FLAMENCO Chipén: a journey through a century and a half of art in Madrid

Madrid consolidates its position as the epicenter of flamenco memory with an exhibition linking 150 years of singing, guitar playing and dancing in the capital city

Madrid is discovered as the epicenter of flamenco memory through FLAMENCO Chipén, an exhibition that covered 150 years of singing, guitar playing and dancing in the capital, from the singing cafés of the 19th century to the creative outburst of the young flamenco artists of the 1990s.

The flamenco heart of Madrid

The exhibition, curated by David Calzado and Teo Sánchez and organized by the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage and the Spanish Office of the Region of Madrid, coincided with the declaration of flamenco as an Intangible Cultural Interest in the region. With more than 150 pieces including posters, costumes, photographs and documents, FLAMENCO Chipén was a journey through milestones that marked the evolution of this art form: from the rise of the singing cafés to the consolidation of mythical academies such as Amor de Dios, the mark of guitar makers such as the Ramírez family or the opening of the first tablao in the country, Zambra.

The exhibition gives its place to emblematic places that have defined Madrid's flamenco identity, from the Pavón Theater to the Corral de la Morería. Corral de la MoreríaThe latter created its own sound, which became a hallmark of identity.

A living memory in five sections

Divided into five thematic sections, the exhibition began with the first written reference to flamenco in Madrid, published in 1847 in the newspaper El Espectador under the title A flamenco singer. From there, the visitor enters a story that traverses the arrival of Andalusian music to the capital, its expansion through the singing cafes and the subsequent irruption in stages that were hitherto alien to the genre, such as the Teatro Real.

Enrique Morente at El Candela
Photo: Alberto G. Alix

The costumes of unrepeatable figures such as Camarón, Enrique Morente or Paco de Lucía, together with snapshots by photographers such as Nicolás Müller or Alberto García-Alix, evoked different periods and diverse styles that, together, make up the richness of Madrid's flamenco. Each room proposed an emotional journey that united tradition with innovation, reminding the visitor that Madrid has been, and continues to be, a flamenco city par excellence.

Dialogues and legacy

Beyond the physical exhibition, FLAMENCO Chipén expanded with live encounters. The musical dialogues held at El Águila brought together artists such as Carmen Linares, Israel Fernández, La Tati, Serranito and Guadiana, who reflected on key issues in the history of the genre in the capital: from flamenco opera to the role of guitarists and the legacy of the tablaos.

Each session concluded with performances that connected past and present, demonstrating that flamenco memory is not contemplated in silence, but beats live.

Inauguration of the gypsy village of Altamira
Photo: Santos Yubero. ARCM

Madrid, a Flemish city

The exhibition and its associated activities confirmed something that the tablaos of the tablaos of the Region of Madrid demonstrate every night: the capital is not only a witness, but also the engine of flamenco. A unique space where tradition has blended with the avant-garde, where neighborhoods like Lavapiés or Plaza de Santa Ana have seen universal artists grow, and where the tablaos remain the backbone of an art that never ceases to evolve.

With FLAMENCO ChipénMadrid celebrated its flamenco heritage and reaffirmed its place as an essential meeting point for those seeking to understand the essence of a World Heritage art form.

Documentary Rastro flamenco | Exhibition FLAMENCO chipén at El Águila