The guitarist strummed a lively Spanish flamenco tune in a rapid rush of notes as his fingers flew across the strings. Next to him, the male singer began the cante, the song, which is the essence of the art form. His deep melodic voice conveyed a full range of passionate emotions — sadness, pain, joy, love — as he softly lamented, wailed, and powerfully expressed the song's story to the audience.
In a setting no bigger than an average living room space, about 40 folding chairs, the durable plastic type that are commonly used at family parties or community events, lined the back walls of the room in a U shape. People of all ages and sizes filled the seats, motionless as the sounds of flamenco music resonated within the packed space of the tablao.
A tablao is a venue for flamenco shows; it's not a large theater. A tablao is typically an intimate setting with a wooden stage for the artists to perform on, like a small nightclub or café. The audience normally sits at scattered cocktail or cafe tables facing the stage.
But this tablao was different. We were not separated from the performers by a raised stage; we shared the same floor. Our chairs left enough space in the middle so that they could dance right in front of
