In this Andalucian city, flamenco is an art form as well as a way of life — not just for traditional dancers and singers but also for hip-hop stars, classical guitar legends and street artists
Flamenco is more often than not a public affair with a range of different locations hosting spontaneous dance sessions across the city.It’s almost sunset, and the hilltop cave quarter of Sacromonte is just beginning to stir. The summer heat, which has been smothering Granada all day like a weighted blanket, has begun to lift; the heady scent of wisteria hangs on the breeze, and the shaded plazas echo with the meowing of cats and the shouts of playing children.
At Pepe’s urging, I climb further up the hill to see duende in action at Cueva de la Rocío, a flamenco venue in a complex of rock-cut caves. I’m ushered into a tunnel-like room with a barrel ceiling that’s dimly lit by purple light, its rough walls hung with brass cooking pots and family photos. A drummer, singer and guitarist occupy the stage at the end, delivering impassioned songs interspersed with shouts of “Ay!” — the exclamation known as the quejío, the cry of lament.
The mural, like the many others that brighten the elegantly fading buildings in Realejo, is the work of Raúl Ruiz, aka El Niño de las Pinturas — Granada’s most celebrated street artist. I meet Raúl around the corner from the mural in his studio, where every surface is covered in flecks of paint — from the boombox pumping out house tunes, to his hand, which he extends to me in a warm greeting.
I walk around the Realejo, ticking off Raúl’s pieces as I see them: vibrant paintings of guitarists, violinists, crowds clapping along to flamenco, and children playing in the street. I soon stumble across Mítica, a tattoo studio that also serves as Raúl’s official shop, selling stickers, badges and prints bearing his designs.
It’s refreshing to hear contemporary urban artists unselfconsciously citing the influence of their country’s long-dead and beloved poet — it’s more difficult to imagine British rappers or graffiti artists extolling the virtues of, say, William Wordsworth. But Lorca, as the embodiment of the flamenco spirit, is different — a voice for the voiceless, just like the rappers who Vicente would listen to growing up.
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