ADVENTURES OF FREDDY FLAMENCO LOVER

Studying at la Fundación Cristina Heeren

A firsthand experience

For the past 6 months, I have been taking daily flamenco singing classes at the Fundación Cristina Heeren del Arte Flamenco, in the Triana neighborhood of Sevilla. This is one of the best schools to take dance, guitar, or singing classes. It was founded in Granada in 1993 by Cristina Heeren, a lady who came from New York and nowadays has a prominent flamenco school in Andalucía, well known for its great history in flamenco.

Like everything else, the pandemic has affected the school over the past two years, but there are still many people from all over the world who come to study here. So myself, I am a guitarist who is studying flamenco singing. It is not easy for somebody from another country, like me from Amsterdam-Holland, but I enjoy it 100%. The teachers are well known artists like Manuel Romero, Armando Mateos, and Esperanza Fernández. There is also a flamenco theater in the school building, where current and former students perform four times a week.

So far, I have learned many flamenco palos (styles of flamenco song) like Fandangos de Huelva, Alegrías de Cádiz, Malagueñas, and Tangos de Triana. Keep in mind, there is also vocal training and history— I mean it is a full daily program, and you have to study every day or you’ll fall behind. Yes, there are also exams to do, but the teachers are always there to help you pass. The price, I think, is very good, as you get daily instruction from 9:00 am till 3:00 pm, and if you are very good (which some of the Spanish speaking students are, by nature) you also will get to perform. Or some students are already performing regularly but take the classes to improve even more. For me it has been a great experience, and I hope to do more in 2022. Viva Flamenco! Viva La Fundación! And Greetings from Freddy Flamencolover in Sevilla!