc Anthony, Beyoncé, Björk and Juan Luis Guerra.
In the coming weeks, I’ll also be sharing a video recap of our road trip through Galicia, where we traveled through some of the region’s most beautiful towns and villages – including a stop in Asturias to visit one of Northern Spain’s most beautiful towns.
Starting on February 17, a continuing series of photographs from the trip can be viewed over at the site of my other half, Dan Perez Photography (and yes, we’re the same person), so if you have any interest in ever visiting Galicia, Spain (and you really, really should!) you’re not gonna want to miss this series. Stay tuned!