The appropriation of Flamenco heritage beyond its borders: The case of artists in Belgium

The following text is a product of various phases of research carried out between 2007 and 2010. This fieldwork was primarily conducted in Brussels and Ambers, but also in Mechelen, Gante, Roeselare, Lovaina, Vilvoorde, Kortrijk, Menen, Lokeren, Turnhout, Machelen and Bruges, (all in Flanders), as well as in diverse localities in Andalusia and in the Spanish State. The main objective of this investigation, focusing on the practices and discourses of the principal actors, was to contribute to the understanding of flamenco as a cultural phenomenon beyond its borders. This article attempts to show a representation of the intertwined meanings that artists create in respect to the construction of a flamenco heritage.