The Power and Passion of Flamenco: a tapestry of Heritage, Rhythm and Expression 27 January 2026
Flamenco is song, music, dance. It is passion and poetry. Flamenco is an ancient memory of pain, of a long ago past and actually the soul of the people of Andalucía. It is listed as World Heritage. Flamenco is not just a show you can go to as evening entertainment, it IS the heartbeat, the very soul of the people and very much a part of everyday life.
We will have a look at the history of Flamenco, see where the name Flamenco comes from, why Flamenco is so difficult to understand and what they sing about. We will see what it has in common with jazz and blues, see and hear its different rhythms by watching video fragments of prizewinning Flamenco artists, learn about the different rhythms and finally get explained what they are singing.
There are totally different dance styles and different ways of dressing: the difference between Flamenco puro and Fusion.
About Helen Sijsling
Drs Helen Sijsling MA (born in Australia, lived in the Netherlands, lives in Spain), MA History of Art (University of Leyden), MA English Literature (Universities of Leyden and Oxford) and MA Educational Management (University of Amsterdam). Helen taught English for the first part of her career to later become management consultant on education, advising secondary schools on educational improvement and training teachers and managers in The Netherlands and the Antilles. Helen is presently Chairman of The Arts Society Nerja and has lectured to The Arts Societies in Europe and many other societies on many different subjects like Zaha Hadid, Ernst Barlach, Moroccan Orientalism, Rembrandt and Caravaggio, but also on many Spanish subjects like Barcelona1900, Magic Melilla and Ceuta, three different lectures on Flamenco, Cave Art from Sulawesi to Spain, El Greco, Goya, Santiago de Compostella, Juana the Mad.
