Baraka Sala Flamenca, a tablao for experiencing flamenco up close
In a city with very different flamenco options, Baraka Sala Flamenca occupies an easy-to-recognise niche: a small-capacity venue on Calle Pureza in Triana, where the audience sits very close to the singing, guitar and dance. It does not seek the scale of a large theatre or pair the performance with dinner. Its offering focuses on the essentials: four artists, a one-hour show and one drink included.
The performance takes place in the Lola de los Reyes flamenco venue, an Andalusian-style space with 48 seats. That scale defines much of the experience. From almost anywhere you can perceive the strike of the heel, the singer’s breathing, the guitar falsetas, the handclaps and the glances through which the ensemble coordinates live.
For anyone wishing to see flamenco while visiting Triana, Baraka makes it possible to combine the show with a walk around the Altozano, Calle Betis, the surroundings of Santa Ana and Calle Pureza itself. The location provides the context; proximity to the stage does the rest.