The Romani in Spain, generally known by the endonym Calé, or the exonym gitanos, belong to the Iberian Romani subgroup known as Calé, with smaller populations in Portugal and in Southern France. Their sense of identity and cohesion stems from their shared value system, expressed among gitanos as las leyes gitanas.
Spanish Romani people. Yevgraf Sorokin, 1853.
A Gypsy dance in the gardens of the Alcázar of Seville.
The ballet dancer Carlotta Grisi as the Romani Paquita (1844)
Pablo Picasso
Flamenco is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Murcia. In a wider sense, the term is used to refer to a variety of both contemporary and traditional musical styles typical of southern Spain. Flamenco is closely associated to the gitanos of the Romani ethnicity who have contributed significantly to its origination and professionalization. However, its style is uniquely Andalusian and flamenco artists have historically included Spaniards of both gitano and non-gitano heritage.
Belén Maya, a Flamenco dancer of the gitano ethnicity in traditional dress
"Café cantante" in Seville, Spain, c.1888. Photograph by Emilio Beauchy aka "E. Beauchy"
Finnish Flamenco dancer Reima Nikkinen with an unidentified woman dancer in December 1971
The Palos of flamenco