What is a tablao?
Tablaos are distinct performance venues that originated in Spain, serving as key cultural institutions for flamenco music, dance, and song. Unlike choreographed stage productions, performances in a tablao are traditionally improvised - an artistic conversation between dancers, singers, and musicians that unfolds in the moment. These intimate venues give dancers immediate feedback from the audience through applause, emotion, and engagement. This exchange is crucial in flamenco, where the emotional connection between performer and audience is at the heart of the art form.
About Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque:
Through a unique partnership based on cultural preservation, Heritage Hotels and Resorts and the nonprofit National Institute of Flamenco (501c3) have joined efforts to create Tablao Flamenco Alburquerque. At the Tablao, we carry on this tradition by creating an authentic, immersive experience for both dancers and guests. Our venue is designed to foster that intimate connection, allowing performers to share their artistry up close and giving audiences a front-row experience of flamenco’s emotional power. For our artists, Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque is more than just a stage. It’s a space for artistic growth, collaboration, and cultural preservation, honoring the traditions of flamenco while sharing them with the Albuquerque community.
The Tablao Space
Many people agree a tablao is the best way to experience flamenco. As the flamenco capital of the United States, when in Albuquerque, New Mexico, going to a tablao is a MUST!
Tablaos are the modern incarnation of the old “Cafés Cantantes” (Singer Cafés) that proliferated in the 19th century. What we know as the modern tablao emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. Tablaos have played a large role in the preservation of flamenco, which was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010.
This tablao space, nestled inside Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, is one of the only that was designed to be a tablao venue. From the stage wood to the lighting panels, every detail was intentionally designed to make this the most authentic tablao we could create.
Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque features international guest dancers and musicians. Past guests have included dancer Mercedes Amaya “La Winy” and guitarist Santiago Aguilar (Mexico City), dancer Lucía “La Piñona,” (Jimena de la Frontera, Spain), “La Popi,” (Madrid, Spain), singer Alicia Morales (Granada, Spain), and more. Expect performances by members of Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company, based out of Albuquerque, the first US-based flamenco company to have ever been invited to a Spanish flamenco festival — Festival de Jerez.
The name “tablao” refers to the wooden stage on which the artists perform. Wood is a material that lends itself to an ideal sound for the zapateo (footwork, also called taconeo) in flamenco. One of the defining characteristics of a tablao is its intimate setting. Rather than a large theatre, tablaos may be held in small spaces with food and drink.
Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque offers an immersive cultural experience to delight all of the senses, combining:
Live flamenco dancing, singing, and guitar performances
A four-course Spanish-inspired prix fixe dinner by Chef Ernesto Duran
An intimate and engaging atmosphere ideal for corporate groups, tours, and special events
