Teatro Tablao Flamenco Torero Madrid

Personally, the Essential Flamenco show at Torero is our favorite type of flamenco show: raw, pure, intimate, back to the roots.

There aren’t any distractions during the performance: no people eating or whispering, no waiters constantly passing by to serve drinks/food. This is a show for those that want to be fully immersed in the flamenco experience.

The Essential Flamenco show takes places in a vaulted brick cellar, reminiscent of the traditional gypsy flamenco caves of Granada’s Sacromonte neighborhood. Such a unique and intimate setting allows the audience to enjoy flamenco as it was done centuries ago. It’s up close and personal.

   Did you know? Sacromonte is the historic gypsy neighborhood of Granada, made up of cave houses. These caves are one of the main birthplaces of flamenco.

The small venue size (65 seats) allows for everyone in the audience to sit very close to the stage. Even the seating rows gradually increase in height allowing for uninterrupted sight lines to the stage. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house, unlike most other flamenco productions in the city.

Thanks to the venue’s small size, there’s no need for microphones or speakers. This unadulterated sound vibrates of the brick and resonates in your body. You are able to feel a connection with each instrument and foot tap that is often lost with modern speaker systems.

   In their own words: At Teatro Tablao Flamenco Torero they’ve recovered the authentic roots of primitive flamenco, the one that you no only hear and see but also feel, that gives you goose bumps.

The Flamenco Artists

The artistic director at Torero is Juan “El Mistela”, a world renowned flamenco dancer born in Seville who, among many recognitions, has won the National Prize of the Flamenco Critic.

   Fun fact: Juan El Mistela got his nickname from Farruco, one of the most famous flamenco dancers of the 20^th century. Farruco said: “Juan is like the Andalusian Mistela wine, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter, but always with feeling".

During our visit, seven artists took part in the show: one percussionist (cajón), one guitar player, one singer, one violinist and three dancers (two male, one female). One of those dancers was the legendary Juan El Mistela himself.

   Did you know? The cajón is a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Perú, which made its way into flamenco in the 70’s thanks to Paco de Lucía.

We love the show at Teatro Tablao Flamenco Torero. Simply put, if you want to witness an authentic, back-to-the-roots kind of show, this is for you.

ADVANTAGES

• There’s no dinner, no audio amplification, no distractions – no BS whatsoever – just pure flamenco.
• The small venue with its perfect acoustics, talented performers, and great seating guarantee an awesome show.

DISADVANTAGES

Even though we really love this show, there are a few points that might be of concern for some.

• Probably the biggest downside is that the seats, although comfortable, are very tightly spaced together.
• The other potential downside is that the stage is not overly large. That means you won’t see couples dancing which is typical at other larger venues.

In our opinion, neither of these aspects negatively impacted our experience. However, if you think these points might be a deal breaker for you, then perhaps check out Teatro Flamenco Madrid. While also a quality show, it offers a completely different experience, less authentic and pure, but in a more spacious and theatrical venue.

However, if you want to have a genuine flamenco experience that will give you goosebumps, do yourself a favor and book the Teatro Tablao Flamenco Torero.