Spanish guitarist brings flamenco to Amman

AMMAN — Flamenco is a life journey and a universal language, Spanish guitarist Pepe Habichuela said ahead of a concert in the capital on Sunday. 

Habichuela, a flamenco master and one of Spain’s finest contemporary guitarists, is touring the Middle East, and said the reception his band has received proves that the dance form is popular wherever it is performed. 

Organisers of Sunday’s concert at Al Hussein Cultural Centre have said that the demand for the free tickets, which were available at Instituto Cervantes, was overwhelming.

Flamenco is an art form native to the Spanish regions of Andalusia, Extremadura and Murcia. It includes singing, guitar playing, dance, vocalisations, handclapping and finger snapping.

Performers use the rhythm and the emotions of the dance and the music to tell stories that have been passed down through generations. 

According to the guitarist, flamenco remains popular among the younger generation, and many young people learn the dance and the music. 

Globally, Arabic and Indian dancing share flamenco’s spirit, he added. 

Habichuela was born in 1944 as José Antonio Carmona Carmona in Granada. He belongs to a flamenco dynasty of gypsies started by his grandfather, known as “Habichuela el Viejo” (Old Bean), and continued by his father José Carmona and his brothers, according to Instituto Cervantes.