Spanish Embassy brings rhythm, harmony of flamenco dance to Erbil Citadel

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Spanish Embassy in Iraq, with support from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), organized a flamenco concert in the semi-autonomous region’s capital on Monday.

Many people, including Kurdish and foreign officials, attended the two-hour-long event which was held inside the historical citadel of Erbil.

Kurdistan 24 spoke with Spanish Ambassador to Iraq, Juan José Escobar Stemmann, following the flamenco night. He said it was a “very big success” and “a wonderful concert.”

“It was a wonderful night because we were able to put together two of the most beautiful representations of world heritage,” Stemmann said, referring to the flamenco dance and the Erbil Citadel.

The same concert is also being held in Sulaimani on Tuesday.

“We have visited many countries around the world,” Ezequiel Reyna, a musician who played in the concert, told Kurdistan 24.

“Our experience in Kurdistan was different because we felt that the people attending the concert feel and understand our performance.”

Marta Balparta, a flamenco dancer, expressed her delight with the event and was happy to see attendees enjoying their night.

“Flamenco is music and dance from [one] heart to [another] heart. Those who were here had their hearts with us,” Balparta told Kurdistan 24.

The flamenco is an art form which expresses a mixture of vocals, instruments, and dance. It is very popular among the people of Andalusia in southern Spain. Although it has Hispanic roots, the dance is now famous across the globe from North America to Asia.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

(Additional reporting by Bilessa Shawes)