Flamenco

PEÑAS:
The flamenco peñas in Jerez are, much to the surprise of many, not as old as one would think. The oldest and the most prestigious, Los Cernicalos, located a stone’s throw from the Riad, dates back some 35 years, the first peña to be founded in the province of Cádiz and the second in all of Spain. The peña is not only an excellent way of hearing the best that Jerez Flamenco has to offer, it is a meeting point where foreigner and local alike socialise without any pretension or prejudice. In a scene where being a foreigner is an almost insurmountable barrier, the peña is a place of acceptance where all good enthusiasts of flamenco cante gather. A friend commented to me once that the scene felt somewhat like a church congregation, and it’s true-people gather, hoping to experience those rare moments when guitarist, cantaor, and audience all come together and Flamenco has the power of catharsis. The Jerez peña scene is also unique-to get in you only pay for what you drink at the bar, there is no requirement for membership, no fee at the door. This also means you should do your part and help contribute to keep the scene alive. A tip on local peña custom, seats, though not as a rule, are usually for the peña members or women. The men you will usually find in the back drinking at the bar! An asterisk denotes places in San Miguel which are a brief walk from the Riad.

Asociacion cultural Los Juncales- on calle Nueva. The exception to the Jerez peña rule. You can pretty much forget about getting in unless you have a good contact or are incredibly lucky. No pre-scheduled performances, just a gathering place for a close circle of some of the finest gypsy performers in Santiago.

Asociación Cultural Fernando Terremoto-calle Terremoto de Jerez s/n Pago San Jose. moved a few years ago from its location in Barriada la Asuncion, this is a very new looking peña with much more seating than the previous one, though a bit more sterile in atmosphere. A bit difficult to find if you’re driving, but it's in the direction of Club Nazaret and Parque Atlantico, heading East under the bridge and past the train station.

Centro Cultural Don Antonio Chacon- calle Salas 2. Next to San Juan church. An excellent and large peña, one of the focal points for the after hours scene during the Spring Flamenco Festival. The bar is manned by the Tota (Luis and Ali) twins, two brothers who often appear as palmeros in local performances and are delightful to see with their sense of compas and the expressive singing of the buleria.

Peña la Zua-Barriada Barbadillo, calle Albadalejo 38. Not many people make it out to la Zua, which is a shame. This pena with a very neighborhood feel is tiny and cluttered with all sorts of memorabilia from Spain of old. A major drawback is the sad state of the sound system, given the size of the peña everyone would be better off without any amplification at all. Drinks are cheap, the people couldn’t be friendlier and more welcoming, and though the peña doesn’t usually receive some of the bigger names it more than compensates with its honesty and lack of pretension.

*Peña El Garbanzo- Calle Santa Clara 9. A charming peña, the second oldest in Jerez, which does infrequent concerts. El Garbanzo is an elder member of the Carpio clan, a major branch of the Jerez Flamenco family tree. Due to the deteriorating state of the building the peña is housed in, plans are underway to relocate it somewhere in San Miguel.

Peña el Pescaero-Carretera Arcos Calle Mosa s/n Barriada El Rocio. Enthusiasts who have been coming to Jerez for years will lament at the move this peña has made from its previous location, which was essentially a garage! Like the Zua, it was a very local feeling atmosphere, very welcoming to foreigners. The new place does preserve that sentiment, and there is much more seating, but the newness has diminished the peña somewhat.

Peña la Buena Gente- plaza San Lucas 9. Recently the building this wonderful peña was housed in was torn down, along with a few other old buildings in the vicinity, in order to build luxury apartments. A shame, because despite its smallness it had an excellent flamenco atmosphere. Plans were announced in March 2006 for the building of a three story home for the peña to be located between Abades and Lepanto streets, practically in front of the Cathedral.

*Peña la Buleria- calle Mariñiguez 15. An excellent peña, formerly where Ana María Lopez had her dance studio (now in Los Cernicalos). Most well known flamenco figures have performed in these halls. You can poke your head in and have a look during the day, the bar in the front services the locals. This peña will soon have a new home nearby on calle Empedrada 20.

*Peña los Cernícalos- calle Sancho Vizcaino 23. The Riad’s own neighborhood peña, and the grandaddy of them all, located near the plaza Cristo de la Expiracion. An excellent peña with wide prestige throughout Andalucia. It hosts numerous acts throughout the year, including an excellent zambomba at Christmas, and is currently where famed Jerez flamenco dance teacher Ana Maria Lopez gives classes.

Peña Tio José de Paula- calle Merced 11. This peña opened its doors at its new, expanded location on #13 of Calle Merced, on September 30, 2006. A very gypsy peña in a very gypsy neighborhood. Some who remember the old peña may miss the intimate setting, as the new peña is much expanded and modern feeling.

Tertulia Flamenca Pepe Alconchel- Pago San José, calle Castaño 2. Out by the Terremoto peña, a very friendly gathering place which features among others, up and coming flamenco artists in an annual series entitled "Jovenes Valores".

Peña Manuel Soto Sordera- calle Carpinteros 3. This peña in the heart of Santiago, little known in Jerez, is dedicated to the memory of the great Don Manuel who died a few short years ago. Living for years next door to this peña gave me the greatest instruction to the nature of cante flamenco. Only occasional performances, but has an excellent zambomba gitana out on the street in December.

TABLAOS
The tablao these days is where new artists get their start, performing for the tourist market which comes to see enjoy above all flamenco dance. On the whole the show is good, though a bit pricey when you consider that the peña performances are free. Outside the busy peña seasons, however, the tablaos are decent substitutes and gives the visitor a sampling of Flamenco from Jerez. They have a nightly dinner plus show.

La Taberna Flamenca-Angostillo de Santiago 3.  Tel. 956 32 36 93
El Laga de Tio Parilla-Plaza del Mercado s/n. Tel. 956 33 83 34

And for those with unlimited budget, Bereber Flamenco Tablao, located within the charming complex on calle Cabezas 10, just off Plaza del Mercado. 

DANCE ACADEMIES
Jerez is considered an excellent place to study dance, for despite lacking perhaps in technique and style that you find in places like Seville and Madrid, Jerez is all soul, rhythm and the true heartbeat of flamenco. Many a dancer have commented that training is incomplete without spending at least some time here learning the fundaments of dance as it relates to cante. Certainly this is true of the bulerias style, which Jerez proudly and rightly claims as its own. To dial these numbers from abroad you must first include the Spain country code, which is 34.

*Manuela Carpio- Edif de la Caja de Ahorros de Jerez planta alta. Tel. 956 34 67 31 
*Ana Maria Lopez- Formerly in the Peña la Buleria, now holding classes in the Peña Los Cernicalos (down the street from us!).
Juan Parra- Calle Castaños 5. Tel. 956 32 27 27 
*Academia de Baile “Chiqui de Jerez”- Calle Empedrada 32 Tel. 956 349 546 / 609 980 284. Tel. Fax 956 335 871, or e-mail, chiquijerez1@hotmail.com.
Compañia de Flamenco El Pipa- Calle Ponce 6. Tel. 956 33 29 14 /606 115 549
Centro de Baile Jerez- c./ Rusia 47 Guadabajaque Tel. 956 140 406

*Estudio de Baile Mercedes Ruiz- Calle Baro 2D

Patricia Ibañez Centro de Baile Flamenco- C./ Merced 9 Tel. 956 141 335 or 650 166 654.

Escuela de Baile Maria del Mar Moreno- Calle Porvera 22 Tel. 956 32 33 78

CANTE
Very difficult to find, foreigners wanting to learn cante usually do private classes with individual artists, which tend to be rather expensive, underlining the prime importance cante has in this art form. Domingo is one of the few in Jerez that offer classes and has a very wide knowledge base of cante. 
Domingo Rosado- Calle Manzano 8 Pago San Jose. Tel. 956 33 65 20

GUITAR 
As a guitarist myself, I am intimately acquainted with the joys and the frustrations of learning Flamenco. The following names are excellent teachers which provide very sound bases for Flamenco guitar playing, both styles from Jerez as well as beyond. Other people may prefer private instruction, contact me and I may be able to put you in touch with some of the local artists I've studied with who offer private classes. One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of excellent guitarists in Jerez!

Jesus Agarrado is a flamenco guitarist from San Miguel, a true artist whose flamenco roots run deep. He offers private classes in various flamenco guitar styles at reasonable prices, and has frequently given lessons in our very own patio. Please contact us for further info.

*El Carbonero-Calle San Miguel 11. Tel. 956336797 / 956184822 
Jose Luis Balao- Calle Gaspar Fernandez, 11 Tel. 956305993
Fernando Moreno- Calle Sevilla local 19. Tel. 956342243

FLAMENCO RESEARCH

Jerez has the distinction of being home to the only Flamenco research library, El Centro Andaluz de Flamenco, funded by the Junta de Andalucia and housed in the Palacio Pemartin, in Plaza San Juan. The center has regular projections of documentaries relating to the history of flamenco and its varied geography, photo and art exhibits, workshops, and a decent library which includes a catalogue of everything from video and audio recordings to scholarly texts and sheet music for guitar. Bring your passport to access materials. There are also occasional concerts,lectures and official presentations. You can visit their website (in Spanish only) to access information on flamenco events throughout Spain.

For a guide to flamenco events happening in and out of Andalucia, check here.