Here’s our Flamenco Chicago facebook group. Worth joining just to get access to handpicked youtube videos and other resources that don’t make it to this links page.

Streaming flamenco radio: FlamencoBeat.

Latest flamenco fashions from the Molina runway show at SIMOF 2010.

Flamenco: A Personal Journey. Ten episodes on YouTube – about 90 minutes total. An American guitarist’s six-month odyssey with tocaor Juan del Gastor. A rare opportunity to hear gitanos speak about the true spirit and alma of flamenco.

Nice concise history of flamenco.

Interesting article on duende.

Essay on flamenco and poetry.

Listen to flamenco online! This site has a great rotation of new releases as well as classics and rarities. (Don’t be dismayed that the top 20 listener favorites are mostly Ottmar Liebert.)

You Tube is a great source for finding flamenco dance clips. Here’s a clip of Eva la Yerbabuena to start you off.

Dancer interviews from flamenco-world.com. Some of these are very inspiring – and always intriguing! I’m hoping that these links will give students some background and understanding that flamenco is not just about your teacher spoon-feeding technique and choreography with no effort on the student’s part. There is an inner depth to flamenco that can enrich even the most casual student. The learning process is a conversation, a two-way street between teacher and student, and yes, even the student must apply at least a small level of passion and commitment.

One of my all-time favorite flamenco learning tools in terms of learning about compas and palmas: The two-CD set by Paco Sevilla, Ritmos Flamencos. I was just reminded of this one while trying to help a student having trouble grasping the rhythm of bulerias.

Probably not for beginners, but of interest: Descriptions of the palos from esflamenco.com. Difficult to understand without some previous background in flamenco, and quite technical, yet the descriptions of palos in alphabetical order, from alegrias through zambra, are worth a look.

For a humorous and lighthearted introduction to some interesting topics in flamenco (its origin, meaning of “duende” and much more), take a look at Sal’s Flamenco Soapbox. The site also contains a fairly comprehensive glossary of flamenco terms. Guitarists will find a collection of flamenco tabs and midi files.

Letras + Flamenco is a blog which pairs youtube videos of cantaor/as with the letras in written form, so you can follow along with what is being sung. Though there is a small selection of letras for each palo, it’s still a great resource to beat the frustration of “Huh? What’s he singing?” Now, for at least a few letras, you’ll know.

Looking for Chicago drop-in flamenco dance classes with no commitment? Check out the Flamenco Arts Center. But please come back to Flamenco Chicago when you want a little more structure!

Interested in learning to play flamenco guitar? I highly recommend Nico Angel’s Arlington School of Music in Arlington Heights. Nico is a great flamenco guitarist as well as owner of the school.