GRANADA ADVANCED WEEK LONG CANTE ACCOMPANIMENT WORKSHOP

WHERE YOU’LL BE

Peña La Platería has been the heartbeat of Granada’s flamenco community since 1949. It’s the oldest flamenco peña in Spain — not a venue that hosts flamenco, but a place built by and for people who live it. The portraits on the walls, the tile work, the stage where singers and dancers have performed for decades — it’s all still there, and it’s where you’ll spend your week.

You’re going to school inside a flamenco institution, in the city where flamenco guitar has its deepest roots.

THIS YEAR: A CANTE WORKSHOP

This year’s advanced week long workshop is built around cante.

At the end of the last advanced workshop, the group asked us for one thing: more time with singers.

Accompanying a singer is the core job of the flamenco guitarist, and it’s the hardest thing to learn on your own. You can’t get it from a video or a metronome. You learn it by sitting across from a cantaor/a, listening, and responding in real time. That’s what this week is for.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Welcome dinner on Sunday evening, hosted by Kai and Tara on the Peña La Platería terrace overlooking the Alhambra. Dinner is on us.
• 20 hours of workshop time with Kai Narezo, Monday through Friday, 10am–2pm
• (3) guest cantaores/cantaoras joining the class, so you can practice accompanying different voices and styles
• 3+ nights of live flamenco — tablao, peña, cueva in the Sacromonte — all included
• All class videos recorded and available to download and keep
• Workshop T-shirt
• This workshop is intentionally tiny. Never more than 10 students.

Your +1 is welcome at evening shows — they’ll need their own ticket but we’ll sort it, sometimes at a discount. Just let us know in advance.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Sunday June 13 — Welcome Dinner

The week starts Sunday evening at the Peña. For some of you it’s a reunion. You’ll see where you’re coming back to Monday morning, meet the group, and hear everyone’s story. Kai and Tara host. This is how the week begins before a single note is played.

Monday–Friday — Class

10am to 2pm, every day, at Peña La Platería in the Albaicín. The first two hours focus on technique and compás. The second two hours apply that to material, with a short break between. It’s a bootcamp structure — but nothing is fixed. Kai would rather respond to what the group actually needs than follow a schedule for its own sake.

The Singers

We’re bringing in [3] cantaores and cantaoras over the week. Each is someone Kai knows and plays with personally, not a cold booking. Every voice is different. Each singer has their own tones, their own phrasing, and their own way of signaling where they’re going. Working with a variety of cantaor@s in one week teaches you to listen and adapt instead of memorizing one person’s habits. [Names to be announced.]

Evenings — Live flamenco

We take you to flamenco in three different settings: a tablao, a peña, and a cueva in the Sacromonte. Each one is a completely different experience and that’s deliberate. A show at the peña is never quite the same twice — it depends entirely on who shows up that night. You’ll leave Granada having seen the real thing.

THE REST OF IT

Granada’s tapas culture means eating well costs almost nothing. Daily meals are on your own — this is a feature, not a gap.

For some of you this group will feel familiar. For others it’s new. Either way, by the end of the week these are your people — the ones serious enough about flamenco to be here.

By Friday you’ll be a little mentally exhausted, in the best possible way. That’s what we hear every time as the week wraps up — that it’s hard to believe how much fit into five days.

Granada has some of the best guitar makers in the world. If you’re looking for an instrument or want yours set up properly, Kai can introduce you to the right people. If there’s interest in a group Alhambra visit we can usually make that happen — it needs some advance coordination and everyone’s passport info, so mention it early.

WHAT WILL WE COVER

The goal of the Cante Workshop is to make you feel confident and prepared to accompany a flamenco singer – no small feat! We will choose a couple of Palos – you’ll know in advance so you can prepare before you even get here – and look at what you need to know to accompany them. This of course means becoming familiar with the letras, understanding when to do what depending on the situation, knowing all about the keys we’re playing in, if the Palo has a Macho you should be ready for, and a ton more. And we’ll talk a lot about things I wish I had known when I started playing for singers.

The first two hours of each day will be just us guitarists making sure that everyone is ready for the gig. And then we’ll spend two hours working with a flamenco singer. There’s a lot to know and keep track of when you accompany, and one of the ways we get better is by making mistakes. This workshop will be a fun and safe place to get some of those mistakes out of your system and to get immediate feedback on how to give the singer what they need.

By the end of the week you’ll not only have a greater understanding of the specific Palos we look at, but you’ll also understand how to learn and prepare to accompany any other Palo that might come your way.

IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR YOU?

This is the advanced workshop. We’ll assume a high level of comfort with compás and solid knowledge of flamenco going in. All participants must be familiar with Soleá, Soleá por Bulerías, Bulerías, and Tangos — and preferably several more palos.

Even if you’re a strong guitarist, there’s a chance we’ll recommend you take the standard week-long workshop first. This is why an interview is required before signing up.

Contact us and we’ll set up a meeting. If you have any doubts, just write — we’ll figure it out together.

REFUND POLICY

We want you to feel comfortable committing.

• Cancel 30+ days before the workshop: full refund
• Cancel 15–30 days before: 80% refund
• Cancel within 15 days due to an emergency: 90% refund

Questions? Email us before you book.

PRO-TIPS

There is an in-depth blog post about some important pro tips to help make your life a tiny bit easier when visting our favorite city and home. We are always adding to this, especially the tapas (favorite eating spots) section. Here is what is covered over on that blog post:

• Siesta
• Eating Pro Tips
• Favorite Eating Spots (with map links)
• Buying A Guitar
• Getting Around
• La Alhambra

OUR REFUND POLICY

By attending our workshop, you agree to all of our rules and policies

If you cancel your paid reservation up to 30 days before the start of the workshop, we will issue a full refund.

If you cancel your paid reservation up to 15 days before the start of the workshop, we will issue a refund of 80% of your payment.

If you cancel within 15 days of the start of the workshop due to an emergency we will issue a refund of 90% of your payment.

Personal Responsibility

While you are participating in our workshop, please be aware that we cannot take responsibility for your personal safety or any travel arrangements, accommodation bookings, or related matters. Additionally, we cannot be held liable for any incidents, accidents, or other unforeseen events that may occur during your time with us. Participants are responsible for their own safety and well-being at all times.

That being said, we are committed to ensuring a positive experience for all participants, and we will do our best to offer assistance and support whenever possible. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Tara or Kai if you encounter any difficulties during your stay.

Disruptive Behavior

At Flamenco Explained, we prioritize a respectful and inclusive environment. Disruptive or abusive behavior, including harassment or violence, will not be tolerated. We reserve the sole right to determine what constitutes disruptive or abusive behavior. Participants engaging in such conduct may be asked to leave. We are committed to fostering a safe and positive experience for all.

Photography and Media

By participating in our workshop, you grant us the right to utilize any photographs or videos featuring you in any promotional material, including but not limited to social media posts, website content, and marketing campaigns. This permission extends to both current and future workshops and events organized by us.

We also request that participants not share any of the videos shot in class on social media without our permission.

We will ensure that video of everything covered in class is available to participants.

Location on Map