Opinion | Community: Barcelona, Now More Than Ever!
I would like to thank Jaume from Metropolitan Magazine for the initiative he has taken in asking his collaborators—among them Tablao de Carmen—to share some words of hope in this time of uncertainty and physical isolation. As he explained his initiative to me on the other side of the phone, his enthusiasm and good will immediately inspired good vibes and positivity.
Given the speed with which it was decided to close venues to the public on March 14, the initiative proposed by a media outlet such as the Metropolitan is a relief. It immediately occurred to me to ask the same of all those who give life to Tablao de Carmen. Many of our followers look to our social media networks to see what happens in our little corner of the world, and in this way the art of flamenco can be followed, continued and shared without physically being with us.
I have asked those who give life to the Tablao de Carmen to send me their ideas, inspirations and rehearsals so that they may stay connected to us, each other and the community during these days of quarantine. With this in mind, we’ll also be looking back at our history. A great respect and love for Barcelona's flamenco culture and the figure Carmen Amaya are what spurred us to open Tablao de Carmen on Arcos Street back in 1988. As I review the carefully preserved memorabilia cherished by my family through the years, I’ll be sharing previously unpublished material with our network of amazing fans. It is my hope that this will be a beam of sunlight in these days of seclusion. We hope that when the doors open again and Tablao de Carmen is filled with flamenco every night, those of you who have known or followed us during these days will be able to experience it live. Have courage! Barcelona’s love for flamenco will prosper!
You can learn more about Tablao de Carmen at tablaodecarmen.com, see more videos on the YouTube channel at: Tablao de Carmen or follow on Twitter: @tablaocarmen, Instagram: @tablaodecarmenbcn and Facebook: @TablaodeCarmen.