Flamenco in Hebrew in a Canaanite spirit

Flamenco, at its core, allows for all kinds of readings. The origins of the ostensibly authentic Spanish dance discipline, and the accompanying musical underpinning, have been the subject of debate for many a year.

Some contend it was brought to the Iberian Peninsula by gypsies who meandered their way westward from India. If that is indeed the case, they presumably accumulated multifarious cultural seasoning en route, which now filters through in traditional flamenco.

Michal Nathan has a slightly different take on that.

“I have researched this deeply,” says the veteran dancer and choreographer. “We know the folklore is varied. We know there are Jewish roots and influences from 800 years of Muslim presence [in Spain]. And, of course, there is the culture of the gypsies and the things they brought with them from India, and on their travels. There is a sort of melting pot of many cultures from which flamenco was actually born.”

Then again, there is something particular to Spain in the multilayered mix. “We know flamenco comes from Spain, and not from Romania or other places in Europe where there are gypsies.”

That eclectic line of thought is central to “Baalot,” the latest creation by the Israeli Flamenco Dance Company Nathan founded in 1997, and which gets its first airing at the Suzanne Dellal Center in Tel Aviv on July 27 (9 p.m.).

With that backdrop, flamenco is not exactly short on sources of cultural and/or spiritual inspiration. But, for this outing, Nathan has gone for something much closer to her own Middle Eastern home.

The new show is subtitled “Flamenco in Hebrew in a Canaanite Spirit.” That leaves plenty of room for philosophical and curatorial maneuver.

Flamenco songs in Hebrew 

Let’s start with the choice of language, which infers a personal and homegrown slant to the venture. Flamenco singing, naturally, is generally performed in Spanish. That is the first point of departure for the “Baalot” project, which has Spanish-trained Jerusalemite singer Yael Horowitz doing the honors in Hebrew. “As far as I know, this is the first time ever that flamenco songs will be sung in Hebrew,” Nathan posits.

That sounds like a pretty bold move. Nathan says the initiative evolved organically, prompted by creative associates with experience of a similar artistic avenue, albeit without the dance element. “It began really with Talya Yona Kliger. She has been my student for many years, and is a wonderful singer and a good friend of mine. She dances in some of my productions and also sings and writes songs.”

Yona Kliger has an accomplice in intercultural crime. “Her partner, Assi Meshulam – he is an artist and lecturer, specializing in Canaanite and Mesopotamian mythologies – wrote texts for seven psalms in the Mesopotamian style, and also Egyptian and others. His texts were wonderful. They sound biblical. Talya wrote scores for the texts, and about three years ago they presented the project at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem.”

Nathan caught the show and was suitably impressed. “I was blown away by the richness of the texts, and the music was so precise. It was all very powerful.”

The wheels for “Baalot” had been set in motion. “We chose the Canaanite psalms, that’s Baal [king of the gods], Astarte [goddess of war, hunting and love], Asherah [queen consort of the Ugaritic deity El] and [Carthaginian-Punic goddess] Tanit, and we added the [virgin] goddess of war [and strife] Anat – that’s a new text he wrote.”

That, Nathan posits, sadly brings us full circle to the abysmal reality of life here these days. “It is chilling to think that the text was written before October 7, and that it is relevant today, too.” War, as we know only too well, tends to be just beyond our horizon or very much with us, on a constant basis.

That may be a tragically unchanging scenario, but Nathan was looking to take an untried turn. “In dance and other areas of the arts, you have countless works that feed off Greek and Roman mythology. But I don’t remember anyone engaging in Canaanite mythology. That really interested me.” It makes perfect sense for an artist, as an Israeli, to dip into local divinity seams. “We don’t want to just retell stories of Aphrodite and Zeus and the others [in Greek mythology].”

That choice of cultural attack also required an innovative line of thought, digging into the godly characters and considering how that resonates in actual corporeal life. “The way I thought of bringing that to the stage was to take each god and to examine their archetype. We don’t portray the story of the gods; we look at the myths.”

That also means getting into the divine attributes, which, by definition, translate into human dimensions. “We don’t portray the storyline per se, but there is something that feeds into people, into humanity. This looks at what motivates us as human beings.” That suggests a universal viewpoint. “It doesn’t make any difference what religion or ideal you are talking about, or our values. For me, the choice of these Canaanite gods is simply a place from which I embark on an exploration of all of this.”

For Nathan, delving into the mythology of ancient culture from this part of the world necessarily led a crucial and bold linguistic departure. It was, she says, a snug fit. “Hebrew sits well with flamenco music and rhythms. This is also the first time Hebrew is being used with traditional flamenco. I’m not talking about Gipsy Kings which may be translated into Hebrew,” she notes, referencing the French-based company that incorporates a wide range of genres and styles in its shows.

Besides the local mythological nuances that will, no doubt, permeate through to the members of the audience, unlike the vast majority of flamenco offerings in this country, the patrons stand a good chance of understanding the lyrical content. Nathan says she and the rest of the Israeli Flamenco Dance Company are doing their best to make the visual and textual offerings as user-friendly as possible. “We have printed programs with the words, and descriptions of all the gods and goddesses, so the audience can follow them during the show and also look at them at home.”

There are, says Nathan, numerous hooks to grasp and internalize. “In Spain, all the major events and areas of life in Spain were accompanied by flamenco. That, once again, leads us to archetypes. Every flamenco rhythm relates to a realm of emotion or walk of life – weddings, funerals, etc. – which we address. Even when I perform traditional flamenco, without any other content, I feed off life and its different aspects which we all know.”

That comes into play with the new production. “If we take, for example, Astarte the goddess of sexuality and fertility, there is a flamenco rhythm called Guajiras which has a heavy Cuban influence, which is a very round and feminine dance. It requires the dancer to evoke tenderness and sensuality. That suits.”

With all those deities on show at the Suzanne Dellal Center, there should be no shortage of fireworks from the dancers and musicians, and all in clear, intelligible Hebrew. That should serve to enhance the viewing experience and entertainment value.

The July 27 date will be followed by additional shows on July 29, August 24, and September 7 (all 9 p.m.), with more in the pipeline.

For tickets and more information: (03) 510-5656 and https://workplex.org/2JbGQE.