If ever you see this name on the awning of a tablao (flamenco venue) or theatre in Madrid, Moscow, Tokyo, Rio or New York… don’t think twice about buying a ticket, you are sure to see a flamenco show that you will never forget.
Jose Barrios was born in 1975 in a traditional family in the neighbourhood of La Fuensanta; his talent flamenco talent began at a very early age, when he began to study flamenco, continuing his improvement in Seville and Madrid with professors like Manolo Marín, Domingo Ortega, La China among others; time and maturity led him to appear on stage in different parts of the world, he consolidated as a choreographer and achieved his style in flamenco. Becoming a member of the company of María Pagés places him in a good position among his flamenco peers, reaching the point of presenting his latest show «Reditum» in his beloved city.
EA!: What does Cordoba mean to you?,
Jose: I was born here 40 years ago and even though I have spent half of my life living in other places, I have never stopped coming back here. I have very strong ties that link me to this city and we also have to add the love and admiration I feel for my land.
EA!: What have you gained from flamenco?,
Jose: I have always felt that Flamenco is a part of me. It is an important part of my life. I listened to it at home from a very early age. Dancing was always an after school activity throughout my education, it has always been my passion and my dream. When I finally became independent I decided to dedicate myself professionally to this magnificent art, which, I still admire after so many years, I carry on learning and it never stops surprising me.
EA!: How do you feel each time you appear on stage?,
Jose: It’s difficult to describe the nervousness before appearing on stage, which I still can’t control even after so much time. Although it’s true, that once I “get down to work” it’s a wonderful feeling, I can’t describe it, I feel Freedom, I control space and time, it feel like flying.
EA!: Which is the audience that has most surprised you?,
Jose: Lola Flores used to say that if they put a blindfold on her eyes she would know where she was by the way the public applauded her. Well there is a lot of truth in the words in that popular song. Each country, each audience, depending on their cultural education has a different way of expressing their feelings. For example in Japan, a country that adores and has a lot of respect for flamenco, they have an effusive way of applauding but at the same time they are silent, as if they are afraid of disturbing others, unlike countries like Brazil, Israel or Canada among others, where people applaud along as well as cheering and shouting.
EA!: Which is your fondest memory of Cordoba?,
Jose: May daily walks across the Roman Bridge to go to my flamenco classes in the Campo de la Verdad when I was still a child, or those endless waits in the Plaza de Las Tendillas for the bus that would take me home. I also fondly remember getting lost in the Jewish Quarter.
EA!: What are your next projects?,
Jose: I have just come to set up a choreography for the 25th anniversary of the Parque España in Japan, and I am totally involved in launching my next “CLASICO” which I debut in on 18th May at the Teatro Góngora (Gongora Theatre) in Cordoba.
«CLASICO» – BAILANDO FLAMENCO
Fecha: 18 de Mayo 2019
Lugar: Teatro Góngora
Dirección: Calle Jesús María, 10
Córdoba – España
https://teatrocordoba.es
A narrow street?, The Calle del Pañuelo.
A typical dish in Cordoba?, Salmorejo.
A popular festival?, The Fair in May.
A scent?, Jasmines.
A square?, La Plaza del Potro.
A time of year?, Spring, summer, autumn and winter.
A church?, Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church.
A tip when visiting Cordoba?, If you come in July or August keep yourself well hydrated, apart from that, just relax and have a good time. There is a lot to see, don’t think twice, just come to Cordoba. You will never regret it.
