Flamenco between home and stage: controversies, tensions, and ideologies of purity and authenticity

Abstract

A distinctive feature about flamenco discourse, whether in publications or social media, is the presence of polemics—at times fierce and bitter—regarding themes such as tradition-vs.-innovation, the definition of flamenco and its borders, and the role of specific places or communities in the evolution and current state of the genre. I believe that at the heart of many of these controversies lies a basic question: Is flamenco a universal art, or is it inherently embedded in realms of social meaning and sentiment, linked to specific communities, whether of ethnicity, barrio, or even family? In fact, flamenco is a unique genre in the sense that it has grown and flourished in both manners and contexts, in such a way that has enriched the art, while giving rise to polemics, confusions, and mystifications.