CinemaAttic Gurumbé: Afro-Andalusian Memories

Cinemaattic present "Gurumbe: Afro-Andalusian Memories". Documentary on the hidden history of African slavery in Spain and the cultural relevance of Africa for flamenco.

This event will have 2 parts; The first will be a flamenco recital of Federico Garcia Lorca’s poems both singing and declaimed. We will have Guitarist Philip Adie coming from Seville and Daniello Olivera from Cadiz singing and declaiming.

The second part will be the screening of the documentary Gurumbé: canciones de tu memoria negra By Miguel Angel Rosales.

This film is part of the film series ANDALUSIA: Sounds of Migration.

Europe’s southern borders are shielded with barbed wire and fences, but once a trade flourished here that forcibly kidnapped thousands of african men and women into exile and exploitation. Giving voice to its Afro Andalusian memories, Gurumbé leads us to question Spanish identity, reminding us that Africa is woven into its fabric.

Flamenco is synonymous with Spanish culture but since its inception, theorists have sidelined the fundamental contribution of Afro Andalusians.

Commercial exploitation of the American colonies brought hundreds of Africans to Seville to be sold as slaves, forming a population who over time managed to gain space in a society wrought with racial prejudices. Music and dance were a fundamental part of their expression and the most important affirmation of their identity.

As the black population began to disappear from Spain in the late 19th century, so too did their contribution to this extraordinary art form. In Gurumbé, their story is finally told.