Duende

More about the book

Having followed a conventional path through school and university, Jason Webster was poised to enter academia. However, after his aloof Florentine girlfriend abruptly ended their relationship, he found himself at a pivotal moment. Choosing to abandon his envisioned future, he journeyed to Spain in search of duende, the intense emotional state central to flamenco. His years in Spain are marked by an obsessive pursuit of flamenco, where he endures the strict demands of his guitar teacher, practicing until his fingers bleed. He becomes embroiled in a passionate affair with Lola, a flamenco dancer married to the dangerous Vicente, prompting a hasty escape from Alicante. In Madrid, he immerses himself in the Gypsy community, befriending the commanding Jesús and descending into a chaotic, drug-fueled lifestyle of car theft and sleepless days. After two years of total immersion in this world, he arrives in Granada, bruised and battered, finally able to contextualize his obsession. This narrative captures a young man's emotional coming of age and offers profound insights into the passionate essence of flamenco.