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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Z is For Zambra

The last posting for the April A-Z Blogging Challenge. The letter is Z. My theme is Flamenco.


Z is For Zambra

Zambra has two meanings. It means a party with dancing entertainment held in the caves in Sacromonte, Spain and it is also used for the name of a dance. The caves used to be divided into homes for the Gypsies but no longer serve as dwellings. Now, they are modernized and turned into restaurants and theaters for entertainment. Because the terrain is steep, a taxi lets the tourists off and they take a little walk up to the theaters.



There exists a common root between belly dancing and Flamenco, with belly dancing being lighter and more seductive. The one dance link between the two is the Zambra. The original was a Moorish dance, dating back to the 15 century. With the lights flickering on the walls of the caves, the Zambra can be an impressive festive dance.


The photo above is taken inside one of the theater caves. Performances provide an income for the Flamencos as tourists are entertained and can return home with photos. Dancing is light and colorful and the atmosphere is an exhilerating menory.

A video of the Zambra, a fusion dance between Flamenco and Belly Dance. It
always looks more Belly than Flamenco to me but you judge. Adios Amigos


69 comments:

  1. I can see why belly dancing is good for your muscles, and the zamba is even more amazing to me in its subtlety. Imagine being able to move like that. More belly than flamenco, perhaps but not to me.

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  2. Congratulations Manzanita! We did it!! And a bonus is I have a new bloggy buddy who has taught me so much, thankyou. I'm going to take a break, but look forward to dropping in on you after that. Take care, and keep dancing! Sue

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  3. Yep..more like belly dancing. and that is one well placed tassel. Am I noticing the changes in speed and rhythm controlled by the dancer that you mentioned on one of your other posts or is that just my imagination at work?
    Going to miss my daily dance instruction.

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  4. Hi Manzanita .. I think they're roots are linked - the flamenco became a very Spanish dance, the Belly remained Arabic .. while the Zambra linked the two .. seems very Moorish to me .. it's beautiful .. and the costume is so Moorish too ..

    Cheers and Zambra is an excellent way to end the A - Z .. congratulations .. Hilary

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  5. I've very much enjoyed learning from your posts. The lady in black in this video seemed to have Flamenco flair but the other woman seemed very much the belly dancer. It was enjoyable to see the 2 interact though. :)

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  6. The first dancer seems like a belly dancer to me. Interesting interaction with the other dancer!

    Thanks for your A to Z theme. I'll need the remaining few weeks to go through some of the other posts I've missed, and watch all the videos and go 'oooohhhh...' :-)

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  7. This has got to be my FAVOURITE clip!!!!!! Wow!!! I love the belly dancing and flamenco fusion dancing!! Brilliant!!! And I love that's it two women too!! Yay!!!

    I've had such a blast with your A-Z posts!!! Yay for finishing it and thank you for the introduction to the vast subject of Flamenco!! Take care
    x

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  8. Yep, much more belly dancing than flamenco. Beautiful in its own right, but I'm glad that's not what I saw when I went there. I went to the right cave, I guess! I saw moody, intense, hard faced, draw you in-push you away flamenco.

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  9. Elizabeth : Yes, they are both an art form of their own even though they share a common root.

    Sue : Thank you for all your knowledge you shared. Bloggy friends to be sure.


    My Baby John : Congratulations if you are noticing the subtle changes. You are on your way to becoming a true "Flamenco."

    Hilary : Yes and it's the Moorish drone that attracts so many to the Mid-Eastern dances. And cheers to you, my dear Hilary.

    texwisgirl : It is interesting that each has it's own art form but coming from the same root.

    K.C. : Thank you for following my posts. It was my pleasure to meet you. I have also enjoyed your posts.

    Kitty :
    Thank you dear bloggy friend for being a faithful follower to my Flamenco posts. Your loyalty means so much to me.

    Your comments are soooo appreciated. Manzanita

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  10. Aww, "Z" is here. Every thing must have an end. This has been a great series of posts that has taught me a lot. Thanks for the fun trip.
    The post I did is at http://thenewsixty.blogspot.com/2010/05/gypsy-band.html

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  11. That video of Zambra is beautiful. Yes, it does resemble belly dancing. It also reminds me of Tahitian hula dancing, but the hip movements in Tahitian are more vigorous and wild. So much to learn, isn't there.

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  12. I'm so sorry this series is done. I feel as if I have learned a lot. Very entertaining.

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  13. To me, it looks like the first woman is definitely belly dancing while her partner is doing more of what I consider a flamenco. Thank you for a very informative & entertaining A-Z series!!

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  14. The woman in white's dancing reminds me of Tahitian dancing. I liked the juxtaposition of the rigid and not-so-rigid dancing of the two to the same beat. Very cool...Hard to believe 26 days is over! Gracias, Manzi, for a wonderful look into a part of your world. Love ya, Su-sieee! Mac

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  15. What a fabulous, entertaining, inspirational, and educational journey your A to Z Challenge has been. I have enjoyed reading your posts so much.-Inger

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  16. I too think it looks more like belly dancing, but I also like belly dancing. Watching, not doing.

    So Manzanita.. do you do belly dancing also? LOL... just kidding. I bet if you do, you look fabulous doing it.

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  17. Karen, It's been most interesting. Loved exchanging reading posts with you and hope we continue. So happy to meet you.

    Laura : I'm glad you saw this and had a frame of reference to compare.

    Patti ; Thanks for sending that gypsy post address. I probably hadn't found you at that time. Will love to read it.

    Gigi : There is so much to every dance. I'm happy you have a dance background and appreciate these the same things I do.

    Bernie : Actually me too. It was fun and I hate to see it end.

    Fishducky : Yes, that was a neat way to express the fusion, I think. Thank you for following my Flamenco posts. I do appreciate it and hope we continue to connect.

    Su-sieee, That is a neat clip as it shows the difference of the two. Thanks for following the Flamenco posts and you are just beginning another series. See ya, later.

    From Manzanity

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  18. Inger ; Thanks and we did it. What's next?

    Terry : Belly dancing? I'll leave that up to you. :)I did take it for a couple years but the arms are so soft compared to Flamenco and I was developing bad habits for the Flamenco so I dropped it. I do respect a good belly dancer. It's hard work.

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  19. Zowie!!---really awesome. Did you ever do that kind of a dance in your dancing career?

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  20. Well Manzanita we did it! And I've learned so much. I can see a similarity in the dances, in the moving of the feet and hands.

    So glad I found your blog!

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  21. I have an award for you for finishing the A-Z Challenge! Stop by my blog and copy it.

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  22. another great poast! Congrats on making it to the end of the challenge!

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  23. Manzi: The photos are terrific, and I am getting motivated to travel again! This summer, I'm off to ...

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  24. Zambra dancing is an entertaining combination, and a perfect ending for the A-Z! Thanks for your encouraging comments, and I look forward to following your enlightening stories! Julie

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  25. Congratulations on completing the A-Z challenge!! I now know a helluva lot more about flamenco than I ever thought I would!! Thanx so much for taking me on this journey.

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  26. Look at those tassels go! It totally looks like belly dancing!

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  27. Loved this dance - one that's new to me. Another great video.

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  28. Late to this party - sorry about that. I plead exhaustion after the A to Z Challenge, and the first part of May's been rather hectic.

    I had wondered with there were Moorish influences in Flamenco, because some of the rhythms in belly dancing music seemed to echo Flamenco. And now I know.

    Thank you so much for this tour through the world of Flamenco - and the videos you provided also.

    The two dancers in this video were fascinating to watch. Seduction and Drama - a powerful combination.

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