Curiosidades Flamencas
From Argentina to Madrid: Flamenco and a Love Without Borders
“I didn’t choose flamenco — it chose me.”
Madrid is a city where flamenco is lived every day, in every neighborhood, in every tablao. Ivo Glibota knows this well. He was born in El Chaco, in northern Argentina, but for nearly ten years now he has lived in Alcorcón. And it was in Madrid where he discovered that flamenco is not just music: it’s emotion, it’s identity, it’s home.
The tablao as an emotional refuge
How did your story with flamenco begin?
“It was during a tough personal time. A friend showed me a video of Camarón. I didn’t understand the lyrics, but I felt what he was transmitting. Something in it spoke to me directly. From that moment on, I never let go of flamenco — and it never let go of me.”
How did you come to experience it in Madrid?
“I arrived almost ten years ago and settled in Alcorcón. At first, I went to tablaos just out of curiosity, and I ended up hooked. Flamenco gave me stability, identity, community. I started to understand Madrid through it.”
An unforgettable night at Tablao Flamenco 1911
“One time, at Tablao Flamenco 1911, I saw El Tete dance — for me, he’s the best young dancer right now. Singing were José del Calli and José de la Miguela. They started looking at each other, clapping rhythms between them… they were enjoying themselves. It was pure art. And me, from my table, I just couldn’t take it. I got goosebumps.”
Flamenco without borders: truth and emotion
What is it about flamenco that captures you the most?
“It’s a universal language. When it’s real, flamenco doesn’t need translation. It doesn’t matter where you’re from. You feel it. And Madrid is full of places where that truth happens every night.”
The best flamenco tablaos in Madrid, according to Ivo
Which tablaos would you recommend to someone wanting to experience a flamenco night in Madrid?
“My favorite is Tablao Flamenco 1911. It has quality, history, and duende. I also really like Cardamomo, especially for the quality of the artists that perform there. For me, those two are on the level Casa Patas had before it closed. El Corral de la Morería is good if you want dinner with a show, but what I look for is something that stirs me inside — and I find that at 1911.”
The unrepeatable magic of an authentic flamenco night
What do you think makes the difference between a good flamenco night and an unforgettable one?
“For me, it’s all about the passion. You can have technique, good production… but if there’s no emotion, it doesn’t reach you. But when the artist gives everything, when there’s connection between them and with the audience, something happens that can’t be repeated. That’s what I always look for.”
The tablao as a lighthouse: a passion that doesn’t fade
Can you imagine ever stopping going to a tablao?
“No. Even if I go less because of work or whatever, I always come back. The tablao is like a lighthouse. When I need to feel something, I go back to it. It’s not just culture or art — it’s something that keeps me balanced.”
Ivo doesn’t try to understand flamenco. He lives it. He recognizes it in a glance between artists, in a seguiriya sung from the soul, in a night that stays in the body for days.
Stories like his remind us that Madrid doesn’t just offer flamenco: it breathes it, holds it, and shares it.
Like Ivo, you just have to be open to feeling it.
And you? Have you experienced a flamenco night in Madrid like the one Ivo lived
Madrid is flamenco. You just have to let yourself go.
[:en]