Salla VartiainenOriginally posted: 241007
Hello friends! I´m in Madrid checking out Flamenco! In the previous posts I wrote about the history of flamenco and reviewed the flamenco at Cardamomo. So this is my third and last post about flamenco for now 🙂
Tablao de la Villa
I’m walking on the streets of Madrid. The weather is perfect and people are out and about.
Cars, couples, groups of friends.
When I arrive at my destination there is no sign of any venue and I wonder if I’m lost. But then I spot the discrete sign above a door and enter Tablao de la villa.
The tablaos entrance is discrete and when youcome inside you have to climb the stairs and open a closed door that makes you wonder in the place is closed. Spoiler – its not!
The tablao is light. Wooden floors, tables with white tablecloths. On the walls, pictures and old news clips with articles about flamenco and bullfighting. A waiter escorts me to my table and I order a chorizo omelette with peppers. At the surrounding tables couples and groups are eating dinner.
This omelette was so nice! I actually started adding peppers to my own omelette at home 😀
If Cardamomo was dark, mysterious and cave-like, Tablao de la Villa is the opposite – it’s like a nice restaurant.
THE FLAMENCO at Tablao de la villa
We´ve finished eating when suddenly the lights dims down. The waiters rush to the windows to close the shutters and in a couple of seconds the whole atmosphere changes. The flamenco is about to start.
Maybe it’s the proximity to the stage that makes the impact so strong. I am mesmerized. And for the next hour the surrounding world disappears.
The heels drum the floor, the tocadors fingers are moving up and down, skillful fingers painting landscapes with the guitar. The tones arising, producing different stories and taking unexpected turns. The cantantos voices teases us. The tones quickly move up and down my spine. I can see the landscape, feel every word, and taste the sweat running down the bailaores face as he moves, building it, building it.
And here preferably, I should have cool pictures of the Flamenco, but I forgot to take any! So here is a picture from Tablao de la Villas website.
The bailaora moves across the stage.
And when she moves, I can feel what her body feels. Every step, every stomp, every small movement of the hip. A raised arm, a flick of the wrist – everything transmits to me, and its like my own body is up there. The bailaoras suffering becomes my own suffering, her pain – my own pain. And when she dances, her feet stomping away to the crecendo, furious, desperate, her body crying, her soul dying, I almost start to cry. It’s so raw and it’s soo good.
If the bailaora is pain and desperation, the bailaor is like a fire cracker. He is an angry life force contained in a vessel that barely can hold him. He dances and turns. Passion, sweat, desperation. Every movement is dynamic. It´s like he is fighting the devil that wants to possess him.
The short hour vanishes quickly and soon it is all over. It´s time to pay the bill and go home.
Cozy restaurant with history on the walls
Good to know about Tablao de la Villa
If you want to eat at Tablao de la Villa you have to arrive one hour before the show starts. This place respects the art of flamenco and there is no eating during the show. You can also ONLY take pictures of the show in the first 5 minutes of it. I think it´s good because it helps the public to get lost in the performance.
If you would want to order more drinks you should wait until the break.Do not order anything during the show.
The ticket price is currently 46 Euros (sept 2024) and the food is not included in the price of the ticket.
THE ARTISTS
There is no flamenco without the artists and this magic night, the artist on stage were
Tocador: Israel Cerredula
Cantanto: Eleazar Cerredula
Cantanto: Rafita de Madrid
Bailaora: Judit Vargas
Bailaor: Isaac de los Reyes
They were all amazing! And the magic they created together was out of this world!
Score 4.1
The score is based on the following parameters.
Atmosphere: 3.5
Flameco: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Price: 4
I really recommend this place! If you have the chance to go, it´s worth every penny.
xoxo/Salla V
Originally posted: 241007