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We are considering having a one-week mini vacation in Jerez, coming november or late october. Is that a good idea, weather wise? Any specific events worth visiting? Places to listen to music performance? General opinions? All input appreciated.
Weather-wise, its impossible to say. I could tell you that for years the end of October or beginning of November is excellent weather, and you may come and have it pissing rain the whole time, bring an umbrella just in case.
With regards Flamenco its a good month, there are usually performances in one flamenco peña or another every Friday or Saturday of the month, with the number of foreign tourists down to a bare minimum (not that Jerez gets as many tourists to begin with). Definitely a more authentic experience, and if peña shows are lacking you can always go to La Taberna Flamenca in Santiago, most of the kids who perform there are also people you see in the Jerez peña scene.
back from my week in Jerez (which turned out to be a week of travelling between Jerez/Sevilla/Cordoba/Jerez/San Fernando) and it was a quite interesting experience though i would have appreciated a few hints here before hand since there seem to be quite a few ForoFlamenco members in that area...
Anyhow yesterday (saturday) was really a blast after one week of visiting several (mostly disappointing) Tablaos, like Taberna Flamenca in Jerez, Tablao la buleria in Cordoba, Tablao El Arenal in Sevilla...i ran into the fine guitar builder and player Rafael Romero of San Fernando, stole two hours of his time (and his friend and excellent cantaor Jesus), bought a sweet blanca, and got invited to a singers competition in the Pena camaron de la isla in san fernando. That was an incredible experience and though it was pretty humiliating to be there and not speak spanish it made up for one or another disappointment of this trip.
After this third visit to andalucia i wonder is there really only rarely any flamenco happening apart from miserable commercial shows at the tablaos, or do people intentionally try to keep us tourists away from it? Maybe the Foro Flamenco "network" could help overcoming this since its quite disappointing to come to the area solely for the music and then being unable to find any.
its quite disappointing to come to the area solely for the music and then being unable to find any
No offence, but it's a culture, a way of life, not a show. Did you try any of the penas in Jerez on a weekend?
I know that; thats why i hated the shows. I didnt know of any penas though and from here it was kinda hard to find out where to go. Once i was there i asked anyone i could and noone told me anything but the tablaos. While i am perfectly sure that tehre ARE ways to get the information somewhere, i wonder if it wouldnt be possible to just give a bit of assistance. You know i envy you guys who have the possibility to escape our "western" ways and live there and absorb it all the way it should be done. For me, its one, maybe two weeks over the year i can get out and try to figure something out.
I didnt know of any penas though and from here it was kinda hard to find out where to go
Sorry, just a bit pissed off with people turning up in Andalucia and expecting good flamenco to drop out of the trees, then knocking it because it didn't happen. You chose that particular week, not Jerez.
I once turned up in Granada the day after Pepe Hab. was playing and I would chew off my right arm to see him and Granada is hard so I am really surprised you could not find a pena in Jerez!
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For me, its one, maybe two weeks over the year i can get out and try to figure something out
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do people intentionally try to keep us tourists away from it?
No. Your only bet then, has to be the annual 2 week Flamenco Festival in Jerez at the end of February. 3 performances a day, at least.
ORIGINAL: PacoPaella i ran into the fine guitar builder and player Rafael Romero of San Fernando, stole two hours of his time (and his friend and excellent cantaor Jesus), bought a sweet blanca, and got invited to a singers competition in the Pena camaron de la isla in san fernando. That was an incredible experience
So you did get a special flamenco experience. This is usually how it happens, by chance and luck, and hanging out very late at night.
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After this third visit to andalucia i wonder is there really only rarely any flamenco happening apart from miserable commercial shows at the tablaos, or do people intentionally try to keep us tourists away from it? Maybe the Foro Flamenco "network" could help overcoming this since its quite disappointing to come to the area solely for the music and then being unable to find any.
Hmm yes like going on safari and seeing no wild animals If you are coming especially for flamenco then the best bet is to plan specifically around a festival ( Jerez, Malaga, Seville, Moron, Utrera) or concurso ( Cordoba, La Union). You can get info about all of these at various flamenco websites, deflamenco always has a list of whats happening and tourist websites will list festivals, and not just flamenco.
I recommend that anyone looking for Flamenco in Jerez that their first stop should be the CAF (Centro Andaluz de Flamenco). You can inquire there what's going on and where the peñas are. Most of the peñas in Jerez are open to the public during performances. This is not true in many other places (Moron, Utrera, etc)
Good idea...i have tried that twice and found myself before closed doors, the centro was one reason for Jerez as travel destination. We then decided to move on to cordoba so i couldnt make it there again.
Kate, could you do me a great favor? I have tried to find this information via google and deflamenco but i cant find any recent data...i would love to know the names of the artists and their ranking by the jury. The concurso happened on last sabado, 19.11. in the pena Camaron de la isla in san fernando. If you have any sources it would be great to hear who made it to the finals.
ORIGINAL: Guest Kate, could you do me a great favor? I have tried to find this information via google and deflamenco but i cant find any recent data...i would love to know the names of the artists and their ranking by the jury. The concurso happened on last sabado, 19.11. in the pena Camaron de la isla in san fernando. If you have any sources it would be great to hear who made it to the finals.
Sorry I had no luck either even though I contacted a friend in Jerez they had not heard about it.
If you are serious about Flamenco (with regards Jerez here) and want to know what will be happening, I do my best to provide all the information on my website. I have to agree with a few comments here, that Flamenco is certainly more about a way of life than a show, so therefore you are likely to be disappointed if you're just passing through (unless you get really lucky)
Sorry to the good people at the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco, but they're largely clueless (most are funcionarios and couldn't give a toss about flamenco) though they will print out a schedule of what's on in the Flamenco world in the region, a list which is often incomplete.
Also, if you really want to experience Flamenco, you have to be "en la calle" so to speak, and out late! So many people give up at 12 or 1 in the morning, hours before the best flamenco usually takes place.
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If you are coming especially for flamenco then the best bet is to plan specifically around a festival ( Jerez, Malaga, Seville, Moron, Utrera) or concurso ( Cordoba, La Union). You can get info about all of these at various flamenco websites, deflamenco always has a list of whats happening and tourist websites will list festivals, and not just flamenco. 
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