Amargo reinvents itself as a flamenco tablao in the evenings

Regina Sotorrío

Málaga welcomes a new flamenco venue. Sala Amargo, with a 17-year history on Ramón Franquelo Street, reinvents itself as Taberna Flamenca to become... a stage for the purest singing, guitar playing, and dancing every afternoon, from Monday to Sunday. It's the natural evolution of a venue always linked to traditional aesthetics and a way to survive in an environment where the main potential audience is tourists. "We need to adapt to work every day," explains its owner, Javier Martínez Gómez.

Amargo will continue to operate as a cocktail bar and party hall on Friday and Saturday nights, with its distinctive decor that mixes elements of Holy Week, El Rocío, and bullfighting. But the afternoons will be dedicated to flamenco. The lower part has been fitted as a tablao with a floor specially designed for dancing that covers the entire surface. There is no stage because the whole room serves as one. Here, chairs surround the perimeter, leaving the central area free for the six artists to perform their show for an hour and fifteen minutes.

"All the audience will be in the front row," says Martínez Gómez, emphasizing the closeness of the audience to the performers, without separation or distance. Only 45 people can enter per session. "Charming yet high quality," adds the owner. Moises Navarro, a flamenco dancer from Málaga, will be the programmer of this new Taberna Flamenca, which will renew its offerings every week. Antonio Canales sponsored the inauguration this Thursday.

There will be singing, dancing, and guitar playing in three sessions each day (16:30, 18:00, 19:30) at a price of 32 euros for a general admission ticket (including one drink), 18 euros for a child ticket from ages 6 to 12, and free for children under six years old. On Friday and Saturday nights, the red curtain that envelops the space will be removed to revert to Amargo, with its paintings and figures on the walls.

Taberna Flamenca thus joins a route of tablaos in the center of Málaga, which already includes venues like Gallo Ronco, Teatro, and Alegría.

• More topics
• Flamenco
• Málaga
• Antonio Canales