Look for a hotel or apartment in Madrid? Accommodation, hotels, apartments and hostales in Madrid center, in Puerta del Sol, or near the airport. See our new hotel maps in Madrid and customer reviews

Flamenco is without any doubt one of Spain's greatest contributions to the musical art form. Its roots are in the Gypsy culture of Andalucía. The bulk of the important Flamenco artists are still of Gypsy descent, many living inmersed in their unique traditional culture —aside form mainstream Spanish society— it has over the last decade been receiving more and more international attention. True flamenco is an art form which can happen spontaneously whenever a group of people gathers, and in which the audience forms an integral part of the performance. In Madrid it would be unrealistic to expect things to be quite that spontaneous, but a good peña (club at which flamenco is performed) can still offer an intimate atmosphere in which the audience becomes thoroughly involved.

The heart of flamenco is voice accompanied by Spanish guitar. Other important 'instruments' are las palmas (palms, or clapping hands) and el cajón, a wooden box which is used for percussion. Dance often accompanies the song but it is by no means necessary, and the music is often best appreciated on its own