I have never seen anything like the flamenco stuff that we looked at, and it was absolutely wonderful to hear it, and especially see it. Looking at the faces as they sang the songs with all the emotion really reminded me of watching blues singers. It’s fascinating that the area where flamenco and blues come from are so geographically far, but there are similarities that bring them very close to one another. The recurring phrase about “having you at my side” that seemed inserted in many of the flamenco songs is like recurring phrases in blues songs that artists use for years and years. When I hear a line like, “I ain’t had no lovin since you been gone,” it makes me think, what a great blues line. And now, whenever I hear “with you by my side” I know I’m going to think of flamenco songs.
Both flamenco and blues songs are hardly wordy, but they definitely get the most out of what they use. I’m not sure what the view of flamenco artists is, but I wonder if its something like old blues guys in that you don’t want to live their life, but the lifestyle is romanticized. Watching the younger people dance and sing was great, but what really grabbed my attention were the two older guys sitting and singing without instruments