Flamenco nuevo: tradition, evolution and innovation

Unrestricted Flamenco, born of the gypsies in Spain’s southernmost region of Andalusia, is today bigger than the narrow, winding streets of Jerez de la Frontera, the birthplace of the art. But what many flamenco enthusiasts don’t realize is that today’s flamenco performers, both in and out of Spain, are giving audiences something to which they may not have previously been exposed: flamenco nuevo. Not too surprisingly, this hybrid form is making its strongest global impact outside of Spain in Southern California, where tolerance for cultural fusion is the aesthetic norm. What this thesis will show, however, is that what may appear as new is really not — flamenco nuevo actually continues a centuries-long tradition of evolution, and to understand the true merits of this contemporary form, a close examination of flamenco’s history is required. I will do this, in part, by looking at two exemplars of flamenco nuevo, Adam del Monte and María Bermúdez, whose roots extend to Spain and whose formative creative work is influenced by their time in Southern California. Both artists are known for pushing the boundaries of flamenco to redefine its music and dance.; Today’s singers, musicians and dancers are taking flamenco to another level, incorporating a wide range of string, brass, wind and percussive instruments into the music and blending body movement from across dance disciplines in choreographies. California-born and -based flamenco artists have found themselves in a safe haven for experimentation; flamenco fusion, both in terms of the music and the dance, is a phenomenon in Los Angeles in particular, where openness to innovation pervades the flamenco scene. Los Angeles-based and -born artists del Monte and Bermúdez are at the frontlines of flamenco music and dance respectively, contributing to the definition of flamenco nuevo as this contemporary art solidifies its own boundaries.