Having pursued a conventional enough path through school and university, Jason Webster was all set to enter the world of academe as a profession. But when his aloof Florentine girlfriend of some years dumped him unceremoniously, he found himself at a crossroads. Abandoning the world of libraries and the future he had always imagined for himself, he headed off instead for Spain in search of duende, the intense emotional state - part ecstasy, part desperation - so intrinsic to flamenco. Duende is an account of his years spent in Spain feeding his obsessive interest in flamenco: he subjects himself to the tyranny of his guitar teacher, practising for hours on end until his fingers bleed; he becomes involved in a passionate affair with Lola, a flamenco dancer (and older woman) married to the gun-toting Vicente, only to flee Alicante in fear of his life; in Madrid, he falls in with Gypsies and meets the imperious Jesus. Joining their dislocated, cocaine-fuelled world, stealing cars by night and sleeping away the days in tawdry rooms, he finds himself spiralling self-destructively downwards. It is only when he arrives in Granada bruised and battered, after two years total immersion in the flamenco lifestyle that he is able to put his obsession into context. In the tradition of Laurie Lee's classic As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, Duende charts a young man's emotional coming of age and offers real insight into the passionate essence of flamenco.

Being an Expat myself it is naturally interesting to see how others fare in this country - and Webster was determined to scratch his itch and find 'Duende' it nearly killed him. His story gently unfolds then the pace hots up and to be honest I could not put it down. (OK a cliche but true) He has an easy style to read but still conveys a lot enabling the reader to feel, smell and sense the different environments he finds himself in. Whilst I do not claim to have had all the same experiences I do relate to many of his points and thoroughly enjoyed it. But please don't think this is the typical Expat life! But a welcome change from much of the drivel Expat 'literature' out there. Good for JW.
Posted by : Robert Innis
23 May 2012

Duende by Jason Webster is the fictionalised story of a man travelling to Spain to learn to play the flamenco guitar, possibly something that many have dreamed of doing or perhaps even tried. It is a vibrant and compelling read that uncovers the dark, raw underworld of gypsy flamenco. Die-hard flamenco guitar fans will be excited by the mention of their flamenco guitar heros: Niño Ricardo, Sabicas and Paco de Lucía, but readers who just want to imagine that they are in Spain, or who in fact are in Spain and want to understand why flamenco can make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, will enjoy this book.