That there should be a point of convergence between two of our country's greatest symbols of identity, the novelist Miguel de Cervantes and flamenco, is only natural. And although it might seem that the author of Don Quixote, one of the most important works of world literature, has nothing to do with flamenco venues, we'll tell you that, far from imagining Cervantes dancing bulerías, it is precisely in his literary work where we can find elements that refer to the flamenco tradition.

To put things in context, the Spanish playwright, poet, and novelist, originally from Alcalá de Henares, lived between 1547 and 1616. During Cervantes's lifetime, the word flamenco did not exist as we know it today. It was from the mid-19th century onward that it began to be associated with this art form in Spanish literature. Therefore, the references to flamenco found in Cervantes's work must be viewed with a good understanding of flamenco's origins.

In the short story "La Gitanilla" (The Gypsy Girl), which opens his collection of Exemplary Novels published in 1613, we can glimpse the flamenco spirit of the protagonist, Preciosa, who is described as follows: "Preciosa emerged rich in villancicos, coplas, seguidillas, and zarabandas, and other verses, especially romances, which she sang with particular grace." And it continues with another paragraph in which we can appreciate that Preciosa overflows with flamenco artistry: “From the sound of the tambourine and castanets and the dance's flurry came a rumor that extolled the beauty and grace of the gypsy girl, and the boys ran to see her and the men to look at her. But when they heard her sing, because the dance was sung, that was it! That's when the fame of the gypsy girl truly took flight, and with the common consent of the festival organizers, they immediately awarded her the prize and jewel of the best dance!”