Has it happened to you? You come to our tablao, the show ends, and you’re left frozen in your seat with teary eyes and goosebumps. You come closer and ask us:
“What was that? Was that the famous duende?”
Trying to explain what duende flamenco is is like trying to catch smoke with your hands. There’s no dictionary definition.
It’s a concept that even Lorca tried to unravel, calling it a “mysterious power that everyone feels and no philosopher can explain.”
At Cardamomo, we are not philosophers. We are artists. And every night, in the intimacy of the tablao, we go out in search of it.
This is our truth about it.
Duende Can’t Be Rehearsed, It Appears
First, let’s be clear: duende has nothing to do with perfect technique.
Technique can be learned, repeated, mastered. Duende is wild.
It’s an unexpected guest who decides — or not — to join the party.
It’s the difference between a guitarist who plays flawless notes and one who, with just three chords, tells you the story of their life.
It’s the difference between a dancer who performs steps and one who battles an invisible demon on the wooden stage.
For the Dancer: A Volcano That Connects Souls
For bailaor José Escarpín, duende is a physical force born from emotion that becomes a bridge.
“Duende, to me, is the mix of emotions inside your body that erode your heart in order to be transmitted through dance, song or guitar. And that’s when duende appears: when what you feel can be felt by your fellow performers and the audience.”
— José Escarpín, bailaor.
For the dancer María Moreno, duende is an intangible reward for artistic dedication, a treasure shared on stage.
“For me, duende, since it’s something that can’t really be described, is not something tangible, it’s not physical, nor is it something you can control. It’s truly like a reward for this dedication to art—constantly working with art—those moments when we all know that duende has appeared, and they are instants that remain forever in your heart. And almost always, you’re lucky enough to share it with someone on stage, and those are truly treasured moments.”
— María Moreno, flamenco dancer.
For the Guitarist: A State of Grace Without Ornament
From the strings, guitarist Mario Montoya defines it not as a frenzy but as a moment of absolute lucidity and honesty.
“For me, it’s a state of grace or clarity in which one can express the idealized essence of their inner self, effortlessly, without seeking embellishment or empty gestures.”
— Mario Montoya, guitarist.
For the Singer: The Human Spark That Creates the Unrepeatable
So, is duende individual? Or is it contagious? For cantaor José del Calli, the answer lies in the air between companions, in the chemistry of the moment.
“Duende doesn’t always come. Your mood matters a lot—maybe even your colleagues’. If you arrive downhearted, and your fellow performers lift you up, then something unrepeatable happens. And to me, that’s duende: things come out that you can’t explain.”
— José del Calli, cantaor.
For Percussion: The Mysterious Pulse You Simply Feel
Perhaps the purest definition comes from percussion master Lucky Losada, who brings us back to the mystery—beyond words.
“To me, duende has no smell, no taste, no color. You just feel it. You don’t know when it comes, but when it comes and you feel it, you know it’s him. Duende is something magical, something that leads you to a kind of expression you can’t define. That’s all—duende.”
— Lucky Losada, percussion.
The Secret Ingredient: Your ‘Olé’
And now comes the most important part: duende is shy. It doesn’t like to appear when it feels alone. It’s born from communion. From that circle of energy created in the room.
It’s born from your respectful silence, which allows us to listen to our soul.
It’s born from that “¡Olé!” — not festive, but torn from the gut — shouted at the exact moment when we all feel the same thing.
Duende doesn’t belong to the artist; it belongs to the moment. It’s an invisible pact between the cry, the wooden floor, and your emotion.
Do You Want to Feel the Duende? Don’t Let Them Tell You About It
We can’t promise that duende will appear. No one can. It’s capricious and free.
But we can promise you this: every night, on Cardamomo’s stage, we’ll give our heart and soul in the search for it.
And if we’re lucky, and you’re there to feel it with us, you’ll experience something that words cannot explain.
