Flamenco Essentials by Gio Israel aims to amplify the unique and lush magic of Flamenco music. Recorded in Cordoba, Spain by some of the world’s leading Flamenco musicians, this new collection is an accumulation of over 70 studio hours.

“Years ago I was welcomed for the first time to the Gypsy quarter of Seville, Spain, the birthplace of Flamenco. I immediately fell in love, with the people, sounds and rhythms that resonated from the entire city. I understood that Flamenco is much more than music, it’s a lifestyle.”

The roots of flamenco, though somewhat mysterious, seem to lie in the Gypsy migration from Rajasthan (in northwest India) to Spain, between the 9th and 14th centuries. These migrants brought with them musical instruments, such as tambourines, bells, wooden castanets, and an extensive repertoire of song and dance. In Spain they encountered the rich cultures of the Sephardic Jews and Moors. Their centuries-long cultural intermingling produced the unique art form known as Flamenco.