Surfing The Channel

Posts Tagged ‘drummer’

A few days ago, I was in Madrid watching the most exciting dancing I had ever seen. I was in this small hidden away Flamenco club, which I found out about from my airport hotel concierge. It’s hidden behind a door in this bar called the El Juglar in a not so attractive part of the city, which is not the most safest area to be walking in at night. Before I arrived to the bar, I was seriously wondering where the concierge was sending me to. I entered in what appeared to be the restroom door located in the back of the bar and all of a sudden I was transported to another world.

The place was full, standing room only, I had to stand on my tip-toes to watch the amazing spectacle before me. A woman stood center stage with her hands raised above her head in an arc, the music started  and the excitement began. A live Flamenco singer, guitarist and drummer played music that stirred you to the bone. I began to clap and shout out along with the rest of the Spanish crowd.

Apparently, every Sunday night, the best flamenco stars from a famous dance school get up on this very tiny stage. I was actually witnessing authentic Spanish dancing at it’s best; away from the overpriced touristy flamenco shows, surrounded by locals shouting, cheering and clapping at a dancing site to behold. The dancing being done in that tiny little room in Madrid was something that will always stay with me, I will never forget the sheer amount of excitement filling up that tiny little space, it was enough to fill a football stadium. The deafening sound of the Flamenco dancers feet on the wood floor, clacking faster and faster with the music, the monotone singers voice and the flamenco guitar solos all did something profound inside me. But, it was the look on the dancers faces, the passion, energy and immense concentration that they put into their five minutes of fame will haunt me and make me search out more of the vast hidden treasures of this world.