The Flamenco in Barcelona and Luis Adame

He is a musician and learned violin in the Music Conservatory of Madrid. His training defined his personal stamp: creativity, passion and originality which characterize his business activity with rigour, self-discipline and self-demanding typical in the study of any instrument.

Over the years, Luis opted for another instrument: the guitar. Throughout this knowledge he ended in the Flamenco world. He worked along with his wife, Irene Casares (more than 45 years of marriage). He travelled around the world with the greatest companies of dance: Antonio, Marienma, Maria Rosa…

All that experience and artistic knowledge together with the rigour of a musician turned him into an expert of flamenco and the show business; a fundamental base for the industry that he will later develop.

In 1970 Luis and Irene, who have formed their own dance company, came to Barcelona. La Rambla.

An institution of Barcelona tourism hired them: Juan Gaspart Solves. They worked in a little establishment called Cordobes, placed in the heart of the city: La Rambla. The establishment is property of Juan Gaspart and Matías Colsada, a legendary businessman from Barcelona.

In a few time, Juan Gaspart proposed him to assume the direction of the establishment. For several years Luis worked for Cordobes, inside the Husa brand, where he made some many and good friends and started his career in Tourism and Hospitality. Later on, he owned the property of the business and the establishment.

His lively mood leaded him to deal with some ambitious companies, complementary to his work for Cordobes, all of them inside the show and hospitality business:



· He produced an ambitious musical play for the Theatre “Andalucía en Pie”, directed by Angel Tamayo. It gathered the most important figures of flamenco of that time: Milagros, La Susi, Chiquitete, Faico, Fosforito…

· He collaborated in the direction of the restaurant Atalaya in the famous tower of Diagonal.

· He took the lead of the operation of the Carpas in La Rambla.

· He created the Show-Restaurant more ambitious of Barcelona “El Duende”. His stamp as an exquisite and unrepeatable place remains in the memory of the ones who have been there.



However, the main work of Luis as a businessman is, certainly, Cordobés; the mythic establishment of La Rambla.

During the firsts years of his management, Luis turned the Cordobés into a famous and acclaimed establishment by the flamenco followers. This period in the Tablao has made history in the flamenco world: the very same Camarón de la Isla, Fernanda and Bernarda de Utrera, Farruco, the legendary grandfather of Farruquito…the list is endless.

Cordobés turned into a source of flamenco people and extraordinary artists. Catalan artists took their first professional steps here such as Monste Cortés, -now with Paco de Lucía-, Miquel Poveda, Juan Manuel Cañizares and emerging artists who made in Cordobes their first debuts: La Yerbabuena, Israel Galván…another endless list.

Placed in La Rambla and dedicated to flamenco, Cordobés has an important tourist projection thanks to the lead of Luis.

Throughout the years, Luis turned into a charismatic and famous figure in every hotel of 3, 4 and 5 stars of the city. Every reception desk and post of doorman knows him well. Luis gains his clients one by one, by his humanity and personal charisma. He sells what he knows he does well: quality and authenticity. Nowadays, he is a famous and appreciated partner of the Asociación de Corserjes de las Llaves de Oro.

The great Tour Operators turned Cordobés into a classic of their stays in Barcelona. The most important touristic companies trust in a product that never fails. Cordobés is a must see in every Tour of Barcelona.

The best national travel agencies recommend Cordobés for their nights in Barcelona. The market of Meetings and Incentives has an important assistance in the quality that offers in Barcelona.

The traditional topic that relates the flamenco with bad quality establishments has been broken in La Rambla of Barcelona thanks to the work of Luis. The show in Cordobés is admired and enjoyed by tourists as well as by demanding flamenco followers. Luis has found the way to combine the quality of an authentic show with the pleasantness of a good show accessible to all public.

In 1989 Luis joined the service of the Restaurant to the Show in order to help the demand of the public. And Cordobes succeeded again, breaking another topic: that the restoration is bad when is accompanied with a show. Luis has a quality traditional cuisine, which accompanies an also quality show.

In 1995, its 25th anniversary, Cordobes is already an institution of Barcelona tourism. To celebrate it Luis organised a sing, play and dance contest, which has remained in the memory of flamenco as a magic moment. Every important flamenco figure gathered in Barcelona. The award ceremony in the Reales Atarazanas of Barcelona was presided by the then Mayor of Barcelona, Pasqual Maragall, along with Xavier Casas and Pilar López, a legend of dance.

The success happened again in the 35th anniversary.

Today Cordobes is a unique establishment in Barcelona. Restorers and artisans of Alhambra of Granada decorated it and it is the stage of the best contemporary artists.

Cordobes has financed the works of the building in which it is placed even if it was not required due to the fact that it has an independent entrance from La Rambla, always with the objective of contributing the ennoblement and image of La Rambla. Moreover, it has adapted its facilities to the legislation of the suppression of architectural barriers. All of that makes it a unique establishment in the city. Since 1979 it is the only Show-Restaurant that has remained open and still keeps growing its success.

Cordobes is member of Turismo de Barcelona. It is an important company for the industry of tourism of the city, not only for its location in La Rambla but also for the quality service that serves for many years. The night promenades in the city have a stop in Cordobes. Its prestige and experience have turned it into a very famous establishment abroad, especially between the Japanese and Italian audience.

Cordobes is a member and collaborator of the Friends, Neighbours and Merchants Association of Las Ramblas.

Cordobes is a characteristic product of La Rambla: a symbol of the cultural diversity of Barcelona; the quality tourism that fights to defend itself in this part of the city, the fight of Barcelona to combine the cosmopolitan with the authenticity, characteristics of the traditional business of La Rambla. Its presence ennobles the Rambla. It is an excellent sample of the business industry and the service that the Friends of Las Ramblas Association represents and defends: quality and honesty of the service.