Duende

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Recently I was on tour with Roots of Flamenco, featuring world renowned Flamenco soloist & choreographer Sonia Olla, and singer Ismael Fernández.

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Also on tour was one of the most celebrated jazz pianists, Chano Dominguez.

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I was surrounded by a group of incredible musicians, and I honestly can’t articulate how amazing of an experience this was.

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I was familiar with Flamenco, but this tour gave me an opportunity to be fully immersed in the music.

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Speaking almost exclusively in Spanish with the group (thanks Mom for forcing me to continue learning Spanish), I learned the history, purpose and culture of Flamenco.

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But I’m not gonna front, I was curious why Flamenco was so popular in Asia…

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“Asian women view flamenco as a liberating tool for self-expression.”

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It was incredible to see how influential the music and dance was to everyone who attended.

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But there is much more to Flamenco than just great music and dance. Flamenco is a reflection of self. A reflection of one’s experiences, and how they interpret those experiences and feelings in music and dance.

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Those deep feelings they refer to as “Duende.” Direct translation meaning “elf,” but seen as a spirit or soul. They say “tener duende,” or “to have soul.”

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Having duende allows the Flamenco artist to connect to their inner-self, and even sitting in the audience, you can feel their passion.

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But every performer’s duende is different, because everyone’s experience is different. And now it has me thinking, what allows me to have duende?

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The moments when nothing else exists, and my energy is focused. When people look at what I do and say, “I can feel that.”

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You can learn more about Roots of Flamenco Tour and the artists at www.rootsofflamenco.com.

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