The intellectual history of flamenco is a record of intense conflict, where the art form has often been used as a “contested site of national definition”. This page traces the development of antiflamenquismo and the subsequent “waves of revival” that sought to save the tradition from perceived decline. We engage with the legacy of foundational figures like “Demófilo,” recognising that while his romanticised narratives were often reductive, they are now an entrenched part of the tradition itself. By examining these “culture wars,” we aim to understand the productive friction between the “museum” and the “market” without artificially resolving the tensions that make flamenco vital.
The Flamenco Effect 