Afar, A Retrospective: The First Female Flamenco Guitarists, Turning Suffering into Passion

Unpacked by AFAR

This podcast episode is part of Afar, A Retrospective. As part of Afar’s 15-year anniversary celebration, this episode from our sister podcast, Travel Tales by Afar, was selected as one of our favorites. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do—and stay tuned for more archival Travel Tales episodes from September - December 2024. Explore more of our favorite stories over the years at afar.com/fifteen.

“If I travel to you, will you give me lessons?” When former child prodigy, Lavinia Spalding, emailed the biggest female flamenco guitarists in Spain, she was shocked when they all agreed to teach her.

In this episode, she follows an abandoned dream to Madrid, Granada, and Barcelona, Spain to immerse herself in the new world of female flamenco guitar.

Follow Along with Revolutionary “Tacaoras”

In this episode, discover:

• What flamenco means to the women who are paving the way for female flamenco guitarists.
• The origins of flamenco and its important elements.
• Some of the biggest names in flamenco guitar from Paco de Lucía to Antonia Jiménez

Breaking Into the Boy’s Club.

Don’t miss these transformative travel moments:

[02:07] Following and foregoing my father’s flamenco dreams.

[05:40] The mysterious origins of flamenco.

[06:36] A kindred spirit and a familiar melody with Antonia Jiménez.

Strumming in the Spirit of “Duende”

Lavinia Spalding is the editor of The Best Women’s Travel Writing and co-hosts the podcast There She Goes: travel stories told by the women who wrote them. But at one time, she believed she was destined to become a “tocaora,” a female flamenco guitarist.

In this episode, she follows in her deceased father’s footsteps by traveling to Spain to learn flamenco guitar. Antonia Jiménez, Pilar Alons,o and Marta Robles, some of the most prominent female flamenco guitarists in Spain, are her guides into “duende,” the heartbeat of flamenco that transforms suffering into passion.

Resources:

• Read Lavinia’s original story.
• Explore Lavinia’s work on her website.
• Listen to this playlist that features music by Marta Robles.
• Watch these performances by Pilar Alonso and Antonia Jiménez.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.