From Sallins to Seville; an examination of the influences and work of the (living) Irish flamenco and composer, John Walsh

Matthews, Mary (2025) From Sallins to Seville; an examination of the influences and work of the (living) Irish flamenco and composer, John Walsh. In: Irish-Spanish Relations, Dept. of Humanities, 11th April 2025, Dundalk IT. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Flamenco is an expressive and passionate art form originating with the Romani who settled in Andalusia, Spain. it blends singing (cante), guitar playing (toque), and dancing (baile), often accompanied by finger snaps (pitos) and handclaps (palmas). Its deep emotional intensity reflects themes of hardship, joy and love, deeply rooted in Spanish cultural traditions. Flamenco blends various influences, including Arabic, Sufi, Jewish and Romani, creating diverse, dynamic rhythms. John Walsh qualified from University of Limerick as a physicist but the gravitational pull of the guitar, a serendipitous meeting with a journeyman guitarist, and the key influence of the work of Paco de Lucia changed the trajectory of his life and career. Initially inspired by the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach, specifically for the guitar, the peculiar and strenuous demands of flamenco demanded a re-location to Andalucia for instruction and immersion in flamenco music, guitar playing and performance, and culture. John has been composing music since his teens but is now writing original short pieces for the guitar almost exclusively in the flamenco style but fused with contemporary musical influences. These compositions have been studio recorded and released.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Additional Information:	Appendix 1 - Recommended listening list Appendix 2 - visual clips (YouTube)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Flamenco, Cultural Heritage, UNESCO, Romani, Multidisciplinary Art, Franco, Seville, Sufi, Qawwali, Paco de Lucia, Guitar, John Walsh, Zapateado, Living Tradition
Subjects:	Arts and Humanities > History Arts and Humanities > Film and Media Studies Arts and Humanities > Music
Research Centres:	Centre for Creative Arts, Media & Music
Depositing User:	Mary Matthews
Date Deposited:	08 May 2025 13:01
Last Modified:	08 May 2025 13:01
License:	Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0
URI:	https://eprints.dkit.ie/id/eprint/932

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