Spain's flamenco on the edge
To many, the passionate music and dance known as flamenco is an important marker of Spanish identity, and perhaps even synonymous with it. So much so, that Unesco has recognised the art form as part of the world\u2019s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Yet its place within the country of its birth is both more complicated \u2013 and more precarious - than this might suggest.
During the Covid lockdowns, a third of all flamenco venues closed down, and with many yet to reopen, training opportunities for new artists remain in short supply. The pandemic has also exacerbated the struggle of many singers and dancers to make ends meet. Meanwhile, to the outrage of purists, other practitioners see a future in fusing traditional flamenco with new, more commercially viable genres, such as pop and hip-hop. Still others see flamenco as a stereotype, and unhelpful to their country\u2019s modern image.
The BBC\u2019s Madrid correspondent Guy Hedgecoe takes us on a colourful journey, reflecting on flamenco\u2019s intriguing origins among the downtrodden folk culture of southern Spain, its difficult present, and its possibly uncertain future.
Presenter: Guy Hedgecoe\nProducer: Mike Gallagher