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Takes me back to my first trip to Spain at age 19. Spent some nights at Zambra listening to Rafael Romero "Ël Gallina" and Perico el del Lunar. My first real exposure to the cante.
Like you Richard, I have a clear memory of Rafael Romero. La Zambra formed a touring company that came to the Palace Theatre, London in 1960. They brought five singers - Juan Varea, Rafael Romero, Pericón de Cádiz, Pepe ‘El Culato’ and Manuela de Ronda. The guitarists were Perico el del Lunar (father and son), Juan González "Triguito" and Andrés Heredia. There was a lot of crowd pleasing stuff from a bunch of dancers and solos by Rosa Duran but the singers were the real stars. Looking back it is one of my most memorable flamenco experiences.
A few years later I visited La Zambra in Madrid with my wife. We were advised to dress respectfully and not behave like tourists. There were no dancers. All the singers were there but Perico senior had died in 1964.
In 1957 Zambra was something of a hangout for anti-Franco intellectuals, or so it was explained to me.
There were men in tweed jackets and horn-rimmed glasses, smoking pipes. There were women with "sensible" shoes, plaid wool skirts, blouses and cardigans.
I wore a suit and tie. The concierge at the hotel advised that I should not dress too casually. Having lived in Washington DC 1951-55, to me a tweed jacket was casual.
People listened quietly and respectfully, applauding afterward--no jaleo. It was a different atmosphere from a tablao in Sevilla or Jerez.
Yes, the atmosphere you describe is just as I remember. It was an extreme contrast with what I found in 1960 at Los Macarenos in Barcelona. There the artists stopped after an initial short set and repeatedly sulked and refused to perform again until someone bought them a round of (very expensive) drinks. But it was there that I got to try a Conde guitar for the first time (although the guitarists referred to it as an Esteso. It was of course labelled Viuda y Sobrinos de Domingo Esteso, and I couldn’t make out what the signature was (Conde Hermanos). Nobody had heard of Conde in 1960!
It was an extreme contrast with what I found in 1960 at Los Macarenos in Barcelona. There the artists stopped after an initial short set and repeatedly sulked and refused to perform again until someone bought them a round of (very expensive) drinks.
I suspect that in addition to enjoying the "very expensive" drinks, the performers were shilling for the house to increase its revenue.
Bill
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