Flamenco families in Barcelona: tablaos from generation to generation

Flamenco, due to its oral and social nature, has been preserved mainly within families. In most cases, Roma families. In the capitals of arte jondo, artistic dynasties have treasured singing, dancing and guitar playing (and of course, rhythm) as a precious asset passed down from parents to children across generations, whose surname is almost always a guarantee of flamenco quality. To name a few: in Granada, the Habichuela and Morente families; in Jerez, the Terremoto and Sordera families; and in Seville, the Farruco and Montoya families. Barcelona, as a key center of flamenco, is no exception, and at Tablao de Carmen several figures from these Catalan dynasties have performed, positioning the city as a cradle of great flamenco artists.

Carmen Amaya family

Carmen Amaya is, without a doubt, the most important flamenco dancer Barcelona has ever produced. Currently, two of her great-nephews are active and work in tablaos here and throughout Spain: the siblings Karime Amaya, dancer, and Tati Amaya, guitarist. They are grandchildren of Antonia, Carmen Amaya’s sister, who stayed in Mexico and raised her family there. Both began their careers as children in their parents’ company, the dancer Mercedes Amaya “la Winy” and the guitarist Santiago Aguilar.

Another dancer trained in our house, Gema Amaya, also belongs to this Barcelona lineage. Her maternal great-grandfather was a first cousin of Carmen Amaya. It is worth mentioning that there is another family in the flamenco tree with this surname, the family led by the singer Remedios Amaya, born in one of the most flamenco neighborhoods of Seville and the world: Triana, but they are not related to the legend of the Somorrostro dancer.

The Singla family

Antonia “la Singla” grew up, like Carmen Amaya, in Somorrostro. She was destined to be her heir and was, together with La Chana and La Chunga, one of the Roma female dancers who elevated Barcelona’s flamenco dance to a higher level. Her family has maintained that legacy.

Currently, the only one professionally dedicated to flamenco is the young dancer Damián del Singla, a regular on our stage. However, almost the entire family participates in celebrations and knows how to sing, dance or play the guitar, even if it remains within the family sphere. Juanjo “El Singla”, brother of the dancer, is a flamenco guitarist and owns a tablao called Las Cuevas de Can Singla. Every year, he also sets up a stand at the Barcelona April Fair, one of the most flamenco-oriented in the venue.

La Tani

Ana Santiago Salido, better known as La Tani, is a dancer born in Linares (Jaén), but based in Barcelona since the age of five. Coming from an artistic family, she danced from a young age in the city’s tablaos and was part of the Tablao Cordobés lineup for fifteen years. She currently runs the La Tani School in Nou Barris, which enjoys great prestige and sees dozens of dancers take their first steps. Her son, Eduardo Cortés, also works at the school and is a guitarist in several tablaos and flamenco shows. Her other daughter, Yolanda Cortés, is a dancer and also a teacher at the family school. Every Christmas, the school gathers on the stage of Tablao de Carmen to present La Tani’s zambomba, a great opportunity for students to debut before a knowledgeable audience. This family has been and continues to be part of the history of Tablao de Carmen.

The Fernández and the Manzano families

From the neighborhood of San Roque (Badalona), the dancer Miguel Fernández, better known as El Yiyo, stood out from a very young age. He is currently one of the most powerful figures in flamenco dance in Spain and abroad, combining his work in tablaos throughout the country with his own shows inside and outside our borders. His two younger brothers are following closely behind. Ricardo, El Tete, is already among the leading young dancers, and Sebastián, El Chino, is one of the great promises of flamenco dance. All three started at Tablao de Carmen when they were barely 16 years old and were part of the regular lineup for several years. They are nephews of El Faraón, a flamenco artist who was part of our artistic team in its early years and served as artistic director for several years.

Also from San Roque, the young Barcelona flamenco singing scene includes Juan and Ricardo Manzano. Their first professional singing performance, outside of family gatherings, took place in this house. They are nephews of the singer El Coco. And from another neighborhood next to San Roque, La Mina (Sant Adrià del Besòs), come two more singers who are making a strong impact: Manuel and Chel de la Miguela, sons of the singer José de la Miguela.

Juaneke and family

Juaneke, Juan Fernández Amador, also born and raised in La Mina, was one of the first singers to bring his flamenco art to Tablao de Carmen. His brother, Justo Fernández, is one of the most respected guitarists in Barcelona’s flamenco peñas. Justo’s son, known artistically as El Tuto, is also a guitarist. He started at our tablao at the age of 14 and is now recognized as one of the great flamenco tablao guitarists today. From the same family tree are two of the most prominent singers in Barcelona’s flamenco scene: Luis de la Fefa and El Yuse.

Chicuelo and son

Juan Gómez “Chicuelo”, from Cornellà de Llobregat, is today one of the most prolific and renowned flamenco guitarists in activity. He has accompanied great singers such as Enrique Morente, Mayte Martín, Chano Lobato or José Mercé, among others. He even won a Goya Award in 2013 for his bulería “No te puedo encontrar”, which he composed together with Pablo Berger for the film Blancanieves. Both he and his son, Diego Amaya, began their careers at Tablao de Carmen. Diego currently has a promising career ahead: he performs in several tablaos in Barcelona and has accompanied his father as a guitarist with Shoji Kojima’s company.

The Carmona family

The early years of Tablao de Carmen had their artistic center in the Carmona sisters. Born in Madrid but raised in Hostafrancs (Sants), Antonia, Tamara and Conchi began at Los Tarantos tablao in the 1970s and were, from its opening and for many years, the artistic core of Tablao de Carmen. They were also sisters of the dancers Curro and Ramón Carmona and the dancer Dolores “La Muñeca”. Her husband, the guitarist El Califa, was part of that first flamenco lineup of the tablao. Another brother, Paco Carmona, was also a guitarist. From this Carmona lineage, we currently count on the young dancer and singer Tailla Carmona, who has shown the strength and Roma essence of the Carmona family on our stage on several occasions in recent years.