Duende

Music, Spirituality and Going with the Flow

Photo by Molly Mears on Unsplash

- The ability to attract others through personal magnetism and charm.

- The word duende refers to a spirit in Spanish, Portuguese, and Filipino folklore and literally means "ghost" or "goblin" in Spanish. The term is traditionally used in flamenco music or other art forms to refer to the mystical or powerful force given off by a performer to draw in the audience. The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca wrote in his essay "Teoria y Juego del Duende" ("Play and Theory of the Duende") that duende "is a power and not a behaviour … a struggle and not a concept."

- Duende means those moments in artistic activity when something else takes over, when something speaks through you.

These are three definitions you can find online to explain what duende is. Ever since I learned of its existence, it has fascinated me. I first learned of it from a Spanish singer I was playing and creating music with about twenty years ago now. She used it in reference to the mystical unity that was present between us and a guitarist who recognised us as his musical anime gemelle (twin souls). That connection that exists which goes beyond technique and precision; those little moments of pure magic where everything is aligned. 

A few years later I learned of the word synchronicity from another friend. Perhaps I'd been rather sheltered from spiritual concepts, or perhaps I was to learn of these as the universe intended, in the right time, when I was ready to receive. Either way, since they entered my sphere they have both formed an important part of my navigation apparatus, the former primarily in music, though it is a force which lies in many art forms and creations; and the latter being found in life in general and when those bizarre coincidences start to occur and everything just starts to flow, you can't but help to ask yourself: 

"Does this mean I am on the right path?"

In the spiritual community, duende reigns supreme, whether it is named or not; In the spiritual community, many seem to navigate using the same GPS system of synchronicitous occurrences, surrendering to the will of Spirit, of God, of the forces beyond. 

And ultimately, duende is such a powerful and deeply personal experience that it is something that we perhaps cannot describe uniformly. It can speak of many things, many moments, many emotions - joy, grief, love, ecstasy, solitude... Is it felt by us consciously at the time or is it in hindsight we can understand it passed through our vessel and entered our realm for us to experience and feel? So many questions, so many theories. 

What is your understanding and experience of duende and sychronicities?  Leave a comment below in the discussion thread!