Luis Boni, the owner the Taberna Casa Boni in Madrid, has invited us to participate at a street festival in Barrio Santiago. Organizers are the participants of a Community which regularly meets in his restaurant.
We should come to the Plaza de Ramales at Calle de Santiago.
Swinging at Plaza de Ramales
When we arrive, a group of young people is dancing according to melodies of the 70s and 80s.
They convey a very professional impression. We suspect that they are participants of a dance course or a dance school. Of course, we had to start filming immediately. According to the program it was Bailando Swing.
4k UHD video -> Swinging at Plaza de Ramales
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationWe get infected by the good mood of the dancers and the upbeat music and are happy about the beautiful day. While we are filming the dance group, our friends have found us and accompany us to their meeting place.
Barrio Santiago
Julio Navas, a director, producer and writer-director provides a room for the event, which takes place twice a month (every 2nd Saturday). He loves the Santiago neighborhood and with his initiative he wants to preserve Barrio Santiago as an attractive and lively quarter. People from all walks of life meet here to exchange ideas and to celebrate together. Everyone brings something to eat or to drink. Julio has also organized the street festival.
However the main person of this day is Tania, the cook. She is an all-rounder and can not only cook well but also works as a communication specialist for a great industrial enterprise and is growing wine in the region Extremadura. She cooks an excellent fish stew, called Marmitako, a specialty of Cantabria in the north of Spain.
It consists of potatoes, onions, peppers and Atun del Norte, a white tuna fish. Everyone enjoyed it very much.
Of course Luis Boni is there. He is the owner of the Taverna Casa Boni which also serves as meeting place and contact point. Who is new in the town and looks for connection, only needs to go into the Casa Boni to get to know all the people.
José, called “The Marqués”, whom we already know from Casa Boni is here and spreads a good mood with his jokes. We get to know Ricardo and his wife. Ricardo has written a booklet about the Barrio Santiago. However, it is only acquirable in the Casa Boni. Betty (Beatriz) is our good soul and helps us in language problems as an interpreter.
4k UHD video -> Santiago Neighborhood festival
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationOn this day we meet many nice people, who practise various professions, like IT specialists, employee in the central bank or artist. For example, Fernando works in the Ministerio de Fomento and Thomas Armstrong is guitarist from England.
But not only the adults have their pleasure, also the children and even pets have fun. In between performances take place at Plaza de Ramales, which no one wants to miss.
The trio El Zurdo
At the Plaza de Ramales we enjoyed the sound of flamenco played by the trio El Zurdo. The acoustics guitars and the accordion spread wonderful sounds. When Julio Navas tries himself as entertainer and singer, we get to know the Spanish soul.
4k UHD video -> El Zurdo playing Flamenco
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationFor us it was an impressive performance. However the trio needs to do some work on its network presence 🙂
Bailemos Chotis
Bailemos Chotis means “We dance Chotis all night long”
The Chotis is a folk dance which has its origin in Bohemia. There it was dancing to Scottish tunes. In Vienna it quickly developed to a Central European social dance and was spread throughout the world.
On 3 November 1850 one danced it for the first time at the Royal Palace in Madrid under the name “German Polka”. It quickly became the traditional dance of the people of Madrid and to a festive symbol. The Spanish name “Chotis” derived from the name “Schottis”.
4k UHD video ->Bailemos Chotis
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationIt is danced to the sound of an organ here. The woman moves around the man and the man himself around his axis. Women usually wear a scarf and the men a Parpusa (a kind of Basque beret).
El Cielo de Madrid
The members of the group master the dance with perfection. They often perform publicly at celebrations or at official occasions. After their performance on the Plaza de Ramales they give a sample of their capabilities in Julio Navas party room and also instructed enthusiasts.
After they leave, we also have to say goodbye. We thank our friends for the wonderful Fiesta in the Barrio Santiago. We are impressed by the cohesion of the community and their commitment to make “their” neighborhood a popular and lively place. To our friends we would like to thank for the warm welcome and an insight into their lives, they have given us on this beautiful day.
On the way to the hotel we cross the Plaza Isabel II behind the opera.
The group El Cielo de Madrid has already started their next performance before a large audience. Not without showing their sign Madrid es Chotis y Chotis es Madrid (Madrid is Chotis and Chotis is Madrid).
Text, photos and videos: Copyright © myVideoMedia