Black in Spain: Seville-based, former Londoner turned flamenco dancer
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18 years ago, Esther left London, packed her bag, and chased her dream to become a flamenco dancer in Spain. Little did she know she would end up combining her passion with her love for jazz, in the home of flamenco, Andalusia. She now lives in Seville and is about to release her first flamenco fusion album, one of many milestones in her incredible journey.
In the Black in Spain series, I interview Black women, from all walks of life, living all over the 17 regions of Spain. I try to help paint an honest picture of the ups and downs of being black in Spain. My goal is to bring together stories of Black expats in Spain and help the next generation of Black people to find their safe haven in Spain.
This week, I am very excited to share with you Esther’s story.
Name: Esther
Age: 50
Home town: London
Describe yourself/your background in 5 words max?
Someone who believes in herself.
What’s your backstory, and most importantly what made you leave your home country?
I was born in London, my parents were from the Caribbean (Barbados & Guyana). At the age of 10, we went to live in the beautiful Caribbean island of Barbados but unfortunately, my parents' marriage fell apart and my sister and I eventually ended up coming back to London with our Mum, and continued our education there.
I’ve got a Bachelor's and Master’s in Psychology, but I always loved dancing with all my heart. However, due to a very bad back from the age of 19 until 31, I went down a completely different professional path.
In London, I was working for an educational charity providing personal development programmes for Black boys at risk of exclusion from school. I loved it. With a masters in the psychology of human potential, I was really interested in using my skills to uplift the black community.
But over the years my love for dancing never faded away. One day, a friend of mine invited me to watch a flamenco concert and I was completely blown away. I’d never seen anything so beautiful, rhythm, grace, passion. At the time I never dreamt in a million years that I could learn to do it myself.
Why Spain? How long have you been living here?
Much to my amazement, one day I received an invitation to a short flamenco course in London. I was about 30 at the time and did not hesitate for a second. I grabbed the opportunity to start learning flamenco with both hands.
So I went to the course, and I absolutely loved it. Despite suffering from agoraphobia, I never missed a single class, even when that meant getting on a bus for 2 hours to get there.
Then, there was an opportunity to come to Spain to do a course. I did it, and by the time I came back to London, I knew that this was it. I had to sort things out, pack up and move to Spain.
Flamenco was what I needed to do with my life. This was 18 years ago, and I have never looked back.
Also read: If you’re interest in hearing more stories from Black women striving in Spain, check out the Black in Spain section for more inspiring stories
What do you do in Seville? How did you find your current job?
I am a flamenco dancer and singer, although at the moment, due to the current situation, it’s very hard to have gigs.
I have just finished my first album, ”Lucky Eye”, a flamenco fusion album which I created together with a wonderful flamenco guitarist called Tino van der Sman and I am also developing some flamenco theatrical projects. So there’s the dancing, the singing, the songwriting, and the theatrical side of things.
Is Seville a good place to live? What’s the best thing about living in Seville as an expat?
From an aesthetic point of view, it’s just so beautiful! You are surrounded by orange trees wherever you go, and the architecture is incredible. It’s got a Moorish influence.
On a cultural level, you’ve got easy access to see a lot of flamenco. I also love the food and the cafe culture. Sevillanos really know how to live. There are a couple of other things that are very interesting about Seville, one of them is La Feria de Sevilla.
Every year, Sevilla is taken over by its 'Feria de Abril', the fair of all fairs, the highlight of Seville’s cultural agenda. During the fair, all the men and women dress up for the occasion. There’s also a traditional dance called Las Sevillanas. During the 7-day celebration, it’s all about partying.
The other is Semana Santa or Easter week. It’s a week of processions celebrating the death and resurrection of Christ according to Christianity.
What are some secret spots you can recommend in Seville?
La Bicicleteria, is more of a social club rather than an actual bar and they used to have little concerts there.
Galería Taberna Ánima is a very popular place where people hang out. It’s based in an area called Alameda, there are a lot of bars there.
Peña Cultural Flamenca Fernando del Valle Nino de la Alfalfa is a really cozy place to go and watch flamenco. The dancers are like a meter away from you, so you really get to have an authentic experience.
Now, what are some of the challenges you have faced in Spain?
In my job, I tend to work with a lot of men and I am the only black, non-Spanish woman. What I have experienced sometimes is to be ignored. Communicating with musicians can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. But I guess this is not something strictly to do with Spain.
When thinking about my friendship group, it is made up of mainly foreign women. I have very few Sevillana female friends. I don’t think that’s an accident.
It is a warm and friendly culture but it’s not always easy to get past the jovial cafe culture and be invited into the home. This goes for Sevillanos and foreigners alike.
You’ve been living in Spain for nearly two decades now, so what’s the reality of being a black woman in Seville?
I have had the odd dodgy experience, but I think things are getting better. When we first started the BLISS group (Black Ladies in Seville Society), it was about 5 of us. Now, it’s over 50 Black women.
When I first got here in 2002, I remember being turned down from a hotel for being Black for example. So when we formed the group about 10 years ago, the first thing we did was pour out the different “horror stories” we all had experienced. It was such a relief to be able to share our ups and downs.
But this doesn’t happen as much now. I guess the reason why there aren't so many horrible anecdotes anymore is because we are more present. We can address these things as they come, as opposed to before when there were so few of us.
When it comes to building a community and a network of Black women in Seville, we’ve all had to be very brave. Most of the time, we just stop other Black women on the street to let them know about the BLISS group and that’s how we grew our community.
Do you know any afro hairdresser where Black women can get their hair done in Seville?
Here are some places where most Black women I know go to in Seville:
Do you have any resources for other Black women to help them settle in Seville?
BLISS WhatsApp group
Do you have any advice for other Black men or women looking to relocate to Spain?
Expect the best, and be shocked and horrified when you don’t get it. As soon as they see that what they said offended you, they’ll be able to take responsibility for what they’ve done.
Embrace the new experiences, eat the food, get a Feria dress, enjoy!
Over the years, I have become more strict with people. Not just to do with racism, but in general, I am very Sevillana in that sense. I have found that people respond really well to it. People need to realize that you won’t let them step over you.
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