Greek flamenco fans in Athens are in for a treat as the Hola Flamenco Festival returns to Athens in its fifth annual rendition. The event, on June 18-19, will feature live dance and music performances in which Greek flamenco artists and Greece-based musicians specializing in various music genres will perform with renowned artists from Spain.

Thirteen dancers, the flamenco group “Al Aire Libre”, the Arabic Music Orchestra “Ferket Al Anwar”, the choir Rodia-Martha Mavroidis, the Polyphonic Choir of Epirus Vangelis Kotsi, musicians Stavros Pressis on flamenco guitar and Yannis Papagianoulis on percussion will work together to create a musical explosion of song and dance.

The event aims to bring Greek and Spanish performers together in the spirit of three pillars: Coexistence -“Our artists co-exist on stage with other artists that might be complete strangers. This is a basic element of Flamenco culture!” they write on their site, as well as Experimentation, on which they reveal: “We invite and challenge our flamenco dancers to work with musicians from other kinds of music. Experimentation is the second nature of flamenco!”, and Solidarity, about which they write: “We support social acts and organizations. This way, we help people to get informed about various problems and ways of solving them.”

Well-known Spanish singer Alba Guerrero is arriving from Barcelona as the event’s honorary guest, and will conduct two song seminars, one on Flamenco Voice Technique and the other on Learning Flamenco Songs, both of which are open to all levels.

All events will take place in the garden of the Association of Greek Archaeologists (on 134 Ermou Street in Thiseio).

Later in the summer, flamenco aficionados – or even those who are simply curious to better understand and study the sophisticated art form, which originated in Andalusia and celebrates gypsy and native culture, can attend a themed summer camp in Crete.

The ‘Vamos!’ Flamenco Camp in Chania will be from 24-30 July will include dance, music and song workshops for all levels of students. The camp’s guest of honour, singer Juan Granados from Andalusia, will also present his methodology through various performances and workshops. The ‘Vamos!’ camp also aims to build culinary, social and cultural bridges between Crete and Andalusia.