Tony Bryant, Flamenco, Music & Culture contributor
Tony Bryant is best known for his work on Andalusian culture and the traditions of southern Spain, Journalist and author Tony Bryant has lived in Andalucia for more than thirty years. He was born in Stockwell, South London, United Kingdom, in 1961. His mother was a pianist. Tony began learning the drums at the age of 10 and was influenced by a variety of figures in the rock-and-roll hierarchy. Tony is the author of several books on Spanish subjects, including a trilogy dedicated to the art of flamenco.
In 1994, Tony moved to Andalucia where he still lives today. It was on a trip to Seville that Tony had his first encounter with flamenco and it was an event that would change his life. "It was like flamenco was seducing me," he stated while later recalling the event. The floodgates had opened and Tony began to dedicate much of his life to understanding the roots of this powerful art form. He also tried to delve into the culture that makes this incredible music possible, travelling all over Andalucia and watching some of its greatest artists perform. His adventures are recounted in his first book, Flamenco -- An Englishman's Passion.
He is widely regarded as a leading authority on flamenco, particularly in relation to the genealogy of the great Gypsy clans of the provinces of Seville and Cádiz. He is associated with the Museo del Baile Flamenco (MBF), a state-of-the-art flamenco dance museum in Seville, whose publishing division released his flamenco trilogy between 2006 and 2015. The museum also displays a family tree compiled by the author, tracing the ancestry of an Andalusian Gypsy clan regarded as one of Spain's most influential flamenco families.
Tony was also is a regular contributor on Onda Cero International Radio with a flamenco show that he co-hosted with Brenda Padilla. In addition, he has taken part in panel discussions on subjects including the work of the British Hispanist Gerald Brenan, held at the Gerald Brenan Cultural Centre (ACGB) in Málaga.
He moved to Málaga in 1994 with the intention of devoting himself to his passion for writing, and soon discovered Seville, a city he now considers home and describes as “a blend of dream and reality”.
The author has appeared in television and radio documentaries on flamenco and Andalusia, collaborating with BBC Radio 4, CNN (Richard Quest’s World of Wonder), the Dutch television programme Metropolis, as well as Canal Sur and La Filmahora, with whom he took part in a Spanish documentary about the legendary flamenco singers La Fernanda and La Bernarda de Utrera.
Tony has written two more books: A Time-Defying Heritage, which has been translated in Spanish and Gitanerias: The Essence of Flamenco, as well as collaborating on a BBC documentary.
Since 2016, he has worked as a journalist for SUR in English, a Málaga-based newspaper that forms part of the Vocento media group. Over the last decade, the author has become acquainted with some of the Costa del Sol’s most celebrated artists, literary figures and musicians, along with other interesting characters such as local priests, sports personalities, historians, war veterans and stand-up comedians. This resulted in the publication of his book - A cohort of creative bohemians and other interesting individuals (2022). This book highlights some of the author’s favourite interviewees and opens up the world of the expatriate art and entertainment scene of the Costa del Sol.
On Andalucia.com
Tony initially rewrote the entire Flamenco section on Andalucia.com and then updated and revised the Torremolinos and Benalmadena nightlife, history, bars and things to do sections. He has written countless biographys for the Spanish, Latin and Rock music artists performing a the many contemporary and flamenco music festivals that take place in Andalucia each year.