Using the OPPO Reno12 series, Jerome captures the stories of the performers keeping flamenco alive.
Walking along the streets of Seville, it’s common to hear voices singing Spanish music, and the strum of guitars. It’s impossible to understand Seville without experiencing flamenco, which has been practised there from the late 1800s till today.
Flamenco is a dance of passion and complexity
A common misconception is that flamenco is just a dance, and that all its performers are dancers. Flamenco is much more than that — a powerful art form that combines intricate guitar playing (toque), emotive singing (cante), and passionate, rhythmic dance (baile).
Flamenco was never a performance for the elite. The art form was started by travelling gypsies, which explains flamenco’s fusion of cultures: Intricate hand movements from India, flamboyant costumes influenced by Spanish folk music, and a throaty, soulful singing style inspired by Arabic prayers.
Rejected by society, the gypsies lived in poverty, and would perform flamenco to distract themselves when there was no food to eat. While most performers today enjoy comfortable lives that are very different from flamenco’s origins, the strong emotions remain. In some way, when you dance flamenco, you are still dancing for your life.
Marina Valiente and Jonatan Reyes are a couple who met through flamenco. From start to end, their performance is filled with emotion — Marina wears a piercing gaze as she spins and strikes poses, hands gracefully fluttering, then adding percussion with quick finger snaps. Her dance shoes, lined with metal soles, hit the ground with crisp taps, keeping a running beat through the performance. Jonatan’s singing echoes across the plaza, accompanied by the strums and taps of his guitar. Like Seville, flamenco is dramatic, loud, and unapologetically itself.
Pursuing flamenco, an Argentinian dancer now calls Seville home
If you visit a tablao, you’re likely to watch a mix of choreographed routines as well as improvised dance. The latter is more true to flamenco’s origins, where the performance is like a spontaneous conversation. Laura Guastini Pereyra, a dancer from Argentina, has been living in Seville since 2012 and now is performing every night at La Milonga tablao.
Growing up, Laura danced different genres before trying flamenco at fifteen. The combination of percussion, dance, and live music deeply impressed her, and her passion for flamenco brought her to Seville. Before earning her place as a performer in a local tablao, she practised everyday at flamenco schools and busked on the streets.
A struggle to balance tradition and commercialisation in flamenco
One can clearly see flamenco thriving in Seville today, but some fear that its magic is being lost. Tourist shops are packed with flamenco souvenirs, and you’ll find tablaos (performance venues) and dance schools around every corner. It’s increasingly easy to learn and watch flamenco, but accessibility is a double-edged sword. While flamenco seems very much alive, commercialisation dilutes its true culture.
Malena Alba and Alvaro Moreno are young up-and-coming performers at Seville’s famous Museo del Baile Flamenco. Most of their peers are not involved in the art, as they explain, “A lot of the younger generation sees flamenco as something for tourists, or a show to enjoy with your sangria.” In fact, it’s common to hear of visiting dancers who spend a few months in Seville, then return to their home countries to teach the art.
While Malena and Alvaro love people’s interest in flamenco, it has to be done the right way, with a true understanding and respect for the culture. “I’ve seen flamenco become more focused on choreography, faster beats, and impressive technical moves,” says Malena, “But you need to truly live the culture, and learn not just in the academy, but in life.” While flamenco may not be dying, true flamenco demands a deeper dedication to the craft.
At its essence, flamenco isn’t about technical movements or choreography; it’s all about emotion — an authentic expression of feeling between the artists and the audience. Duende, performers call it, making magic.
More than just a dance, flamenco is deeply embedded in the fabric of the community, a true mark of the Andalusian people. As the sun sets each night in Seville, its streets echo and buzz with rhythm, beats, and melodies — the hopeful, enduring cry of a city keeping its culture alive.
Immerse in flamenco culture with OPPO’s Reno12 Series
While one needs to be in Seville to experience the true magic of flamenco, OPPO’s Reno12 Series gives you a sneak peek into this fascinating culture.
Using the latest GenAI technology, the Reno12 Series’ AI Studio lets you generate a studio-quality portrait of yourself as a flamenco dancer — a special way to immerse in flamenco culture before you get the chance to travel to Seville.
*Note: AI Studio has been launched in both OPPO Reno12 Pro and OPPO Reno12 across Europe, and will launch in OPPO Reno12 F 5G, Reno12 FS 5G, Reno12 F 4G, and Reno12 FS 4G with further software updates.
