Madrid — By Nellie Huang on March 26, 2010 at 10:53 am
Filed under: Arts and Entertainment, Performing Arts - Theater & Dance

Ethnic Madrid: Iranian Dance at Casa Persa

There’s a side to Madrid that not many know of: a beautiful blend of distinctive cultures and background. If you look beneath the surface, you’ll find people of all ethnicity gathered in this metropolis. From the Chinese to the Indians and Arabs, the multi-cultural facet is observed in every other street corner and barrio (neighborhood).

At Casa Persa, we are treated to a fascinating peek into the Persian world. Persia - also known as Iran – is a part of Eurasia that has managed to retain a sense of mystery and subtlety, intriguing many including myself. Curious to find out more about their culture and arts, we head out to Casa Persa for a session of Sufi dance performance and mystic music exchange.

Sufi Music and Dance

Held every Saturday, the music and dance concert is performed by the Persian Master, Majid Javadi, himself and his group of followers. As he starts telling the audience about Sufi music and Mystic dance, we are drawn into his world. Soothing drum beats echo in the background as the Master himself starts strumming his setar. A dancer – dressed in a flowy white tunic – starts to twirl in circles, hypnotizing the crowd into a trance. Soon enough, she is completely engaged in the music, swaying to the beats and rhythm, allowing us, the spectactors, feel her energy. Within that one and a half hours, audiences are transported into the Persian realm.

What to See

As the Persian Master tells us, Casa Persa is a Hispanic-Iranian cultural association, with the aim of exchanging values and experiences with people from any part of the world. The main activities that are organized here include :

Weekly Sufi music and dance performances: every Saturday at 9.30pm (Entry: 12euros)
Mystical poems sessions
Persian and Hindu instruments workshops
Persian language (Farsi) classes

Details of Casa Persa

Location: map

Address: Calle Silva 5, 5th Floor, Madrid 28013

Metro station: Callao or Santo Domingo

Tel: +34 91 547 67 97 / +34 638 06 53 51

Website: http://www.casapersa.com/

Photo credit: Courtesy of Felicia Fong