Spanish Broom

 As I have said before, the best part of the Balloon Fiesta is the performances in Old Town by some of our local talent.

This occasion found us at an appearance of the. Spanish Boom flamenco group in the plaza adjacent to the entrance of the Botanic Gardens.  The dancers, singers and guitarists were all excellent.  The accommodations  for the audience not so much.  Nearly everyone had to stand as there were only a few chairs.  We arrived early and were able to sit up front on a very hard slatted bench.  We were able to hold out just long enough to get through the first half of the performance.

Still, it is very nice to have such a talented group of people performing in informal settings, often at no cost.  We always leave a few bucks in the tip jar.  The schedule of performances is available on the Spanish Broom website.

Here is a brief video clip recorded by Margaret of a performance in Old Town a year ago:

 

Spanish Broom Flamenco

 Dinner on the Tiny Grocer patio and another fine performance.

 

Spanish Broom

 The Spanish Broom flamenco group performs often in Old Town and elsewhere in Albuquerque.  The graceful dancers, guitarists and cantaoras frequently practice their classic style in informal settings at no charge.  One of the nicest benefits of living in Albuquerque.

 

Saturday Night

 I posted on my photography blog about Albuquerque's Flamenco tradition.  Later that same day I got an email announcing a performance the following day in the Old Town gazebo by the Spanish Broom group.  So, that set the agenda for Saturday.  We started the evening with a fine Mexican dinner at the Church Street Cafe.  There were some dark clouds over the city when we walked to the Plaza, but then the setting sun peeked under them to light up the dancers.

The dancers, the guitarist, the tabla player and the cantaoras were all excellent.

flamenco futures

Fiesta 2016

The highlight for me of the Balloon Fiesta is always the afternoon of Flamenco performances in Albuquerque's Plaza Vieja.