[BELLS TOLLING] MICKELA MALLOZZI: I'M A DANCER... AND I'M A TRAVELER.
AND WHEREVER I GO, I EXPERIENCE THE WORLD ONE DANCE AT A TIME.
I'M MICKELA MALLOZZI, AND THIS IS "BARE FEET."
BIENVENIDOS!
WELCOME TO UTRERA, SPAIN, KNOWN AS THE CRADLE OF FLAMENCO HERE IN THE REGION OF ANDALUCA.
WE CONTINUE MY "BARE FEET" DNA JOURNEY, TRACING MY IBERIAN ROOTS THROUGH THE HISTORY OF THE PASSIONATE DANCE OF FLAMENCO, AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE IS THE TRUE EMOTIONAL FEELING THAT COMES WITH FLAMENCO, THE "DUENDE", THE INDESCRIBABLE SENSATION FELT BY THE AUDIENCE AT THE ANNUAL POTAJE GITANO FESTIVAL HERE IN UTRERA, AN ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF THE GYPSY-STYLE OF FLAMENCO SINGING, MUSIC, AND OF COURSE, DANCE.
UTRERA IS A TOWN ABOUT 35 MINUTES SOUTHWEST OF SEVILLE, AND ITS GITANO OR SELF-PROCLAIMED GYPSY HERITAGE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY INFLUENTIAL ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE FLAMENCO ART FORM, ESPECIALLY THE SINGING.
MY FIRST STOP HERE IN UTRERA IS TO MEET WITH WORLD-RENOWNED CANTANTE, OR FLAMENCO SINGER, TOMAS DE PERRATE IN THE PEA CURRO DE UTRERA.
A PEA IS RUN BY AN ASSOCIATION TO PROMOTE AND PASS DOWN THE FLAMENCO TRADITION, ACTING AS A LOCAL BAR, SCHOOL, STAGE, AND GATHERING PLACE.
TOMAS IS FROM UTRERA AND HAS BEEN COMING TO THIS PEA SINCE HE CAN REMEMBER.
WE ARE HONORED TO BE ABLE TO BE SITTING WITH YOU, TOMAS, BECAUSE YOU ARE ARE A RENOWNED FLAMENCO SINGER.
WHY DO YOU SEE A PEA AS BEING SO IMPORTANT FOR THE FLAMENCO TRADITION?
[SPEAKING SPANISH] MM-HMM.
S.
MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: ONE OF THOSE YOUNG MEMBERS OF THE PEA IS 6-YEAR-OLD CARMEN GOMEZ MATEO.
MALLOZZI: HEY!
ALL RIGHT!
YEAH!
[MAN SINGING IN SPANISH] I LOVED SEEING ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAD THIS ENERGY!
WHAT ARE YOU FEELING WHEN YOU'RE DANCING?
S.
YOU CAN SEE ON YOUR FACE YOU ENJOY THE DANCE.
SEIS?
SO ONLY TWO YEARS DANCING?
THAT WAS YOUR FIRST TIME PLAYING WITH THAT GUITARIST, RIGHT?
AND YOU WERE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE MUSICIANS.
DO YOU WANT TO BE A PROFESSIONAL FLAMENCO DANCER WHEN YOU'RE OLDER, WHEN YOU GROW UP?
S?
WELL, YOU'RE ALREADY ON YOUR WAY.
YOU'RE A BEAUTIFUL DANCER.
OHH.
WHAT ARE YOU FEELING WHEN YOU SEE HER DANCING UP THERE?
WHAT I LOVE SO MUCH IS YOU'RE ALL HERE BECAUSE THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU.
YOU'RE PART OF THIS SUPPORT TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE, SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY SPECIAL ABOUT A PEA.
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU IN A FEW YEARS.
I KNOW WE'LL SEE YOU VERY, VERY SOON SHINING ON STAGES AROUND THE WORLD, SO GRACIAS, MUCHAS GRACIAS.
[CHEERING] AND MY FATHER... TU PAPA.
AND MY GRANDFATHER.
S, S, S.
S, S, S.
[SINGING IN SPANISH] S.
IT IS A UNIQUE STYLE OF SINGING.
IT'S VERY PASSIONATE AND GUTTURAL.
WHERE DOES THAT STYLE COME FROM FOR FLAMENCO?
S.
S.
S.
HA HA HA!
S, S.
LIVING THROUGH FLAMENCO.
S.
S.
S, S, S.
GRACIAS.
GRACIAS.
MUCHAS GRACIAS.
[GUITAR PLAYING FLAMENCO] MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: UTRERA IS MOST FAMOUSLY KNOWN AS THE CRADLE OF FLAMENCO BECAUSE OF THE EVOLUTION THAT THE MUSIC WENT THROUGH HERE.
TONIGHT'S POTAJE GITANO FESTIVAL IS WHAT DREW US TO THIS BEAUTIFUL TOWN, BUT FIRST, I WANT TO GET TO KNOW SOME OF THE OTHER ANCIENT TRADITIONS THAT WERE BORN HERE.
[BELLS TOLLING] WE HEAD TO THE PARISH CHURCH OF SANTIAGO AND CLIMB ITS FAMOUS TOWER TO EXPERIENCE THE UNIQUE AND IMPRESSIVE TRADITION OF THE BELL RINGERS.
[BELLS TOLLING] I AM RINGING THE BELLS AT SANTIAGO TOWER HERE IN UTRERA.
IT IS A INTANGIBLE HERITAGE LISTED BY UNESCO HERE BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS SO BEAUTIFUL THAT ISN'T HAPPENING ANYWHERE ELSE, AND THESE MEN AND THIS ASSOCIATION LET ME JOIN IN.
EVERYBODY HAS TO TALK TO EACH OTHER.
THESE ARE VERY, VERY DANGEROUS BELLS.
THEY'RE FLYING UP THERE.
I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.
I THINK I'M A LITTLE DEAF.
HOW LONG HAS THIS TRADITION BEEN GOING ON?
WOW!
S.
S.
ARE THERE WOMEN IN THE ASSOCIATION?
ME?
NO.
I'M JUST KIDDING.
AH.
SO THEY'RE ABOUT TO RING THE BELLS AGAIN BECAUSE THERE'S A COMMUNION HAPPENING, AND THESE BELLS ONLY RING FOR SPECIFIC RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS.
THE CHURCH DOESN'T ALLOW BELLS TO ACTUALLY RING OUTSIDE OF THAT.
[BELL RINGS] OH.
CAN I TAKE THESE OUT?
OH, WOW.
WOW.
THAT WAS SUCH FUN.
I'M, LIKE, STILL ON SUCH A HIGH.
IT'S CRAZY-- I BET YOU DO THIS BECAUSE IT FEELS SO GOOD, TOO.
YOU'RE ADDICTED.
UN ADICCION, UN ADICCION.
S, S.
UN ADICCION.
S.
YEAH.
[BELLS TOLLING] DID I DO OK?
BIEN?
ALL THOSE PUSH-UPS.
I'M GONNA LIFT UP, I'M GONNA LIFT UP.
AAH!
HA!
[MEN LAUGHING] DOS, TRES.
AAH!
[LAUGHTER] I MADE IT!
MALLOZZI: ONE OF THOSE BELL RINGERS PITIN, WHO IS ALSO A FLAMENCO MUSICIAN, GRACIOUSLY LET US INTO HIS HOME TO EXPERIENCE FIRSTHAND WHAT A FLAMENCO FAMILY DYNAMIC LOOKS LIKE.
AGUI, HIS WIFE AND FLAMENCO DANCER, ALONG WITH THEIR DAUGHTER SOFIA, GIVE ME A LESSON ON THE UTRERA STYLE OF FLAMENCO, THE SLOW AND INTENTIONAL GITANO OR GYPSY STYLE OF THIS ARTFORM.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL AND A RARE THING TO SEE A FAMILY MAKE MUSIC AND DANCE TOGETHER.
WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS WITH YOUR FAMILY?
S.
IT'S TOTALLY NORMAL FOR THEM BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THEY DO.
SO TYPICAL, TYPICAL TEENAGER, TYPICAL PARENTS JUST IN A DIFFERENT MODE IN THIS DANCE STUDIO, SO THAT'S NORMAL.
S.
MALLOZZI: I'M ABOUT TO LEARN THE STYLE OF FLAMENCO THAT ONLY REALLY COMES FROM THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
AH.
DA DA DA, DA DA DA DA DA DA OK. Y TRES.
IZQUIERDO, IZQUIERDO.
UN, DOS, Y TRES.
MALLOZZI: THIS STYLE, IT FEELS MUCH MORE GROUNDED AND IN THE HIPS AND, LIKE, EARTHY.
S.
S.
YEAH.
I CAN FEEL IT ALREADY.
I FEEL THE DIFFERENCE.
I LIKE IT, I LIKE IT.
MI GUSTO.
HA HA HA!
WAS YOUR MOTHER YOUR FIRST TEACHER?
S.
S.
DO YOU WANT TO BE A PROFESSIONAL DANCER?
DO YOU DO OTHER STYLES OF FLAMENCO, AS WELL, OR IS THIS STYLE FROM UTRERA THE ONE YOU PREFER THE MOST?
S.
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S TRY AND ADD ARMS TO THIS.
AH.
ONE.
YEAH.
HER ELBOW DOESN'T MOVE.
MY GOODNESS.
ONE.
ONLY YOUR WRIST AND YOUR HAND IS MOVING.
WHOO!
BUILD THOSE MUSCLES IN THOSE FOREARMS, AND SLOWER.
UNO, DOS, Y TRES, CUATRO, CINCO, SEIS, SIETE, OCHO, NUEVE, DIEZ.
PIES.
BA!
HA.
MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: DO YOU BELONG TO A PEA?
NO.
NO?
OK. YOU HAVE YOUR OWN PEA HERE.
IT'S YOUR OWN PEA.
DERECHO.
IF I COULD MAKE MUSIC WITH MY FAMILY AND DANCE THE WAY THAT YOU GUYS DO, EVEN IF I'M MAD AT THEM OR HAPPY OR ANYTHING, LIKE, THIS IS SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL, AND I THINK YOU'RE VERY, VERY LUCKY.
[SPEAKS SPANISH] PIES!
BA!
YEAH!
NICE.
MALLOZZI: FROM THE INTIMATE HOME OF AGUI AND HER FAMILY, WE DRIVE ONLY 20 MINUTES OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN TO THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRYSIDE.
THE PROVINCE OF SEVILLE IS HOME TO MORE THAN 2,000 TRADITIONAL HACIENDAS, AGRICULTURAL ESTATES THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN REVIVED AND RECOVERED FOR AGRITOURISM AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
THE 17tH CENTURY HACIENDA DE ORAN IS A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF AN OLD STRUCTURE THAT HAS BEEN REVITALIZED IN RECENT YEARS.
THE ESTATE ITSELF NOW ACTS AS A BED AND BREAKFAST, WHILE ITS EXPANSIVE LANDS HAVE INVESTED IN PLANTING THOUSANDS OF NEW OLIVE TREES, READY IN THE COMING YEARS FOR OLIVE OIL PRODUCTION HERE IN SPAIN AND FOR EXPORT ABROAD.
HACIENDAS LIKE THESE TRANSPORT YOU TO ANOTHER TIME IN SPAIN'S HISTORY OF ITS COLONIAL ERA, WHERE AGRICULTURE WAS KING, ARCHITECTURE WAS FUNCTION AND ART, AND THE PACE OF LIFE WAS JUST A LITTLE MORE LAIDBACK... AND ASIDE FROM FLAMENCO, THE PICTURESQUE HACIENDA IS SYNONYMOUS WITH NEIGHBORING UTRERA AND THE REST OF THE SEVILLE PROVINCE.
UTRERA IS A CITY WHOSE HISTORY DATES BACK TO THE EIGHTH CENTURY WHEN FIRST UNDER MUSLIM RULE.
THE HISTORICALLY LARGE GITANO OR ROMA, ALSO SELF-PROCLAIMED GYPSY POPULATION, HERE, HAS HAD A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON FLAMENCO OVER THE PAST TWO CENTURIES.
TONIGHT IS THE POTAJE GITANO FESTIVAL, A PROUD CELEBRATION OF THE LOCAL UTRERA GITANO, OR GYPSY, HERITAGE THROUGH FLAMENCO.
THIS IS THE OLDEST OFFICIAL FLAMENCO FESTIVAL IN SPAIN WITH ITS FIRST CELEBRATION STARTING IN 1957.
GREETED WITH COMMEMORATIVE WOODEN SPOONS, FAMILIES ENTER THE GROUNDS WITH COOLERS FULL OF HOMEMADE TAPAS AND WINE.
WE ARE AT THE ENTRANCE TO EL POTAJE GITANO, AND THEY GIVE YOU A WOODEN SPOON TO EAT THE POTAJE, WHICH IS THE STEW.
AND THIS IS WHY WE'RE HERE.
POTAJE GITANO TRANSLATES TO "GYPSY STEW," WHICH REPRESENTS NOT ONLY THE MIDNIGHT MEAL FOR THIS EVENT BUT ALSO THE COMING TOGETHER OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH FLAMENCO MUSIC, UTRERA-STYLE AND GITANO-STYLE OF SINGING, AND OF COURSE, FLAMENCO DANCE.
THIS IS A MULTIGENERATIONAL GATHERING OF THE GITANO PEOPLE IN UTRERA, GRANDMOTHERS AND GRANDFATHERS PASSING DOWN THEIR TRADITION TO THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, THE COMMUNITY AND FAMILIES OF THE PEAS IN AN OUTDOOR SETTING UNDER THE MOONLIGHT.
[FLAMENCO MUSIC PLAYING] THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF TABLES OF HERE, FAMILIES BRINGING THE FOOD AND COMING TOGETHER.
SO THIS IS YOUR TYPICAL TABLE.
THEY BROUGHT ALL THIS FOOD HERE.
COMO EN CASA.
COMO EN CASA.
IT'S LIKE AT HOME.
IT'S LIKE AT HOME.
AND YOU'RE ALL FROM UTRERA?
EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY FROM UTRERA.
YES.
THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.
THE BEST SHRIMP IN THE WORLD.
THE BEST SHRIMP IN THE WORLD.
GRACIAS.
MMM!
MMM, MMM!
IT'S VERY GOOD.
IT'S TRUE.
IT'S TRUE.
IT IS TRUE.
YEAH.
IT IS THE BEST SHRIMP IN THE WORLD.
SALUD.
WOW!
THE STAGE IS FILLED WITH WORLD-RENOWNED FLAMENCO ARTISTS, MOSTLY FROM HERE IN UTRERA.
THE ROMA PEOPLE HAVE HAD A HUGE INFLUENCE ON FLAMENCO DANCE AND MUSIC OVER THE LAST TWO CENTURIES, AND HERE IN UTRERA, THE CRADLE OF FLAMENCO, THAT GITANO OR GYPSY STYLE EVOLVED TO THIS UNIQUE SOLEA STYLE, INVOKING SADNESS AND HEARTBREAK.
[SINGING IN SPANISH] THAT SPIRITUAL FEELING THAT TOMAS TOLD US OF BEFORE SURROUNDS THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE THE ENTIRE EVENING... AND OF COURSE, SO DOES THE JOY!
[NEW SONG PLAYING] THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF TABLES HERE TONIGHT, AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR AGUI AND HER FAMILY, AND WE FOUND THEM.
HOLA.
MALLOZZI: AND THEN, THE POTAJE GITANO, THE OFFICIAL GYPSY STEW THAT HAS BEEN COOKING THE ENTIRE EVENING.
EACH TABLE RECEIVES A POT, AND I AM HONORED TO SERVE EVERYONE AROUND ME!
MALLOZZI: THAT IS DELICIOUS.
THE SAUSAGE, BEANS, TOMATO, AND A LOT OF LOVE BECAUSE EVERYONE GETS A LITTLE OF THE POTAJE HERE AT POTAJE GITANO.
[SINGING IN SPANISH] MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: FROM THE HACIENDAS TO THE HOMES TO THE PEAS TO THE BELL TOWERS, THE CRADLE OF FLAMENCO HAS TAKEN ME IN AND NURTURED ME AS ONE OF THEIR OWN.
UTRERA'S UNIQUE AND ICONIC POTAJE GITANO FESTIVAL BRINGS MY FLAMENCO JOURNEY FULL CIRCLE, SURROUNDED BY NEW FRIENDS WHO JUST MAY BE FAMILY IF WE GO FAR BACK ENOUGH.
THIS DNA JOURNEY CONTINUES TO ASTOUND ME.
WITH THE RHYTHMS AND MOVEMENTS BEING PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION, I CAN SEE, FEEL, AND HEAR HOW THESE TRADITIONS ARE PRESERVED AND HOW THEY CONTINUE TO EVOLVE.
GRACIAS, UTRERA.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS LET ME BECOME PART OF THIS BEAUTIFUL GITANO FAMILY AND FOR TAKING ME ON THIS FLAMENCO SPIRITUAL JOURNEY WITH YOU!
[TOMAS SINGING IN SPANISH] AND I'LL SEE YOU ON MY NEXT "BARE FEET" ADVENTURE, WHEREVER IT MAY TAKE ME!
[SINGING IN SPANISH] MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: YOU CAN STAY CONNECTED WITH US AT TRAVELBAREFEET.COM, WHERE YOU'LL FIND EXTRA BONUS VIDEOS, JOIN OUR "BARE FEET" SERIES CONVERSATIONS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, AND STAY UPDATED WITH OUR NEWSLETTER.
POTAJE, POTAJE, POTAJE, POTAJE, POTAJE, POTAJE [WOMAN SPEAKING SPANISH ON P.A.]
OI!
OI!
I THOUGHT THAT WAS HIM.
THAT'S NOT HIM.
AND I'LL SEE YOU ON MY NEXT "BARE FEET" ADVENTURE, WHEREVER IT MAY TAKE ME!
THE MONEY, THE MONEY, THE MONEY.
ANNOUNCER: "BARE FEET" IS FUNDED IN PART BY... ANNOUNCER: THE ISLAND OF IRELAND.
YOU SHOULD ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR HEART.
FILL YOUR HEART WITH IRELAND.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS PROVIDED BY KOO AND PATRICIA YUEN THROUGH THE YUEN FOUNDATION, COMMITTED TO BRIDGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR COMMUNITIES; AND BY THE ANN H. SYMINGTON FOUNDATION.
DIFFERENT ANNOUNCER: THE FARMERS AND PRODUCERS AT LANDCRAFTED FOOD IN GRAYSON COUNTY, VIRGINIA, ARE DEDICATED TO SUSTAINING AND SERVING OUR FARMS AND COMMUNITY WITH A GOAL OF PRODUCING FOODS THAT ARE AS GOOD FOR THE LAND AS THEY ARE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO EAT THEM.
LANDCRAFTED FOOD-- STUBBORNLY REAL, FARMER OWNED.
DIFFERENT ANNOUNCER: TAUCK--GUIDING TRAVELERS AROUND THE WORLD SINCE 1925 BECAUSE WE BELIEVE ONCE IN A LIFETIME ONLY HAPPENS ONCE.
HOW YOU SEE THE WORLD MATTERS.
[CHILD BABBLES]
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