VICENTE SANTIAGO flamenco guitarist
sharing a cultural heritage
A flamenco guitarist in The Netherlands
In 2012, I had just completed my second year of flamenco guitar at the Higher Conservatory of Córdoba. One of my professors there, Paco Serrano, had told me about his experience in the Netherlands, as he had studied in Rotterdam in the ’90s. My curiosity was piqued, but I wasn’t brave enough to come.
However, there was another student, Juanfe Pérez (who is now a renowned flamenco bassist), who was in the same situation as me. After a conversation, we decided to apply together to study for nine months of Erasmus at Codarts. That’s how the adventure began.
To be honest, after two months, I already wanted to return to Spain. Everything was so new, so different. But a couple of months later, I began to adjust, and when the Erasmus program ended, I didn’t want to leave. I still had one year left to finish my studies, so I decided to return to Córdoba, but I already knew I would come back to the Netherlands.
By the end of 2014, after completing my studies, I spoke with Juanfe again. For him, the Erasmus experience in the Netherlands had been enough, so our paths separated. He went to Madrid, and I returned to Rotterdam. I was 24 years old, and my hope was to make a living as a flamenco musician. During my Erasmus, I had made many contacts, which gave me confidence.
When I arrived, I began offering performances and accompanying dance classes. I didn’t have a clear plan, but one year led to another, and my stay kept extending. My network of contacts grew, although the environment gradually changed, as many of the students I had met during Erasmus were finishing their studies and leaving.
Over time, I became accustomed to the Netherlands. I started to understand the country’s idiosyncrasies and customs: I discovered oliebollen, stampot, the poems and gifts of Sinterklaas, the joy of biking, and the vacations in autumn, winter, spring, and summer (and then they say that Spaniards are always on vacation!).
And here I am, still trying to share my culture and learn from the Dutch one. Flamenco has been my connection to this country, a way of understanding myself and the place where I live. Sometimes, life as a flamenco musician here in the Netherlands is still a challenge, but it has also given me many opportunities to grow. In fact, in 2024, the Cultuurfonds awarded me a grant to purchase a new flamenco guitar. Today, flamenco is not just a career; it’s a part of me, a way of life that continues to transform, and every day it allows me to keep learning and sharing what I am passionate about.
Biography
Vicente was born surrounded by flamenco, in a Spanish gypsy family. He learned the rhythms and codes of flamenco in meetings and parties often held in his environment. From a very young age, guitar awakened in him a great curiosity so he started playing it at the age of 11 and haven’t stopped since.
As Vicente was growing up, his thirst for learning was also increasing so He decided to study in depth flamenco and classical guitar with the guitarist Antonio Piñana (Hijo). He finished his studies at the Conservatory of Cartagena, and went to complete his studies in Cordoba at the Rafael Orozco Superior Conservatory and later at the World Music Department of the Rotterdam Conservatory (Holland). Vicente he has studied with some of the best flamenco and classical masters such as Manolo Franco, Niño de Pura, Paco Serrano, Gabriel Exposito, Paco Peña, Leo Brower, Paul Galbraith or Manolo Sanlúcar among others.
As a professional guitarist, Vicente has played as a soloist and accompanying singers and dancers at some of the most important flamenco festivals such as the Flamenco Biënnale in The Netherlands, the Festival Flamenco de Lo Ferro in Spain or the guitar concert series “Meesters op de gitaar” celebrated in the emblematic auditorium “Het Concertgebouw” in Amsterdam . He has also performed in several countries such as France, Denmark, Germany, Chile, Belgium, Luxembourg or Switzerland.
Vicente is also a contrasted composer for flamenco dance shows. His music has been danced by ballets and choreographers such as Javier Latorre, La truco, the Ballet Flamenco de Lo Ferro and La Compañía Prodigio BAF Talento.
Currently Vicente is based in the Netherlands, collaborating with different musical projects, performing and teaching flamenco as another way of transmitting this art, both online and onsite.
How do I share flamenco?
