‘Beat the warmth’: Madrid seems to chill off with tradition amid local weather disaster

A little after 3pm on weekday afternoon, the footsteps and voices that echoed alongside the hallowed halls of the Prado have been silenced by a collection of percussive detonations that might have been mistaken for an indoor fireworks show.

The supply of the disruption, nevertheless, was not a vandal or a protester. Watched over by the eight muses for whom the Madrid museum’s Sala de las Musas is called, a tall, well-known and angular flamenco dancer known as El Yiyo was clicking, clapping, stomping and pirouetting earlier than a rapt, grateful and barely bemused viewers. A number of toes away sat the famend guitarist Rafael Andújar, who had ambled into the sala a couple of moments earlier, taken his seat and begun to fill the air with notes.

When El Yiyo completed his efficiency to loud applause 10 minutes later, he had hardly damaged a sweat – which was very a lot the concept because the live performance was a part of an initiative that aimed to coax each guests and madrileños into air-conditioned cultural venues throughout the sweltering afternoons of July and August.

With summer time temperatures that may attain 41C (106C), the streets of the Spanish capital will not be a nice place to be throughout the hottest hours of the day.

The brand new programme, known as Refúgiate en la cultura (Take Shelter in Tradition), affords free flamenco exhibits – within the Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, and the Royal Collections Gallery – in addition to free comedian monologues in libraries and discounted cinema tickets for screenings earlier than 5pm.

“We’re clearly conscious that summer time is usually a difficult time – and that there are an increasing number of vacationers in Madrid in July and August, which was once months once we acquired only a few international guests,” mentioned Marta Rivera de la Cruz, Madrid’s councillor for tradition, tourism and sport.

“We knew we wanted to give you some alternate options in order that these folks weren’t out on the streets on the hottest instances of the day. So we thought, why not make use of locations which can be rather well air-conditioned and that additionally supply some extraordinary tradition? And that meant museums, cultural centres, libraries and cinemas.”

As Rivera de la Cruz factors out, whereas town’s inhabitants know the way to deal with the warmth – largely by staying indoors and retaining cool – guests might not, and can also be tempted to pack in as a lot sightseeing and tradition as they’ll.

“That’s why we’re suggesting that in the event you come to Madrid for a couple of days, you must go to the Prado on the hottest time of the day,” she mentioned.

Though Madrid has all the time been as sizzling in summer time as it’s chilly in winter, the results of the local weather disaster have gotten ever extra acute within the capital – as elsewhere in Spain.

“I feel Refúgiate en la cultura is proof of the truth that the authorities have to supply methods to assist folks shelter and escape from these extremely popular instances of the day, which individuals are an increasing number of conscious of,” mentioned Rivera de la Cruz. “You must take them critically and it’s a must to respect them. Being out on the streets isn’t an excellent concept, however we’ve got to present folks alternate options.”

The councillor additionally says the actions is not going to generate any extra carbon footprint because the areas concerned are already air conditioned. “It’s about benefiting from the spring situations in museums when it’s a lot hotter exterior,” she added.

Madrid metropolis council hopes the initiative will turn out to be an annual programme that may complement the free Veranos de la villa live shows, performs and cultural occasions which were a summer time fixture within the capital for the previous 40 years.

Regardless of some preliminary shock, the response to El Yiyo’s dancing suggests there may be ample urge for food for extra flamenco/gallery fusion.

“I used to be simply sitting right here after I heard all this clattering,” mentioned Lydia Pulsinelli, who was visiting Madrid from Knoxville, Tennessee. “I assumed it was youngsters enjoying however then I noticed this man dancing. It was nice.”

The bailaor himself was additionally happy with the reception.

“It’s one other method of doing issues on one other sort of stage nevertheless it’s stunning and I really feel fairly good doing it,” he mentioned. “In the beginning, I assumed the audiences could be a bit unresponsive however folks actually get into it and we join.” And, he added: “It’s a method to beat the warmth.”