Flamenco Meets Maqam With Lourdes Fernandez and Her Band

An intimate night of flamenco and Arabic music at Jamboree with ace dancer and director Lourdes Fernandez and her quartet, as part of the Bloomsbury Festival!

This is a night combining Eastern and Western cultures in harmonious collusion. The combination - the likes of Arabiaan qanun and Spanish guitar - is not as surprising as you might think. Arabs brought their music to Spain, where it contributed to what we know today as Flamenco. Tonight's band present new musical ideas based on Middle Eastern and Flamenco music, with pieces that comprise of musical visions including Maqams, Andalusian harmonies and rhythms of the Middle East - from Babylon and Ancient Spain, to the present.

History

Flamenco and Arabic music are time-honoured ancient musical practises that encompass a wide range of artistic styles and emotions. Vocal expressions of deep joy or heartache are conveyed through singing, which often include poetic lyrics.

The dance form of Flamenco known as baile communicates heartfelt passion and engaging romances – all entwined with emotions from ecstaticism to sadness. And then there is El toque, the art of playing the flamenco guitar via the many diverse rhythmic forms used in the genre. Pinpointing the exact origins of Flamenco is as difficult as identifying that first spark in a passionate romance. It kindled around the 11th Century when nomadic groups from the Rajasthan and Punjab regions of India travelled to the Iberian Peninsula. Their unique style of folk music, song and dance united effortlessly with the local Andalusian folk music – already a beautiful amalgamation of Byzantine, Moorish and Jewish traditions. It was this worldwide matrimony that initially sparked the Flamenco genre that we know today.

Jamboree food option: Our ‘Arepatoire’ kitchen is open from 6pm serving a delicious mix of Italian/Colombian food for you to enjoy a pre-gig meal/snack if you wish!