In future projects we will be working with Cecilia Villanueva to give a face and voice to our videos. For starters, we have just done a Christmas themed video in the Avenida de la Constitución in Seville, between the city hall and the Cathedral. The voice was recorded in the street, with the tram, police cars, and bicycles passing, and packed with people. Great job Cecilia!
You can also see Cecilia in the preview of the movie La Isla Mínima with Sevilliano director Alberto Rodriguez.
¿Sabías que el centro de Sevilla tiene la tienda más especializada en Flamenco de toda la ciudad?
Virginia Campos tuvo la brillante idea de enseñarnos el concepto del Flamenco en su faceta más profesional. Siempre han existido en nuestra ciudad numerosas tiendas dedicadas al souvenir de Sevilla y a la moda flamenca, pero esta emprendedora quiso ir más lejos y crear un significado más amplio de nuestra palabra más universal.
Este negocio dedicado intrínsecamente al Flamenco en todos sus aspectos lleva acompañándonos en Sevilla desde hace seis años. Virginia, con un bagaje profesional a sus espaldas (organizadora de numerosos cursos y producción de espectáculos), con la pasión por este arte, quiso crear “Flamenco y Más”, una pequeña tienda en el intramuro de la ciudad, contando ya hoy con cuatro trabajadores.
Como era de esperar tuvo muy buen arranque en la ciudad y fue entonces cuando quiso ampliar formando la tienda “online”, llegando a más clientes y entrando en los hogares de todo el mundo, convirtiendo su clientela más importante a extranjeros de muchos países: puede tener una bailaora de Japón, de EEUU o de Alemania para comprarse zapatos de baile o una falda para su espectáculo. Otra parte de la clientela son los aficionados a este mundo, encontrándose músicas de colección o temas nuevos o recientes de este panorama.
No cabe duda que en “Flamenco y Más” puedes conseguir esos recuerdos de Sevilla reflejados en pequeñas obras de cerámica o elegir un abanico de toda la colección que poseen.
Uno de los aspectos más curiosos y originales de este lugar es el acceso a cursos de guitarra en DVDs a disposición y en venta para aquel que le interese, asi como libros de métodos de baile o técnicas de cualquier instrumento, incluyendo nuestras castañuelas tan internacionales. A la venta también diversidad de instrumentos para que cuando aprendas a tocarlos puedas tener el tuyo.
Además de su completa tienda de baile y complementos una de las novedades más curiosas es la asistencia de un Flamenco Personal Shopper para aquellos que no se decidan por algún traje o mantón. El asesoramiento de estos profesionales es muy importante a la hora de vestir a un artista para su espectáculo y para saber ir adecuadamente vestidos con colores o tallas a cualquier evento o Feria del sur de Andalucía.
Así no solo los profesionales van a la última tendencia en moda flamenca sino que el turista puede encajar perfectamente en la feria de abril o en ese evento flamenco al que pueden ir, pudiendo no solo comprar esas prendas sino también alquilar trajes de flamenca.
Todos los artículos de la tienda están también disponibles online, estando libres de impuestos, y hacen envíos internacionales a cualquier parte del mudo.
Mucho más lejos de esto, esta emprendedora tiene unos proyectos de futuro imparables y ya ha arrancado un espacio multicultural junto a su tienda, mucho más grande, para darle un servicio multiuso. Desde actuaciones en directo, exposición de fotografía o cualquier arte sin dejar atrás el servicio de tienda y asesoramiento que hoy en día llevan a la perfección.
Teniendo una web muy actualizada, no está mal darse un paseo por ella y estar al día de eventos y las mejores marcas en zapatos, ropa flamenca, músicas… Date una vuelta por www.flamencoymas.es o pásate a verlas a C/ San Luis nº 120. Estarán encantadas de saludarte y atenderte como es debido.
Flamenco y más:
Calle San Luis, 120
41003 Sevilla (junto a la Iglesia de la Macarena)
Tlfno: +34 954 908 707
Email: tienda@flamencoymas.es
There are many aspects of Christmas in Andalucia that are similar to those in other areas of Europe. The Christmas lights go on, the shops fill up with traditional goodies, and a lot of people eat and drink too much. But, of course, there is often a little Spanish twist to them.
The traditional date for the start of festivities in Andalucia is December 8, the day of the Immaculate Conception, but as in many other places these days, in practice the season seems to start earlier every year. In Andalucia there is a big tradition of Christmas markets and fairs to supplement your Christmas shopping, with donkey and camel rides, stalls selling cheap (and sometimes not so cheap) gifts and decorations, and sweets and hot dogs to keep you going.
An even bigger Christmas tradition is the Belen (Bethlehem). Almost every house has at least a modest version of the Nativity Scene, but there are also many more elaborate public ones, especially in department stores and churches, and a market that specialises in the models for making them.
Christmas Eve (Noche Buena) and Christmas Day (Navidad) are family days, especially Christmas Eve, which is the night for a big family dinner, turkey and truffles being traditional, and even the bars are closed, although some will open again after midnight. If you’re a visitor having your own apartment rather than a hotel will be a big plus at this time, as you can cook your own Christmas dinner.
New Year’s is celebrated with fireworks, and by the eating of twelve grapes as midnight strikes. Eating them in time brings good luck, and nowadays you can buy the grapes already peeled and stoned to make sure.
The end of the Christmas season is Epiphany (January 6). In Andalucia the night of January 5 is when Los Reyes Magos – the Magic Kings travel round the world on their camels to bring children their presents. Earlier in the evening most cities and towns have a big procession in which the kings and their assistants throw sweets to the crowd. For children it’s the biggest event of the year. At Epiphany everyone eats roscónes, a large doughnut shaped cake. Inside there is a coin and a dry bean. Whoever finds the coin is “king” for the day; whoever finds the bean has to pay for next year’s roscón.
When you think of Seville, what things do you think of as being the most typical or emblematic of the city? The Giralda Tower and Cathedral? Bullfighting? Flamenco? Blue skies and orange trees? Well, all those and more, probably, but there is something else that you will see almost everywhere here, from the most humble places to the grandest, and which add another dimension to the visual richness of the city.
detail at Plaza de España
I’m talking about azulejos, the painted and glazed tiles that seem to decorate almost every surface, from the undersides of the balconies (always look up!) to the grand expanse of the Plaza España. The centre of the ceramics industry has always been in the neighbourhood of Triana, in the area behind the market. Pottery has been made there using local clay from the river at least since Roman times, and Seville’s patron saints, Justina and Rufina were potters, their status perhaps reflecting the importance of the industry. But it was in Moorish times that the arts of painting and glazing the tiles really got going. Prohibited from depicting living things, it was they who created the abstract geometric designs that are still common today.
Tiles are also prominent in church shrines, and in signs and advertising in markets and shops, but although you can find tile work everywhere, from apartment lobbies to bars and around doors and windows, some of the finest examples in public spaces and monuments. The walls of the Alcázar are profusely decorated with tiles from the early Christian era that were still made using the techniques developed by the Moors. Even more spectacular are the tiles of the Plaza España, which showcase the designs and techniques of the early 20th century ceramics industry, particularly in the alcoves that depict historic moments from each of Spain’s provinces.
ceramics shop in Triana
Although you can still find little ceramics shops in Triana, and a few artisans working using the traditional methods – though the old wood-fired brick kilns have been replaced by electric kilns – the industry has declined, and ceramics are no longer produced here on a large commercial scale.
Nevertheless, this part of Triana, where the entrance to the old Ceramica Santa Ana is an important landmark, is still worth a visit. The market gives a good idea of how tiles were used for signs, and in the remaining small workshops you can find some pretty pieces that are great for souvenirs.
In commemoration of this history, a new museum, the Centro Ceramico, is soon to be opened next door to the Santa Ana, where you will be able to see some of the old kilns, and collections of both traditional and modern tiles.