Keeping Flamenco’s Oldest Stories Alive

From Grandmother’s Songs to Documentary Screens: Preserving Flamenco History

Recently, I had the honor of speaking with Eduardo Paniagua, the brilliant musician and producer behind centuries-old Spanish music traditions.

Eduardo’s work, especially his recording of Romances Históricos Gitanos, is a guiding light for anyone seeking the soul of flamenco and oral storytelling. Our conversation stirred memories, questions, and a deep longing to preserve these living traditions.

The Living Heritage of Romances

For me, this journey began not in a library, but at my grandmother’s knee. Like countless others in Spain in the sixties, I was raised on an oral tradition of ancient ballads and traditional songs. During the long winter nights, my grandmother would sing Romances to us—sung stories passed down through generations, often tracing their origins back to the Middle Ages.

These songs were our history, our heritage, and our joy. The Zambomba is a living continuation of this very tradition, communal rituals in Jerez de la Frontera (the Flamenco Capital of the World) where these profound narratives are not lost to the past but sung anew, giving voice to our shared history.

Jerez, in particular, remains a vibrant hub where communities gather to sing, dance, and celebrate these ancient songs during the month of December. Unlike staged performances elsewhere, the Zambomba here is communal, raw, and alive—a reminder of how music binds people together across time.

Preserving Hidden Jewels

While the Zambomba in Jerez attracts people from all over during December, the genre of Romances is close to disappearing. Not because they’ve lost their value, but because modern life has trained us to prefer quick consumption over long stories.

The result is subtle but powerful: every year fewer voices carry these songs, and with each silence, the transmission weakens. If we want these traditions to survive, the solution is simple but urgent—sing them, listen to them, and pass them on.

The pace of contemporary life threatens long-form traditions, but people are also yearning for authenticity and roots. I created the Flamenco Roots Program to bridge this gap, providing context, history, and stories for all who wish to connect more deeply with flamenco’s living heritage.

A Glimpse of What’s Coming

To further explore and preserve these traditions, I’ve begun developing a documentary series on the Zambomba, a fascinating twenty-year endeavor capturing untold stories before they are forgotten and lost forever.

As I continue developing the Zambomba documentary, I want you to feel part of this journey. A larger story is unfolding—one that celebrates the enduring power of tradition, the communal joy of music and dance, and the importance of preserving culture for future generations.

Through this project, I hope to inspire wonder and curiosity: to make you ask, “What other stories are waiting to be discovered?” And perhaps, in some small way, to invite you along for the ride as we bring these hidden treasures into the light.

🌟 More info about my documentary ¡Zambomba! coming soon...

🌟 In the meantime, click below to discover the origins of the Zambomba in Jerez.