Duende

The history and spiritual essence of flamenco

One of the highlights of the foundation is the realization of the book ‘Duende’, the spell, written by Ivo Hermans in 1998.. The book reveals the history and spiritual essence of flamenco.

Publisher EPO, Antwerps
website: www.epo.be
e-mail: uitgeverij@epo.be
ISBN: 90 6445 084 6

Flamenco

Over the last few years, a handful of publications addressing the subject of ‘Flamenco’ have made their way into the hands of a public increasingly interested in world music. Ivo Hermans' book, ‘Duende’, is a 189-page journey through the essence of the genre which has grabbed the immediate attention of his Dutch-language audience in Belgium and Holland. A long-time initiate in the world of Flamenco, the author explores the deep influence of sound and movement on human emotions.

‘Duende’ unfolds as a journey through Andalucía, Spain, during which Ivo Hermans sketches the evolution of Flamenco over the past 200 years with the objectivity and sharp view of an outsider. He describes the history, styles and masters of Flamenco in the villages and cities he encounters upon his journey. His trek begins in Almería and ends in San Fernando at the tomb of Camarón. He digs into the depths of cante, toque and baile, providing numerous appendices which assure that each detail remains accessible and understandable to the reader. Newcomers to the genre will also quickly feel at home in the complex of Andalucian expressions and lifestyle which itself grew out of a variety of cultures.

The idea of writing ‘Duende’ - the spell - originated in the mid-eighties when tradition and innovation were melded into a new culture and life-style in post-Franco Spain. From its slow evolution flamenco was suddenly whirled into a rapid fusion with artistic expressions from abroad; a variety of foreign music and dance were grafted like new twigs onto the stem of this age-old art. Now, at the beginning of a new century, the ancient Andalusian rite and its new offshoots have each acquired an identity of their own. They all contribute to the dynamic new world of flamenco borne on the original ‘puro’ trunk. ‘Duende’ offers a panoramic survey of the complexity of styles, masters and spiritual essence of the chant, dance and music. Each style or term is explained the first time it appears. There is also a helpful list of flamenco styles and a glossary at the end of the book, as well as a useful bibliography for those who want to increase their knowledge of this most fascinating subject.

In 1999 the book ‘Duende’ was evaluated by the University of Cádiz. Spanish specialists on flamenco examined the texts and incorporated Duende in the scientific library of the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco in Jerez de la Frontera. A report on this event was published in ‘Revista de Flamencología’ – Cátedra de Flamencología de la Universidad de Cádiz – n°11, 2000.

CD 'Duende - Quemando voy'

Samen met het boek verscheen ook een CD 'Duende - Quemando voy'

ISBN: 90-6445-180-X).