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Wikipedia

Flamenco

Flamenco (Spanish pronunciation: [flaˈmeŋko]), in its strictest sense, 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.[1][2][3] 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.[4]

Flamenco
Belén Maya, a Flamenco dancer of the gitano ethnicity in traditional dress
Cultural originsAndalusian people, Calé Roma, Late 18th century, Spain
Typical instruments
Derivative forms
Subgenres
Other topics
Flamenco
CountrySpain
DomainsPerforming arts
Reference363
RegionEurope and North America
Inscription history
Inscription2010 (5th session)
ListRepresentative

The oldest record of flamenco music dates to 1774 in the book Las Cartas Marruecas by José Cadalso.[5] The development of flamenco over the past two centuries is well documented: "the theatre movement of sainetes (one-act plays) and tonadillas, popular song books and song sheets, customs, studies of dances, and toques, perfection, newspapers, graphic documents in paintings and engravings. ... in continuous evolution together with rhythm, the poetic stanzas, and the ambiance."[6]

On 16 November 2010, UNESCO declared flamenco one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.[7]

History

It is believed that the flamenco genre emerged at the end of the 18th century in cities and agrarian towns of Baja Andalusia, highlighting Jerez de la Frontera as the first written vestige of this art, although there is practically no data related to those dates and the manifestations of this time are more typical of the bolero school than of flamenco. There are hypotheses that point to the influence on flamenco of types of dance from the Indian subcontinent – the place of origin of the Romani people.[1]

The casticismo

During the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, a number of factors led to rise in Spain of a phenomenon known as "Costumbrismo Andaluz" or "Andalusian Mannerism".

In 1783 Carlos III promulgated a pragmatics that regulated the social situation of the Gitanos.[8] This was a momentous event in the history of Spanish gitanos who, after centuries of marginalization and persecution, saw their legal situation improve substantially.

After the Spanish War of Independence (1808–1812), a feeling of racial pride developed in the Spanish conscience, in opposition to the "gallified" "Afrancesados" - Spaniards who were influenced by French culture and the idea of the enlightenment. In this context, gitanos were seen as an ideal embodiment of Spanish culture and the emergence of the bullfighting schools of Ronda and Seville, the rise of the Bandidos and Vaqueros led to a taste for Andalusian romantic culture which triumphed in the Madrid court.

At this time there is evidence of disagreements due to the introduction of innovations in art.[9]

Los cafés cantantes

 
"Café cantante" in Seville, Spain, c.1888. Photograph by Emilio Beauchy aka "E. Beauchy"

In 1881 Silverio Franconetti opened the first flamenco singer café in Seville. In Silverio's café the cantaores were in a very competitive environment, which allowed the emergence of the professional cantaor and served as a crucible where flamenco art was configured. In them Gitanos and non-Gitanos learned the cantes, while reinterpreting the Andalusian folk songs in their own style, expanding the repertoire. Likewise, the taste of the public contributed to configure the flamenco genre, unifying its technique and its theme.

The antiflamenquismo of "La generación del 98"

Flamenco, defined by the Royal Spanish Academy as a "fondness for flamenco art and customs", is a conceptual catch-all where flamenco singing and a fondness for bullfighting, among other traditional Spanish elements, fit. These customs were strongly attacked by the generation of 98, all of its members being "anti-flamenco", with the exception of the Machado brothers, since Manuel and Antonio, being Sevillians and sons of the folklorist Demófilo, had a more complex vision of the matter. The greatest standard bearer of anti-flamenquism was the Madrid writer Eugenio Noel, who, in his youth, had been a militant casticista. Noel attributed to flamenco and bullfighting the origin of the ills of Spain which he saw as manifestations of the country's Oriental character which hindered economic and social development. These considerations caused an insurmountable rift to be established for decades between flamenco and most "intellectuals" of the time.

The flamenca opera

Between 1920 and 1955, flamenco shows began to be held in bullrings and theaters, under the name "flamenco opera". This denomination was an economic strategy of the promoters, since opera only paid 3% while variety shows paid 10%. At this time, flamenco shows spread throughout Spain and the main cities of the world. The great social and commercial success achieved by flamenco at this time eliminated some of the oldest and most sober styles from the stage, in favor of lighter airs, such as cantiñas, los cantes de ida y vuelta and fandangos, of which many personal versions were created. The purist critics attacked this lightness of the cantes, as well as the use of falsete and the gaitero style.

In the line of purism, the poet Federico García Lorca and the composer Manuel de Falla had the idea of concurso de cante jondo en Granada en 1922.[10] Both artists conceived of flamenco as folklore, not as a scenic artistic genre; for this reason, they were concerned, since they believed that the massive triumph of flamenco would end its purest and deepest roots. To remedy this, they organized a cante jondo contest in which only amateurs could participate and in which festive cantes (such as cantiñas) were excluded, which Falla and Lorca did not consider jondos, but flamencos. The jury was chaired by Antonio Chacón, who at that time was the leading figure in cante. The winners were "El Tenazas", a retired professional cantaor from Morón de la Frontera, and Manuel Ortega, an eight-year-old boy from Seville who would go down in flamenco history as Manolo Caracol. The contest turned out to be a failure due to the scant echo it had and because Lorca and Falla did not know how to understand the professional character that flamenco already had at that time, striving in vain to seek a purity that never existed in an art that was characterized by mixture and the personal innovation of its creators. Apart from this failure, with the Generation of '27, whose most eminent members were Andalusians and therefore knew the genre first-hand, the recognition of flamenco by intellectuals began.

At that time, there were already flamenco recordings related to Christmas, which can be divided into two groups: the traditional flamenco carol and flamenco songs that adapt their lyrics to the Christmas theme. These cantes have been maintained to this day, the Zambomba Jerezana being spatially representative, declared an Asset of Intangible Cultural Interest by the Junta de Andalucía in December 2015.

During the Spanish Civil War, a large number of singers were exiled or died defending the Republic and the humiliations to which they were being subjected by the National Party: Bando Nacional: Corruco de Algeciras, Chaconcito, El Carbonerillo, El Chato De Las Ventas, Vallejito, Rita la Cantaora, Angelillo, Guerrita are some of them. In the postwar period and the first years of the Franco regime, the world of flamenco was viewed with suspicion, as the authorities were not clear that this genre contributed to the national conscience. However, the regime soon ended up adopting flamenco as one of the quintessential Spanish cultural manifestations. The singers who have survived the war go from stars to almost outcasts, singing for the young men in the private rooms of the brothels in the center of Seville where they have to adapt to the whims of aristocrats, soldiers and businessmen who have become rich.

In short, the period of the flamenco opera was a time open to creativity and that definitely made up most of the flamenco repertoire. It was the Golden Age of this genre, with figures such as Antonio Chacón, Manuel Vallejo Manuel Vallejo [es; fr], Manuel Torre, La Niña de los Peines, Pepe Marchena and Manolo Caracol.

Flamencología

Starting in the 1950s, abundant anthropological and musicological studies on flamenco began to be published. In 1954 Hispavox published the first Antología del Cante Flamenco, a sound recording that was a great shock to its time, dominated by orchestrated cante and, consequently, mystified. In 1955, the Argentine intellectual Anselmo González Climent published an essay called "Flamencología", whose title he baptized the "set of knowledge, techniques, etc., on flamenco singing and dancing." This book dignified the study of flamenco by applying the academic methodology of musicology to it and served as the basis for subsequent studies on this genre.

As a result, in 1956 the National Contest of Cante Jondo de Córdoba was organized and in 1958 the first flamencology chair was founded in Jerez de la Frontera, the oldest academic institution dedicated to the study, research, conservation, promotion and defense of the flamenco art. Likewise, in 1963 the Cordovan poet Ricardo Molina and the Sevillian cantaor Antonio Mairena published Alalimón Mundo y Formas del Cante flamenco, which has become a must-have reference work.

For a long time the Mairenistas postulates were considered practically unquestionable, until they found an answer in other authors who elaborated the "Andalusian thesis", which defended that flamenco was a genuinely Andalusian product, since it had been developed entirely in this region and because its styles basic ones derived from the folklore of Andalusia. They also maintained that the Andalusian Gitanos had contributed decisively to their formation, highlighting the exceptional nature of flamenco among gypsy music and dances from other parts of Spain and Europe. The unification of the Gitanos and Andalusian thesis has ended up being the most accepted today. In short, between the 1950s and 1970s, flamenco went from being a mere show to also becoming an object of study.

Flamenco protest during the Franco regime

Flamenco became one of the symbols of Spanish national identity during the Franco regime, since the regime knew how to appropriate a folklore traditionally associated with Andalusia to promote national unity and attract tourism, constituting what was called national-flamenquismo. Hence, flamenco had long been seen as a reactionary or retrograde element. In the mid-60s and until the transition, cantaores who opposed the regime began to appear with the use of protest lyrics. These include: José Menese and lyricist Francisco Moreno Galván, Enrique Morente, Manuel Gerena, El Lebrijano, El Cabrero, Lole y Manuel, el Piki or Luis Marín, among many others.

In contrast to this conservatism with which it was associated during the Franco regime, flamenco suffered the influence of the wave of activism that also shook the university against the repression of the regime when university students came into contact with this art in the recitals that were held, for example, at the Colegio Mayor de San Juan Evangelista: "flamenco amateurs and professionals got involved with performances of a manifestly political nature. It was a kind of flamenco protest charged with protest, which meant censorship and repression for the flamenco activists ".

As the political transition progressed, the demands were deflated as flamenco inserted itself within the flows of globalized art. At the same time, this art was institutionalized until it reached the point that the Junta de Andalucía was attributed in 2007 "exclusive competence in matters of knowledge, conservation, research, training, promotion and dissemination".

Flamenco fusion

 
Finnish Flamenco dancer Reima Nikkinen with an unidentified woman dancer in December 1971

In the 1970s, there were airs of social and political change in Spain, and Spanish society was already quite influenced by various musical styles from the rest of Europe and the United States. There were also numerous singers who had grown up listening to Antonio Mairena, Pepe Marchena and Manolo Caracol. The combination of both factors led to a revolutionary period called flamenco fusion.[11]

The singer Rocío Jurado internationalized flamenco at the beginning of the 70s, replacing the bata de cola with evening dresses. Her facet in the "Fandangos de Huelva" and in the Alegrías was recognized internationally for her perfect voice tessitura in these genres. She used to be accompanied in her concerts by guitarists Enrique de Melchor and Tomatito, not only at the national level but in countries like Colombia, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

The musical representative José Antonio Pulpón was a decisive character in that fusion, as he urged the cantaor Agujetas to collaborate with the Sevillian Andalusian rock group "Pata Negra", the most revolutionary couple since Antonio Chacón and Ramón Montoya, initiating a new path for flamenco. It also fostered the artistic union between the virtuoso guitarist from Algeciras Paco de Lucía and the long-standing singer from the island Camarón de la Isla, who gave a creative impulse to flamenco that would mean its definitive break with Mairena's conservatism. When both artists undertook their solo careers, Camarón became a mythical cantaor for his art and personality, with a legion of followers, while Paco de Lucía reconfigured the entire musical world of flamenco, opening up to new influences, such as Brazilian music, Arabic and jazz and introducing new musical instruments such as the Peruvian cajon, the transverse flute, etc.

Other leading performers in this process of formal flamenco renewal were Juan Peña El Lebrijano, who married flamenco with Andalusian music, and Enrique Morente, who throughout his long artistic career has oscillated between the purism of his first recordings and the crossbreeding with rock, or Remedios Amaya from Triana, cultivator of a unique style of tangos from Extremadura, and a wedge of purity in her cante make her part of this select group of established artists. Other singers with their own style include Cancanilla de Marbella. In 2011 this style became known in India thanks to María del Mar Fernández, who acts in the video clip of the film You Live Once, entitled Señorita. The film was seen by more than 73 million viewers.

New flamenco

In the 1980s a new generation of flamenco artists emerged who had been influenced by the mythical cantaor Camarón, Paco de Lucía, Morente, etc. These artists were interested in popular urban music, which in those years was renewing the Spanish music scene, it was the time of the Movida madrileña. Among them are "Pata Negra", who fused flamenco with blues and rock, Ketama, of pop and Cuban inspiration and Ray Heredia, creator of his own musical universe where flamenco occupies a central place.

Also the recording company Nuevos Medios released many musicians under the label nuevo flamenco and this denomination has grouped musicians very different from each other like Rosario Flores, daughter of Lola Flores, or the renowned singer Malú, niece of Paco de Lucía and daughter of Pepe de Lucía, who despite sympathizing with flamenco and keeping it in her discography has continued with her personal style. However, the fact that many of the interpreters of this new music are also renowned cantaores, in the case of José Mercé, El Cigala, and others, has led to labeling everything they perform as flamenco, although the genre of their songs differs quite a bit from the classic flamenco. This has generated very different feelings, both for and against.

Other contemporary artists of that moment were O'Funkillo and Ojos de Brujo, Arcángel, Miguel Poveda, Mayte Martín, Marina Heredia, Estrella Morente or Manuel Lombo, etc.

But the discussion between the difference of flamenco and new flamenco in Spain has just gained strength during since 2019 due to the success of new flamenco attracting the taste of the youngest Spanish fans but also in the international musical scene emphasizing the problem of how should we call this new musical genre mixed with flamenco.

One of these artist who has reinvented flamenco is Rosalía, an indisputable name on the international music scene. "Pienso en tu mirá", "Di mi nombre" or the song that catapulted her to fame, "Malamente", are a combination of styles that includes a flamenco/south Spain traditional musical base. Rosalía has broken the limits of this musical genre by embracing other urban rhythms, but has also created a lot of controversy about which genre is she using. The Catalan artist has been awarded several Latin GrammyAwards and MTV Video Music Awards, which also, at just 30 years old, garners more than 40 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

But it is not the only successful case, the Granada-born Dellafuente, C. Tangana, MAKA, RVFV, Demarco Flamenco, Maria Àrnal and Marcel Bagés, El Niño de Elche, Sílvia Pérez Cruz; Califato 3/4, Juanito Makandé, Soledad Morente, María José Llergo o Fuel Fandango are only a few of the new spanish musical scene that includes flamenco in their music.

It seems that the Spanish music scene is experiencing a change in its music and new rhythms are re-emerging together with new artists who are experimenting to cover a wider audience that wants to maintain the closeness that flamenco has transmitted for decades.

Flamenco Culture Overseas

The state of New Mexico, located in the southwest of the United States maintains a strong identity with Flamenco culture. The University of New Mexico located in Albuquerque offers a graduate degree program in Flamenco. Flamenco performances are widespread in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe communities, with the National institute of Flamenco sponsoring an annual festival, as well as a variety of professional flamenco performacess offere at various locales. Emmy Grimm, known by her stage name La Emi is a professional Flamenco dancer and native to New Mexico who performs as well as teaches Flamenco in Santa Fe. She continues studying her art by traveling to Spain to work intensively with Carmela Greco and La Popi, as well as José Galván, Juana Amaya, Yolanda Heredia, Ivan Vargas Heredia, Torombo and Rocio Alcaide Ruiz.

Main Palos

 
The Palos of flamenco

Palos (formerly known as cantes) are flamenco styles, classified by criteria such as rhythmic pattern, mode, chord progression, stanzaic form and geographic origin. There are over 50 different palos, some are sung unaccompanied while others have guitar or other accompaniment. Some forms are danced while others are not. Some are reserved for men and others for women while some may be performed by either, though these traditional distinctions are breaking down: the Farruca, for example, once a male dance, is now commonly performed by women too.

There are many ways to categorize Palos but they traditionally fall into three classes: the most serious is known as cante jondo (or cante grande), while lighter, frivolous forms are called Cante Chico. Forms that do not fit either category are classed as Cante Intermedio (Pohren 2005, 68). These are the best known palos (Anon. 2019; Anon. 2012):

Alegrías

The alegrías are thought to derive from the Aragonese jota, which took root in Cadiz during the Peninsular war and the establishment of the Cortes de Cadiz. That is why its classic lyrics contain so many references to the Virgen del Pilar, the Ebro River and Navarra.

Enrique Butrón is considered to have formalized the current flamenco style of alegrías and Ignacio Espeleta who introduced the characteristic "tiriti, tran, tran...". Some of the best known interpreters of alegrías are Enrique el Mellizo, Chato de la Isla, Pinini, Pericón de Cádiz, Aurelio Sellés, La Perla de Cádiz, Chano Lobato and El Folli.

One of the structurally strictest forms of flamenco, a traditional dance in alegrías must contain each of the following sections: a salida (entrance), paseo (walkaround), silencio (similar to an adagio in ballet), castellana (upbeat section) (Literally "a tap of the foot") and bulerías. This structure though, is not followed when alegrías are sung as a standalone song (with no dancing). In that case, the stanzas are combined freely, sometimes together with other types of cantiñas.

Alegrías has a rhythm consisting of 12 beats. It is similar to Soleares. Its beat emphasis is as follows: 1 2 [3] 4 5 [6] 7 [8] 9 [10] 11 [12]. Alegrías originated in Cádiz. Alegrías belongs to the group of palos called Cantiñas and it is usually played in a lively rhythm (120–170 beats per minute). The livelier speeds are chosen for dancing, while quieter rhythms are preferred for the song alone.

Bulerías

Bulerías a fast flamenco rhythm made up of a 12 beat cycle with emphasis in two general forms as follows: [12] 1 2 [3] 4 5 [6] 7 [8] 9 [10] 11 or [12] 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 [7] [8] 9 [10] 11. It originated among the Calé Romani people of Jerez during the 19th century,[12] originally as a fast, upbeat ending to soleares or alegrias. It is among the most popular and dramatic of the flamenco forms and often ends any flamenco gathering, often accompanied by vigorous dancing and tapping.

Fandango

Granaínas

Guajiras

Malagueñas

Peteneras

Saeta

Seguiriyas

Soleá

Tangos

Tanguillos

Tarantos

Tientos

Music

There are three fundamental elements which can help define whether or not something really is flameco: A flamenco mode -or musical tonality-; the compás -rhythm- and the performer. .. who should be a Flamenco! All three of these elements: tonality, compás, a flamenco performer and then something less easily identifiable- Flamencura- must be present together if we are to wend up with a piece of music which can be labelled 'flamenco'. By themselves, these elements won't turn a piece of music into flamenco.

— (Martinez 2011, 6)

Three fundamental elements that help define whether or not a dance belongs to the Flamenco genre are the presence of a Flamenco mode (musical tonality), compas, and a Flamenco performer (Martinez, 2003). These three elements contribute to the authenticity of a Flamenco performance also known as flamencura (Martinez, 2003). There is also no such thing as a passive audience during Flamenco performances [participatory music]. The audience joins in the performance by clapping their hands and even sometimes singing along (Totton, 2003).

— (Akombo 2016, 243)

Structure

A typical flamenco recital with voice and guitar accompaniment comprises a series of pieces (not exactly "songs") in different palos. Each song is a set of verses (called copla, tercio, or letras), punctuated by guitar interludes (falsetas). The guitarist also provides a short introduction setting the tonality, compás (see below) and tempo of the cante (Manuel 2006, 98). In some palos, these falsetas are played with a specific structure too; for example, the typical sevillanas is played in an AAB pattern, where A and B are the same falseta with only a slight difference in the ending (Martin 2002, 48).

Harmony

Flamenco uses the flamenco mode (which can also be described as the modern Phrygian mode (modo frigio), or a harmonic version of that scale with a major 3rd degree), in addition to the major and minor scales commonly used in modern Western music. The Phrygian mode occurs in palos such as soleá, most bulerías, siguiriyas, tangos and tientos.

 
Descending E Phrygian scale in flamenco music, with common alterations in parentheses

A typical chord sequence, usually called the "Andalusian cadence" may be viewed as in a modified Phrygian: in E the sequence is Am–G–F–E (Manuel 2006, 96). According to Manolo Sanlúcar E is here the tonic, F has the harmonic function of dominant while Am and G assume the functions of subdominant and mediant respectively (Torres Cortés 2001).

Guitarists tend to use only two basic inversions or "chord shapes" for the tonic chord (music), the open 1st inversion E and the open 3rd inversion A, though they often transpose these by using a capo. Modern guitarists such as Ramón Montoya, have introduced other positions: Montoya himself started to use other chords for the tonic in the modern Dorian sections of several palos; F for tarantas, B for granaínas and A for the minera. Montoya also created a new palo as a solo for guitar, the rondeña in C with scordatura. Later guitarists have further extended the repertoire of tonalities, chord positions and scordatura.

There are also palos in major mode; most cantiñas and alegrías, guajiras, some bulerías and tonás, and the cabales (a major type of siguiriyas). The minor mode is restricted to the Farruca, the milongas (among cantes de ida y vuelta), and some styles of tangos, bulerías, etc. In general traditional palos in major and minor mode are limited harmonically to two-chord (tonic–dominant) or three-chord (tonic–subdominant–dominant) progressions (Rossy 1998, 92). However modern guitarists have introduced chord substitution, transition chords, and even modulation.

Fandangos and derivative palos such as malagueñas, tarantas and cartageneras are bimodal: guitar introductions are in Phrygian mode while the singing develops in major mode, modulating to Phrygian at the end of the stanza (Rossy 1998, 92).

Melody

Dionisio Preciado, quoted by Sabas de Hoces (1982,[page needed]), established the following characteristics for the melodies of flamenco singing:

  1. Microtonality: presence of intervals smaller than the semitone.
  2. Portamento: frequently, the change from one note to another is done in a smooth transition, rather than using discrete intervals.
  3. Short tessitura or range: Most traditional flamenco songs are limited to a range of a sixth (four tones and a half). The impression of vocal effort is the result of using different timbres, and variety is accomplished by the use of microtones.
  4. Use of enharmonic scale. While in equal temperament scales, enharmonics are notes with identical pitch but different spellings (e.g. A♭ and G♯); in flamenco, as in unequal temperament scales, there is a microtonal intervalic difference between enharmonic notes.
  5. Insistence on a note and its contiguous chromatic notes (also frequent in the guitar), producing a sense of urgency.
  6. Baroque ornamentation, with an expressive, rather than merely aesthetic function.
  7. Apparent lack of regular rhythm, especially in the siguiriyas: the melodic rhythm of the sung line is different from the metric rhythm of the accompaniment.
  8. Most styles express sad and bitter feelings.
  9. Melodic improvisation: flamenco singing is not, strictly speaking, improvised, but based on a relatively small number of traditional songs, singers add variations on the spur of the moment.

Musicologist Hipólito Rossy adds the following characteristics (Rossy 1998, 97):

  • Flamenco melodies are characterized by a descending tendency, as opposed to, for example, a typical opera aria, they usually go from the higher pitches to the lower ones, and from forte to piano, as was usual in ancient Greek scales.
  • In many styles, such as soleá or siguiriya, the melody tends to proceed in contiguous degrees of the scale. Skips of a third or a fourth are rarer. However, in fandangos and fandango-derived styles, fourths and sixths can often be found, especially at the beginning of each line of verse. According to Rossy, this is proof of the more recent creation of this type of songs, influenced by Castilian jota.

Compás or time signature

Compás is the Spanish word for metre or time signature (in classical music theory). It also refers to the rhythmic cycle, or layout, of a palo.

The compás is fundamental to flamenco. Compás is most often translated as rhythm but it demands far more precise interpretation than any other Western style of music. If there is no guitarist available, the compás is rendered through hand clapping (palmas) or by hitting a table with the knuckles. The guitarist uses techniques like strumming (rasgueado) or tapping the soundboard (golpe). Changes of chords emphasize the most important downbeats.

Flamenco uses three basic counts or measures: Binary, Ternary and a form of a twelve-beat cycle that is unique to flamenco. There are also free-form styles including, among others, the tonás, saetas, malagueñas, tarantos, and some types of fandangos.

  • Rhythms in 2
    4
    or 4
    4
    . These metres are used in forms like tangos, tientos, gypsy rumba, zambra and tanguillos.
  • Rhythms in 3
    4
    . These are typical of fandangos and sevillanas, suggesting their origin as non-Roma styles, since the 3
    4
    and 4
    4
    measures are not common in ethnic Roma music.
  • 12-beat rhythms usually rendered in amalgams of 6
    8
    + 3
    4
    and sometimes 12
    8
    . The 12-beat cycle is the most common in flamenco, differentiated by the accentuation of the beats in different palos. The accents do not correspond to the classic concept of the downbeat. The alternating of groups of 2 and 3 beats is also common in Spanish folk dances of the 16th century such as the zarabanda, jácara and canarios.

There are three types of 12-beat rhythms, which vary in their layouts, or use of accentuations: soleá, seguiriya and bulería.

  1. peteneras and guajiras: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. Both palos start with the strong accent on 12. Hence the meter is 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11.
  2. The seguiriya, liviana, serrana, toná liviana, cabales: 121 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12.
  3. soleá, within the cantiñas group of palos which includes the alegrías, cantiñas, mirabras, romera, caracoles and soleá por bulería (also "bulería por soleá"): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. For practical reasons, when transferring flamenco guitar music to sheet music, this rhythm is written as a regular 3
    4
    .

The Bulerías is the emblematic palo of flamenco: today its 12-beat cycle is most often played with accents on the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th beats. The accompanying palmas are played in groups of 6 beats, giving rise to a multitude of counter-rhythms and percussive voices within the 12 beat compás. In certain regions like, Xerez, Spain, the rhythm stays in a simpler six-count rhythm, only including the twelve count in a musical resolve.[clarification needed]

Flamenco Bulerías with emphasis as [12] 1 2 [3] 4 5 [6] 7 [8] 9 [10] 11 – also the rhythm for the song "America" from West Side Story

Forms of flamenco expression

Toque (guitar)

The posture and technique of flamenco guitarists, called "tocaores", differs from that used by the players of classical guitar. While the classical guitarist supports the guitar on his left leg in an inclined way, the flamenco guitarist usually crosses his legs and supports it on the one that is higher, placing the neck in an almost horizontal position with respect to the ground. Modern guitarists usually use classical guitars, although there is a specific instrument for this genre called flamenco guitar. This is less heavy, and its body is narrower than that of the classical guitar, so its sound is lower and does not overshadow the cantaor. It is usually made of cypress wood, with the handle of cedar and the top of fir. The cypress gives it a brilliant sound very suitable for the characteristics of flamenco. Formerly, the palo santo from Rio or India was also used, being the first of higher quality, but currently it is in disuse due to its scarcity. The palo santo gave guitars an amplitude of sound especially suitable for solo playing. At present, the most widely used headstock is the metal one, since the wooden one poses tuning problems.

The main guitar makers were Antonio de Torres Jurado (Almería, 1817–1892) considered the father of the guitar, Manuel Ramírez de Galarreta [es], the Great Ramírez (Madrid, 1864 -1920), and his disciples Santos Hernández (Madrid, 1873–1943),[13] who built several guitars for the maestro Sabicas, Domingo Esteso and Modesto Borreguero [es]. Also noteworthy are the Conde Brothers, Faustino (1913–1988), Mariano (1916–1989) and Julio (1918–1996), nephews of Domingo Esteso, whose children and heirs continue the saga.

The guitarists use the technique of alzapúa, picado,[14] the strum and the tremolo,[15] among others. One of the first touches that is considered flamenco, such as the "rondeña", was the first composition recorded for solo guitar, by Julián Arcas (María, Almería, 1832 – Antequera, Málaga, 1882) in Barcelona in 1860. The strum can be performed with 5, 4 or 3 fingers, the latter invented by Sabicas. The use of the thumb is also characteristic of flamenco playing. Guitarists rest their thumb on the guitar's soundboard and their index and middle fingers on the string above the one they are playing, thus achieving greater power and sound than the classical guitarist. The middle finger is also placed on the pickguard of the guitar for more precision and strength when plucking the string. Likewise, the use of the pickguard as an element of percussion gives great strength to flamenco guitar playing. The melodic or flourishing phrase that is inserted between the chord sequences intended to accompany the couplet is called "falseta".[16]

The accompaniment and solo playing of flamenco guitarists is based on both the modal harmonic system and the tonal system, although the most frequent is a combination of both. Some flamenco songs are performed "a palo seco" (a cappella), without guitar accompaniment.

Cante (song)

According to the Royal Spanish Academy, "cante" is called the "action or effect of singing any Andalusian singing", defining "flamenco singing" as "agitated Andalusian singing" and cante jondo as "the most genuine song. Andalusian, of deep feeling ".[17] The interpreter of flamenco singing is called cantaor instead of singer, with the loss of the intervocalic characteristic of the Andalusian dialect.

The most important award in flamenco singing is probably the Llave de Oro del Cante [es], which has been awarded five times to: Tomás el Nitri [es], Manuel Vallejo [es; fr], Antonio Mairena, Camarón de la Isla and Fosforito.

Baile (dance)

El baile flamenco is known for its emotional intensity, proud carriage, expressive use of the arms and rhythmic stamping of the feet, unlike tap dance or Irish dance which use different techniques. As with any dance form, many different styles of flamenco have developed.

In the 20th century, flamenco danced informally at gitano (Roma) celebrations in Spain was considered the most "authentic" form of flamenco. There was less virtuoso technique in gitano flamenco, but the music and steps are fundamentally the same. The arms are noticeably different from classical flamenco, curving around the head and body rather than extending, often with a bent elbow.

 
Flamenco, Córdoba

"Flamenco puro" otherwise known as "flamenco por derecho" is considered the form of performance flamenco closest to its gitano influences. In this style, the dance is often performed solo, and is based on signals and calls of structural improvisation rather than choreographed. In the improvisational style, castanets are not often used.

"Classical flamenco" is the style most frequently performed by Spanish flamenco dance companies. It is danced largely in a proud and upright style. For women, the back is often held in a marked back bend. Unlike the more gitano influenced styles, there is little movement of the hips, the body is tightly held and the arms are long, like a ballet dancer. In fact many of the dancers in these companies are trained in Ballet Clásico Español more than in the improvisational language of flamenco. Flamenco has both influenced and been influenced by Ballet Clásico Español, as evidenced by the fusion of the two ballets created by 'La Argentinita' in the early part of the 20th century and later, by Joaquín Cortés, eventually by the entire Ballet Nacional de España et al.

In the 1950s Jose Greco was one of the most famous male flamenco dancers, performing on stage worldwide and on television including the Ed Sullivan Show, and reviving the art almost singlehandedly. Greco's company left a handful of prominent pioneers, most notably: Maria Benitez and Vicente Romero of New Mexico. Today, there are many centers of flamenco art. Albuquerque, New Mexico is considered the "Center of the Nation" for flamenco art. Much of this is due to Maria Benitez's 37 years of sold-out summer seasons. Albuquerque boasts three distinct prominent centers: National Institute of Flamenco, Casa Flamenca and Flamenco Works. Each center dedicates time to daily training, cultural diffusion and world-class performance equaled only to world-class performances one would find in the heart of Southern Spain, Andalucía.

Modern flamenco is a highly technical dance style requiring years of study. The emphasis for both male and female performers is on lightning-fast footwork performed with absolute precision. In addition, the dancer may have to dance while using props such as castanets, canes, shawls and fans.

"Flamenco nuevo" is a recent marketing phenomenon in flamenco. Marketed as a "newer version" of flamenco, its roots came from world-music promoters trying to sell albums of artists who created music that "sounded like" or had Spanish-style influences. Though some of this music was played in similar pitches, scales and was well-received, it has little to nothing to do with the art of flamenco guitar, dance, cante Jondo or the improvisational language. "Nuevo flamenco" consists largely of compositions and repertoire, while traditional flamenco music and dance is a language composed of stanzas, actuated by oral formulaic calls and signals.

 
Los Angeles, United States

The flamenco most foreigners are familiar with is a style that was developed as a spectacle for tourists. To add variety, group dances are included and even solos are more likely to be choreographed. The frilly, voluminous spotted dresses are derived from a style of dress worn for the Sevillanas at the annual Feria in Seville.

In traditional flamenco, only the very young or older dancers are considered to have the emotional innocence or maturity to adequately convey the duende (soul) of the genre (Anon. 2010). Therefore, unlike other dance forms, where dancers turn professional through techniques early on to take advantage of youth and strength, many flamenco dancers do not hit their peak until their thirties and will continue to perform into their fifties and beyond. One artist that is considered a young master is Juan Manuel Fernandez Montoya, otherwise known as "Farruquito". At age 12, Farruquito was considered a pioneer and for "Flamenco Puro", or "Flamenco por Derecho", because of his emotional depth.

Scenes of flamenco performance in Seville.

Regulated teaching of flamenco in educational centers

In Spain, regulated flamenco studies are officially taught in various music conservatories, dance conservatories and music schools in various autonomous communities. [18]

Conservatories of music

 
Rafael Orozco Superior Conservatory of Music of Córdoba.

Flamenco guitar studies in official educational centers began in Spain in 1988 at the hands of the great concert performer and teacher from Granada Manuel Cano Tamayo,[19] who obtained a position as emeritus professor at the Superior Conservatory de Música Rafael Orozco from Córdoba.

There are specialized flamenco conservatories throughout the country, although mainly in the Andalusia region, such as the aforementioned Córdoba Conservatory, the Murcia Superior Music Conservatory or the Superior Music School of Catalonia, among others. Outside of Spain, a unique case is the Rotterdam Conservatory, in the Netherlands, which offers regulated flamenco guitar studies under the direction of maestro Paco Peña since 1985, a few years before they existed in Spain.[20]

University

In 2018 the first university master's degree in flamenco research and analysis begins,[21] after the previous attempts of the "Doctorate Program of Approach to Flamenco", taught by several universities such as Huelva, Seville, Cádiz and Córdoba, among others.

History

The fandango, which in the 17th century was the most widespread song and dance throughout Spain, eventually ended up generating local and regional variants, especially in the province of Huelva. In Alta Andalucía and bordering areas the fandangos were accompanied with the bandola, an instrument with which they accompanied themselves following a regular beat that allowed dancing and from whose name the style derives " abandoned ". Thus arose the fandangos of Lucena, the drones of Puente Genil, the primitive malagueñas, the rondeñas, the jaberas, the jabegotes, the verdiales, the chacarrá, the granaína, the taranto and the taranta. Due to the expansion of the Sevillanas in Baja Andalusia, the fandango gradually lost its role as a support for the dance, which allowed the singer to shine and freedom, generating a multitude of fandangos of personal creation in the 20th century. Likewise, thousands of Andalusian peasants, especially from the Eastern Andalusian provinces, emigrated to the mining sites Murcian, where the tarantos and taranta s evolved. The Tarante de Linares, evolved into the mining of the Union, the Cartagena and the Levantica. At the time of the cafés cantantes, some of these cantes were separated from the dance and acquired a free beat, which allowed the performers to show off. The great promoter of this process was Antonio Chacón, who developed precious versions of malagueñas, granainas and cantes mineros.

The stylization of romance and cord sheets gave rise to corrido. The extraction of the romances from quatrains or three significant verses gave rise to the primitive tonás, the caña and the polo, which share meter and melody, but differing in their execution. The guitar accompaniment gave them a beat that made them danceable. It is believed that their origin was in Ronda, a city in Alta Andalucía close to Baja Andalucía and closely related to it, and that from there they reached the Sevillian suburb of Triana, with a great tradition of corridos, where they became the soleá. From the festive performance of corridos and soleares, the jaleos arose in Triana, who traveled to Extremadura and in Jerez and Utrera led to the bulería, from where they spread throughout Baja Andalucía, generating local variations.

Lexicon

Ole

Adolfo Salazar states that the expressive voice ole, with which Andalusian cantaores and bailaores are encouraged, can come from the Hebrew verb oleh which means "to throw upwards", showing that the dervish girovaghi of Tunisia, Maghreb, also dance around to the sound of repeated "ole" or "joleh".[22][23] The use of the word "arza", which is the Andalusian dialect form, of pronouncing the voice imperative "rise", with the characteristic Andalusian equalization of / l / and / r / implosives. The indiscriminate use of the voices "arza" and "ole" is frequent when it comes to jalear, but the most evidence of the origin of this word can be from the caló: Olá, which means "come". Likewise, in Andalusia it is known as jaleo al ojeo de hunt, that is, the act of glancing, which is "driving away the game with voices, shots, blows or noise, so that they 'get up'".

Duende

According to the RAE dictionary (1956!) The "duende" in Andalusia is a "mysterious and ineffable charm", a charisma that the Gitanos call duende. Federico García Lorca, in his lecture Teoría y juego del duende confirms this ineffability of the duende by defining it with the following words from Goethe: "Mysterious power that everyone feels and that no philosopher explains". In the flamenco imaginary, the duende goes beyond technique and inspiration, in Lorca's words "To search for the duende there is no map or exercise". When a flamenco artist experiences the arrival of this mysterious charm, the expressions "have duende" or sing, play or dance "with duende" are used.

Along with those previously mentioned, there are many other words and expressions characteristic of the flamenco genre, such as "tablao flamenco", "flamenco spree", "third", "aflamencar", and "flamenco".

See also

  • Concurso de Cante Jondo – (Contest of the Deep Song) was a fiesta of flamenco arts, music, song, and dance, held in Granada in 1922
  • Festival Bienal Flamenco – in theatres Seville, this festival features flamenco puro to innovative new works by dancers, vocalists and guitarists
  • Flamenco rumba – a style of flamenco music
  • Flamenco rock – a rock music subgenre that emerged from Andalusia
  • Flamenco shoes – commonly leather shoes constructed with small nails embedded in the toe and heel to enhance the sound of the dancer's percussive footwork
  • Latin Grammy Award for Best Flamenco Album
  • Kumpanía: Flamenco Los Angeles – a 2011 independent documentary film exploring the origins and contemporary Spanish culture of flamenco
  • New flamenco – a derivative of traditional flamenco fusing flamenco guitar virtuosity with other musical styles
  • Camarón de la Isla – considered one of the all-time greatest flamenco singers
  • Paco de Lucia – a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer, and record producer
  • David Peña Dorantes – a Romani flamenco pianist and composer from Andalusia
  • Niño Josele – a Spanish guitarist, and exponent of the New flamenco style
  • Paco Peña – regarded as one of the world's foremost traditional flamenco guitar players
  • Sevillanas – a type of folk music and dance of Seville and its region, influenced by flamenco
  • Silverio Franconetti – a singer and the leading figure of the period in flamenco history known as "The Golden Age"
  • Tablao – a place where flamenco shows are performed and the term used for the flamenco dance floor
  • Tomatito – a Spanish roma flamenco guitarist
  • Traje de flamenca – the dress traditionally worn by women at festivals in Andalusia; one form worn by dancers
  • María Pagés – a modern Spanish dancer and choreographer, considered the paramount representative of flamenco vanguard
  • Cristina Hoyos – a Spanish flamenco dancer, choreographer and actress who played an important role during the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona
  • Vicente Amigo – a Spanish flamenco composer and guitarist
  • Antoñita Singla – a Catalonian flamenco dancer and actress known as "La Singla" who took Spain and Europe by storm in the period 1960–1988.
  • Flamenco zapateado notation – It is the graphic representation of the sonorous and motor aspects of the particular movements of flamenco dancing

References

  1. ^ a b (Leblon 2003, 72-73)
  2. ^ (Aoyama 2007, 105)
  3. ^ (Manuel 1989, 51-52)
  4. ^ (Hayes 2009, 31-37)
  5. ^ (Akombo 2016, 240–241)
  6. ^ (Ríos Ruiz 1997, 16-17)
  7. ^ "Flamenco". ich.unesco.org. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Gitanos en España: camina o revienta". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 17 September 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  9. ^ "El costumbrismo andaluz".
  10. ^ Isabel Vargas (15 June 2017). "El día grande del cante 'jondo'". Europa Sur. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  11. ^ Seville Flamenco Dance Museum 2014.
  12. ^ Manuel, Peter (1986). "Evolution and Structure in Flamenco Harmony". Current Musicology. Columbia University Press. 42 (42): 46–47. doi:10.7916/D88051HJ. S2CID 193937795. Other cantes, although Andalusian in a general sense, originated from Gypsy subculture and lack non-Gypsy counterparts; these would include siguiriyas, soleares, bulerias, and tonas
  13. ^ . flamenco-guitars.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  14. ^ Picado consists of pressing a string with the index and middle fingers alternately, resting the fingers on the immediately superior string.
  15. ^ The tremolo which is the action of pressing the same string with the pinky, ring, middle and index finger. consecutively and quickly. It is a technique that in flamenco is executed using four fingers, while in classical guitar only three are used (ring, heart and index).
  16. ^ There is also talk of playing or accompanying above (using the fingering of the chord E major) and through (A major), regardless of whether or not it was transported with the capo.
  17. ^ See cante in the DRAE.
  18. ^ "El IES Santa Isabel de Hungría, Fernando Gallo y el CADF recogen los premios 'Flamenco en el Aula'". 17 November 2018.
  19. ^ The art of living flamenco (ed.). "Manuel Cano Tamayo".
  20. ^ The art of living flamenco (ed.). "Paco Peña".
  21. ^ The scientific corpus of flamenco
  22. ^ According to Salazar, the origin of the verb joleh could be in the liturgical Hallel. Salazar, Adolfo. The Music of Spain. Ed. Espasa Calpe, Madrid. Austral Collection. 1514. 1975. P. 44-45.
  23. ^ Derviches Tourneurs 4 on YouTube

Sources

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    • Vol. II: Coplas; texto en Google Books.
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  • [1]
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  • Los Palos del Flamenco | Los Palos del Flamenco. Artículos sobre el origen y evolución del arte flamenco. 23 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine (Flamencos Online)

Notes


External links

  • Flamenco show in Seville

flamenco, other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scho. For other uses see Flamenco disambiguation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Flamenco news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Flamenco Spanish pronunciation flaˈmeŋko in its strictest sense 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 1 2 3 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 4 FlamencoBelen Maya a Flamenco dancer of the gitano ethnicity in traditional dressCultural originsAndalusian people Cale Roma Late 18th century SpainTypical instrumentsVocalsclappingguitarcastanetscajon flamencoDerivative formsFlamenco rock nuevo flamencoSubgenresAlegrias bulerias fandango malaguenas rumba flamenca sevillanas siguiriyas solea tango tientos verdialesOther topicsMusic of Spainmusic of Andalusiacantes chicoscante jondocantes intermediosfalsetasFlamencoUNESCO Intangible Cultural HeritageCountrySpainDomainsPerforming artsReference363RegionEurope and North AmericaInscription historyInscription2010 5th session ListRepresentativeThe oldest record of flamenco music dates to 1774 in the book Las Cartas Marruecas by Jose Cadalso 5 The development of flamenco over the past two centuries is well documented the theatre movement of sainetes one act plays and tonadillas popular song books and song sheets customs studies of dances and toques perfection newspapers graphic documents in paintings and engravings in continuous evolution together with rhythm the poetic stanzas and the ambiance 6 On 16 November 2010 UNESCO declared flamenco one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity 7 Contents 1 History 1 1 The casticismo 1 2 Los cafes cantantes 1 3 The antiflamenquismo of La generacion del 98 1 4 The flamenca opera 1 5 Flamencologia 1 6 Flamenco protest during the Franco regime 1 7 Flamenco fusion 1 8 New flamenco 1 9 Flamenco Culture Overseas 2 Main Palos 2 1 Alegrias 2 2 Bulerias 2 3 Fandango 2 4 Granainas 2 5 Guajiras 2 6 Malaguenas 2 7 Peteneras 2 8 Saeta 2 9 Seguiriyas 2 10 Solea 2 11 Tangos 2 12 Tanguillos 2 13 Tarantos 2 14 Tientos 3 Music 3 1 Structure 3 2 Harmony 3 3 Melody 3 4 Compas or time signature 4 Forms of flamenco expression 4 1 Toque guitar 4 2 Cante song 4 3 Baile dance 5 Regulated teaching of flamenco in educational centers 5 1 Conservatories of music 6 University 6 1 History 7 Lexicon 7 1 Ole 7 2 Duende 8 See also 9 References 10 Sources 10 1 Notes 11 External linksHistory EditThis section s factual accuracy is disputed Relevant discussion may be found on Talk Flamenco Please help to ensure that disputed statements are reliably sourced August 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message It is believed that the flamenco genre emerged at the end of the 18th century in cities and agrarian towns of Baja Andalusia highlighting Jerez de la Frontera as the first written vestige of this art although there is practically no data related to those dates and the manifestations of this time are more typical of the bolero school than of flamenco There are hypotheses that point to the influence on flamenco of types of dance from the Indian subcontinent the place of origin of the Romani people 1 The casticismo Edit During the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century a number of factors led to rise in Spain of a phenomenon known as Costumbrismo Andaluz or Andalusian Mannerism In 1783 Carlos III promulgated a pragmatics that regulated the social situation of the Gitanos 8 This was a momentous event in the history of Spanish gitanos who after centuries of marginalization and persecution saw their legal situation improve substantially After the Spanish War of Independence 1808 1812 a feeling of racial pride developed in the Spanish conscience in opposition to the gallified Afrancesados Spaniards who were influenced by French culture and the idea of the enlightenment In this context gitanos were seen as an ideal embodiment of Spanish culture and the emergence of the bullfighting schools of Ronda and Seville the rise of the Bandidos and Vaqueros led to a taste for Andalusian romantic culture which triumphed in the Madrid court At this time there is evidence of disagreements due to the introduction of innovations in art 9 Los cafes cantantes Edit Cafe cantante in Seville Spain c 1888 Photograph by Emilio Beauchy aka E Beauchy In 1881 Silverio Franconetti opened the first flamenco singer cafe in Seville In Silverio s cafe the cantaores were in a very competitive environment which allowed the emergence of the professional cantaor and served as a crucible where flamenco art was configured In them Gitanos and non Gitanos learned the cantes while reinterpreting the Andalusian folk songs in their own style expanding the repertoire Likewise the taste of the public contributed to configure the flamenco genre unifying its technique and its theme The antiflamenquismo of La generacion del 98 Edit Flamenco defined by the Royal Spanish Academy as a fondness for flamenco art and customs is a conceptual catch all where flamenco singing and a fondness for bullfighting among other traditional Spanish elements fit These customs were strongly attacked by the generation of 98 all of its members being anti flamenco with the exception of the Machado brothers since Manuel and Antonio being Sevillians and sons of the folklorist Demofilo had a more complex vision of the matter The greatest standard bearer of anti flamenquism was the Madrid writer Eugenio Noel who in his youth had been a militant casticista Noel attributed to flamenco and bullfighting the origin of the ills of Spain which he saw as manifestations of the country s Oriental character which hindered economic and social development These considerations caused an insurmountable rift to be established for decades between flamenco and most intellectuals of the time The flamenca opera Edit Between 1920 and 1955 flamenco shows began to be held in bullrings and theaters under the name flamenco opera This denomination was an economic strategy of the promoters since opera only paid 3 while variety shows paid 10 At this time flamenco shows spread throughout Spain and the main cities of the world The great social and commercial success achieved by flamenco at this time eliminated some of the oldest and most sober styles from the stage in favor of lighter airs such as cantinas los cantes de ida y vuelta and fandangos of which many personal versions were created The purist critics attacked this lightness of the cantes as well as the use of falsete and the gaitero style In the line of purism the poet Federico Garcia Lorca and the composer Manuel de Falla had the idea of concurso de cante jondo en Granada en 1922 10 Both artists conceived of flamenco as folklore not as a scenic artistic genre for this reason they were concerned since they believed that the massive triumph of flamenco would end its purest and deepest roots To remedy this they organized a cante jondo contest in which only amateurs could participate and in which festive cantes such as cantinas were excluded which Falla and Lorca did not consider jondos but flamencos The jury was chaired by Antonio Chacon who at that time was the leading figure in cante The winners were El Tenazas a retired professional cantaor from Moron de la Frontera and Manuel Ortega an eight year old boy from Seville who would go down in flamenco history as Manolo Caracol The contest turned out to be a failure due to the scant echo it had and because Lorca and Falla did not know how to understand the professional character that flamenco already had at that time striving in vain to seek a purity that never existed in an art that was characterized by mixture and the personal innovation of its creators Apart from this failure with the Generation of 27 whose most eminent members were Andalusians and therefore knew the genre first hand the recognition of flamenco by intellectuals began At that time there were already flamenco recordings related to Christmas which can be divided into two groups the traditional flamenco carol and flamenco songs that adapt their lyrics to the Christmas theme These cantes have been maintained to this day the Zambomba Jerezana being spatially representative declared an Asset of Intangible Cultural Interest by the Junta de Andalucia in December 2015 During the Spanish Civil War a large number of singers were exiled or died defending the Republic and the humiliations to which they were being subjected by the National Party Bando Nacional Corruco de Algeciras Chaconcito El Carbonerillo El Chato De Las Ventas Vallejito Rita la Cantaora Angelillo Guerrita are some of them In the postwar period and the first years of the Franco regime the world of flamenco was viewed with suspicion as the authorities were not clear that this genre contributed to the national conscience However the regime soon ended up adopting flamenco as one of the quintessential Spanish cultural manifestations The singers who have survived the war go from stars to almost outcasts singing for the young men in the private rooms of the brothels in the center of Seville where they have to adapt to the whims of aristocrats soldiers and businessmen who have become rich In short the period of the flamenco opera was a time open to creativity and that definitely made up most of the flamenco repertoire It was the Golden Age of this genre with figures such as Antonio Chacon Manuel Vallejo Manuel Vallejo es fr Manuel Torre La Nina de los Peines Pepe Marchena and Manolo Caracol Flamencologia Edit Starting in the 1950s abundant anthropological and musicological studies on flamenco began to be published In 1954 Hispavox published the first Antologia del Cante Flamenco a sound recording that was a great shock to its time dominated by orchestrated cante and consequently mystified In 1955 the Argentine intellectual Anselmo Gonzalez Climent published an essay called Flamencologia whose title he baptized the set of knowledge techniques etc on flamenco singing and dancing This book dignified the study of flamenco by applying the academic methodology of musicology to it and served as the basis for subsequent studies on this genre As a result in 1956 the National Contest of Cante Jondo de Cordoba was organized and in 1958 the first flamencology chair was founded in Jerez de la Frontera the oldest academic institution dedicated to the study research conservation promotion and defense of the flamenco art Likewise in 1963 the Cordovan poet Ricardo Molina and the Sevillian cantaor Antonio Mairena published Alalimon Mundo y Formas del Cante flamenco which has become a must have reference work For a long time the Mairenistas postulates were considered practically unquestionable until they found an answer in other authors who elaborated the Andalusian thesis which defended that flamenco was a genuinely Andalusian product since it had been developed entirely in this region and because its styles basic ones derived from the folklore of Andalusia They also maintained that the Andalusian Gitanos had contributed decisively to their formation highlighting the exceptional nature of flamenco among gypsy music and dances from other parts of Spain and Europe The unification of the Gitanos and Andalusian thesis has ended up being the most accepted today In short between the 1950s and 1970s flamenco went from being a mere show to also becoming an object of study Flamenco protest during the Franco regime Edit Flamenco became one of the symbols of Spanish national identity during the Franco regime since the regime knew how to appropriate a folklore traditionally associated with Andalusia to promote national unity and attract tourism constituting what was called national flamenquismo Hence flamenco had long been seen as a reactionary or retrograde element In the mid 60s and until the transition cantaores who opposed the regime began to appear with the use of protest lyrics These include Jose Menese and lyricist Francisco Moreno Galvan Enrique Morente Manuel Gerena El Lebrijano El Cabrero Lole y Manuel el Piki or Luis Marin among many others In contrast to this conservatism with which it was associated during the Franco regime flamenco suffered the influence of the wave of activism that also shook the university against the repression of the regime when university students came into contact with this art in the recitals that were held for example at the Colegio Mayor de San Juan Evangelista flamenco amateurs and professionals got involved with performances of a manifestly political nature It was a kind of flamenco protest charged with protest which meant censorship and repression for the flamenco activists As the political transition progressed the demands were deflated as flamenco inserted itself within the flows of globalized art At the same time this art was institutionalized until it reached the point that the Junta de Andalucia was attributed in 2007 exclusive competence in matters of knowledge conservation research training promotion and dissemination Flamenco fusion Edit Finnish Flamenco dancer Reima Nikkinen with an unidentified woman dancer in December 1971 In the 1970s there were airs of social and political change in Spain and Spanish society was already quite influenced by various musical styles from the rest of Europe and the United States There were also numerous singers who had grown up listening to Antonio Mairena Pepe Marchena and Manolo Caracol The combination of both factors led to a revolutionary period called flamenco fusion 11 The singer Rocio Jurado internationalized flamenco at the beginning of the 70s replacing the bata de cola with evening dresses Her facet in the Fandangos de Huelva and in the Alegrias was recognized internationally for her perfect voice tessitura in these genres She used to be accompanied in her concerts by guitarists Enrique de Melchor and Tomatito not only at the national level but in countries like Colombia Venezuela and Puerto Rico The musical representative Jose Antonio Pulpon was a decisive character in that fusion as he urged the cantaor Agujetas to collaborate with the Sevillian Andalusian rock group Pata Negra the most revolutionary couple since Antonio Chacon and Ramon Montoya initiating a new path for flamenco It also fostered the artistic union between the virtuoso guitarist from Algeciras Paco de Lucia and the long standing singer from the island Camaron de la Isla who gave a creative impulse to flamenco that would mean its definitive break with Mairena s conservatism When both artists undertook their solo careers Camaron became a mythical cantaor for his art and personality with a legion of followers while Paco de Lucia reconfigured the entire musical world of flamenco opening up to new influences such as Brazilian music Arabic and jazz and introducing new musical instruments such as the Peruvian cajon the transverse flute etc Other leading performers in this process of formal flamenco renewal were Juan Pena El Lebrijano who married flamenco with Andalusian music and Enrique Morente who throughout his long artistic career has oscillated between the purism of his first recordings and the crossbreeding with rock or Remedios Amaya from Triana cultivator of a unique style of tangos from Extremadura and a wedge of purity in her cante make her part of this select group of established artists Other singers with their own style include Cancanilla de Marbella In 2011 this style became known in India thanks to Maria del Mar Fernandez who acts in the video clip of the film You Live Once entitled Senorita The film was seen by more than 73 million viewers New flamenco Edit In the 1980s a new generation of flamenco artists emerged who had been influenced by the mythical cantaor Camaron Paco de Lucia Morente etc These artists were interested in popular urban music which in those years was renewing the Spanish music scene it was the time of the Movida madrilena Among them are Pata Negra who fused flamenco with blues and rock Ketama of pop and Cuban inspiration and Ray Heredia creator of his own musical universe where flamenco occupies a central place Also the recording company Nuevos Medios released many musicians under the label nuevo flamenco and this denomination has grouped musicians very different from each other like Rosario Flores daughter of Lola Flores or the renowned singer Malu niece of Paco de Lucia and daughter of Pepe de Lucia who despite sympathizing with flamenco and keeping it in her discography has continued with her personal style However the fact that many of the interpreters of this new music are also renowned cantaores in the case of Jose Merce El Cigala and others has led to labeling everything they perform as flamenco although the genre of their songs differs quite a bit from the classic flamenco This has generated very different feelings both for and against Other contemporary artists of that moment were O Funkillo and Ojos de Brujo Arcangel Miguel Poveda Mayte Martin Marina Heredia Estrella Morente or Manuel Lombo etc But the discussion between the difference of flamenco and new flamenco in Spain has just gained strength during since 2019 due to the success of new flamenco attracting the taste of the youngest Spanish fans but also in the international musical scene emphasizing the problem of how should we call this new musical genre mixed with flamenco One of these artist who has reinvented flamenco is Rosalia an indisputable name on the international music scene Pienso en tu mira Di mi nombre or the song that catapulted her to fame Malamente are a combination of styles that includes a flamenco south Spain traditional musical base Rosalia has broken the limits of this musical genre by embracing other urban rhythms but has also created a lot of controversy about which genre is she using The Catalan artist has been awarded several Latin GrammyAwards and MTV Video Music Awards which also at just 30 years old garners more than 40 million monthly listeners on Spotify But it is not the only successful case the Granada born Dellafuente C Tangana MAKA RVFV Demarco Flamenco Maria Arnal and Marcel Bages El Nino de Elche Silvia Perez Cruz Califato 3 4 Juanito Makande Soledad Morente Maria Jose Llergo o Fuel Fandango are only a few of the new spanish musical scene that includes flamenco in their music It seems that the Spanish music scene is experiencing a change in its music and new rhythms are re emerging together with new artists who are experimenting to cover a wider audience that wants to maintain the closeness that flamenco has transmitted for decades Flamenco Culture Overseas Edit The state of New Mexico located in the southwest of the United States maintains a strong identity with Flamenco culture The University of New Mexico located in Albuquerque offers a graduate degree program in Flamenco Flamenco performances are widespread in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe communities with the National institute of Flamenco sponsoring an annual festival as well as a variety of professional flamenco performacess offere at various locales Emmy Grimm known by her stage name La Emi is a professional Flamenco dancer and native to New Mexico who performs as well as teaches Flamenco in Santa Fe She continues studying her art by traveling to Spain to work intensively with Carmela Greco and La Popi as well as Jose Galvan Juana Amaya Yolanda Heredia Ivan Vargas Heredia Torombo and Rocio Alcaide Ruiz Main Palos Edit The Palos of flamenco Palos formerly known as cantes are flamenco styles classified by criteria such as rhythmic pattern mode chord progression stanzaic form and geographic origin There are over 50 different palos some are sung unaccompanied while others have guitar or other accompaniment Some forms are danced while others are not Some are reserved for men and others for women while some may be performed by either though these traditional distinctions are breaking down the Farruca for example once a male dance is now commonly performed by women too There are many ways to categorize Palos but they traditionally fall into three classes the most serious is known as cante jondo or cante grande while lighter frivolous forms are called Cante Chico Forms that do not fit either category are classed as Cante Intermedio Pohren 2005 68 These are the best known palos Anon 2019 Anon 2012 Alegrias Edit The alegrias are thought to derive from the Aragonese jota which took root in Cadiz during the Peninsular war and the establishment of the Cortes de Cadiz That is why its classic lyrics contain so many references to the Virgen del Pilar the Ebro River and Navarra Enrique Butron is considered to have formalized the current flamenco style of alegrias and Ignacio Espeleta who introduced the characteristic tiriti tran tran Some of the best known interpreters of alegrias are Enrique el Mellizo Chato de la Isla Pinini Pericon de Cadiz Aurelio Selles La Perla de Cadiz Chano Lobato and El Folli One of the structurally strictest forms of flamenco a traditional dance in alegrias must contain each of the following sections a salida entrance paseo walkaround silencio similar to an adagio in ballet castellana upbeat section zapateado Literally a tap of the foot and bulerias This structure though is not followed when alegrias are sung as a standalone song with no dancing In that case the stanzas are combined freely sometimes together with other types of cantinas Alegrias has a rhythm consisting of 12 beats It is similar to Soleares Its beat emphasis is as follows 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Alegrias originated in Cadiz Alegrias belongs to the group of palos called Cantinas and it is usually played in a lively rhythm 120 170 beats per minute The livelier speeds are chosen for dancing while quieter rhythms are preferred for the song alone Bulerias Edit Bulerias a fast flamenco rhythm made up of a 12 beat cycle with emphasis in two general forms as follows 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 or 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 It originated among the Cale Romani people of Jerez during the 19th century 12 originally as a fast upbeat ending to soleares or alegrias It is among the most popular and dramatic of the flamenco forms and often ends any flamenco gathering often accompanied by vigorous dancing and tapping Fandango Edit Granainas Edit Guajiras Edit Malaguenas Edit Peteneras Edit Saeta Edit Seguiriyas Edit Solea Edit Tangos Edit Tanguillos Edit Tarantos Edit Tientos EditMusic EditThere are three fundamental elements which can help define whether or not something really is flameco A flamenco mode or musical tonality the compas rhythm and the performer who should be a Flamenco All three of these elements tonality compas a flamenco performer and then something less easily identifiable Flamencura must be present together if we are to wend up with a piece of music which can be labelled flamenco By themselves these elements won t turn a piece of music into flamenco Martinez 2011 6 Three fundamental elements that help define whether or not a dance belongs to the Flamenco genre are the presence of a Flamenco mode musical tonality compas and a Flamenco performer Martinez 2003 These three elements contribute to the authenticity of a Flamenco performance also known as flamencura Martinez 2003 There is also no such thing as a passive audience during Flamenco performances participatory music The audience joins in the performance by clapping their hands and even sometimes singing along Totton 2003 Akombo 2016 243 Structure Edit A typical flamenco recital with voice and guitar accompaniment comprises a series of pieces not exactly songs in different palos Each song is a set of verses called copla tercio or letras punctuated by guitar interludes falsetas The guitarist also provides a short introduction setting the tonality compas see below and tempo of the cante Manuel 2006 98 In some palos these falsetas are played with a specific structure too for example the typical sevillanas is played in an AAB pattern where A and B are the same falseta with only a slight difference in the ending Martin 2002 48 Harmony Edit Flamenco uses the flamenco mode which can also be described as the modern Phrygian mode modo frigio or a harmonic version of that scale with a major 3rd degree in addition to the major and minor scales commonly used in modern Western music The Phrygian mode occurs in palos such as solea most bulerias siguiriyas tangos and tientos Descending E Phrygian scale in flamenco music with common alterations in parentheses A typical chord sequence usually called the Andalusian cadence may be viewed as in a modified Phrygian in E the sequence is Am G F E Manuel 2006 96 According to Manolo Sanlucar E is here the tonic F has the harmonic function of dominant while Am and G assume the functions of subdominant and mediant respectively Torres Cortes 2001 Guitarists tend to use only two basic inversions or chord shapes for the tonic chord music the open 1st inversion E and the open 3rd inversion A though they often transpose these by using a capo Modern guitarists such as Ramon Montoya have introduced other positions Montoya himself started to use other chords for the tonic in the modern Dorian sections of several palos F for tarantas B for granainas and A for the minera Montoya also created a new palo as a solo for guitar the rondena in C with scordatura Later guitarists have further extended the repertoire of tonalities chord positions and scordatura There are also palos in major mode most cantinas and alegrias guajiras some bulerias and tonas and the cabales a major type of siguiriyas The minor mode is restricted to the Farruca the milongas among cantes de ida y vuelta and some styles of tangos bulerias etc In general traditional palos in major and minor mode are limited harmonically to two chord tonic dominant or three chord tonic subdominant dominant progressions Rossy 1998 92 However modern guitarists have introduced chord substitution transition chords and even modulation Fandangos and derivative palos such as malaguenas tarantas and cartageneras are bimodal guitar introductions are in Phrygian mode while the singing develops in major mode modulating to Phrygian at the end of the stanza Rossy 1998 92 Melody Edit Dionisio Preciado quoted by Sabas de Hoces 1982 page needed established the following characteristics for the melodies of flamenco singing Microtonality presence of intervals smaller than the semitone Portamento frequently the change from one note to another is done in a smooth transition rather than using discrete intervals Short tessitura or range Most traditional flamenco songs are limited to a range of a sixth four tones and a half The impression of vocal effort is the result of using different timbres and variety is accomplished by the use of microtones Use of enharmonic scale While in equal temperament scales enharmonics are notes with identical pitch but different spellings e g A and G in flamenco as in unequal temperament scales there is a microtonal intervalic difference between enharmonic notes Insistence on a note and its contiguous chromatic notes also frequent in the guitar producing a sense of urgency Baroque ornamentation with an expressive rather than merely aesthetic function Apparent lack of regular rhythm especially in the siguiriyas the melodic rhythm of the sung line is different from the metric rhythm of the accompaniment Most styles express sad and bitter feelings Melodic improvisation flamenco singing is not strictly speaking improvised but based on a relatively small number of traditional songs singers add variations on the spur of the moment Musicologist Hipolito Rossy adds the following characteristics Rossy 1998 97 Flamenco melodies are characterized by a descending tendency as opposed to for example a typical opera aria they usually go from the higher pitches to the lower ones and from forte to piano as was usual in ancient Greek scales In many styles such as solea or siguiriya the melody tends to proceed in contiguous degrees of the scale Skips of a third or a fourth are rarer However in fandangos and fandango derived styles fourths and sixths can often be found especially at the beginning of each line of verse According to Rossy this is proof of the more recent creation of this type of songs influenced by Castilian jota Compas or time signature Edit Compas is the Spanish word for metre or time signature in classical music theory It also refers to the rhythmic cycle or layout of a palo The compas is fundamental to flamenco Compas is most often translated as rhythm but it demands far more precise interpretation than any other Western style of music If there is no guitarist available the compas is rendered through hand clapping palmas or by hitting a table with the knuckles The guitarist uses techniques like strumming rasgueado or tapping the soundboard golpe Changes of chords emphasize the most important downbeats Flamenco uses three basic counts or measures Binary Ternary and a form of a twelve beat cycle that is unique to flamenco There are also free form styles including among others the tonas saetas malaguenas tarantos and some types of fandangos Rhythms in 24 or 44 These metres are used in forms like tangos tientos gypsy rumba zambra and tanguillos Rhythms in 34 These are typical of fandangos and sevillanas suggesting their origin as non Roma styles since the 34 and 44 measures are not common in ethnic Roma music 12 beat rhythms usually rendered in amalgams of 68 34 and sometimes 128 The 12 beat cycle is the most common in flamenco differentiated by the accentuation of the beats in different palos The accents do not correspond to the classic concept of the downbeat The alternating of groups of 2 and 3 beats is also common in Spanish folk dances of the 16th century such as the zarabanda jacara and canarios There are three types of 12 beat rhythms which vary in their layouts or use of accentuations solea seguiriya and buleria peteneras and guajiras 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Both palos start with the strong accent on 12 Hence the meter is 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 The seguiriya liviana serrana tona liviana cabales 121 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 solea within the cantinas group of palos which includes the alegrias cantinas mirabras romera caracoles and solea por buleria also buleria por solea 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 For practical reasons when transferring flamenco guitar music to sheet music this rhythm is written as a regular 34 The Bulerias is the emblematic palo of flamenco today its 12 beat cycle is most often played with accents on the 3rd 6th 8th 10th and 12th beats The accompanying palmas are played in groups of 6 beats giving rise to a multitude of counter rhythms and percussive voices within the 12 beat compas In certain regions like Xerez Spain the rhythm stays in a simpler six count rhythm only including the twelve count in a musical resolve clarification needed source source source source source source Flamenco Bulerias with emphasis as 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 also the rhythm for the song America from West Side StoryForms of flamenco expression EditToque guitar Edit The posture and technique of flamenco guitarists called tocaores differs from that used by the players of classical guitar While the classical guitarist supports the guitar on his left leg in an inclined way the flamenco guitarist usually crosses his legs and supports it on the one that is higher placing the neck in an almost horizontal position with respect to the ground Modern guitarists usually use classical guitars although there is a specific instrument for this genre called flamenco guitar This is less heavy and its body is narrower than that of the classical guitar so its sound is lower and does not overshadow the cantaor It is usually made of cypress wood with the handle of cedar and the top of fir The cypress gives it a brilliant sound very suitable for the characteristics of flamenco Formerly the palo santo from Rio or India was also used being the first of higher quality but currently it is in disuse due to its scarcity The palo santo gave guitars an amplitude of sound especially suitable for solo playing At present the most widely used headstock is the metal one since the wooden one poses tuning problems The main guitar makers were Antonio de Torres Jurado Almeria 1817 1892 considered the father of the guitar Manuel Ramirez de Galarreta es the Great Ramirez Madrid 1864 1920 and his disciples Santos Hernandez Madrid 1873 1943 13 who built several guitars for the maestro Sabicas Domingo Esteso and Modesto Borreguero es Also noteworthy are the Conde Brothers Faustino 1913 1988 Mariano 1916 1989 and Julio 1918 1996 nephews of Domingo Esteso whose children and heirs continue the saga The guitarists use the technique of alzapua picado 14 the strum and the tremolo 15 among others One of the first touches that is considered flamenco such as the rondena was the first composition recorded for solo guitar by Julian Arcas Maria Almeria 1832 Antequera Malaga 1882 in Barcelona in 1860 The strum can be performed with 5 4 or 3 fingers the latter invented by Sabicas The use of the thumb is also characteristic of flamenco playing Guitarists rest their thumb on the guitar s soundboard and their index and middle fingers on the string above the one they are playing thus achieving greater power and sound than the classical guitarist The middle finger is also placed on the pickguard of the guitar for more precision and strength when plucking the string Likewise the use of the pickguard as an element of percussion gives great strength to flamenco guitar playing The melodic or flourishing phrase that is inserted between the chord sequences intended to accompany the couplet is called falseta 16 The accompaniment and solo playing of flamenco guitarists is based on both the modal harmonic system and the tonal system although the most frequent is a combination of both Some flamenco songs are performed a palo seco a cappella without guitar accompaniment Cante song Edit Main article Cante flamenco According to the Royal Spanish Academy cante is called the action or effect of singing any Andalusian singing defining flamenco singing as agitated Andalusian singing and cante jondo as the most genuine song Andalusian of deep feeling 17 The interpreter of flamenco singing is called cantaor instead of singer with the loss of the intervocalic characteristic of the Andalusian dialect The most important award in flamenco singing is probably the Llave de Oro del Cante es which has been awarded five times to Tomas el Nitri es Manuel Vallejo es fr Antonio Mairena Camaron de la Isla and Fosforito Baile dance Edit El baile flamenco is known for its emotional intensity proud carriage expressive use of the arms and rhythmic stamping of the feet unlike tap dance or Irish dance which use different techniques As with any dance form many different styles of flamenco have developed In the 20th century flamenco danced informally at gitano Roma celebrations in Spain was considered the most authentic form of flamenco There was less virtuoso technique in gitano flamenco but the music and steps are fundamentally the same The arms are noticeably different from classical flamenco curving around the head and body rather than extending often with a bent elbow Flamenco Cordoba Flamenco puro otherwise known as flamenco por derecho is considered the form of performance flamenco closest to its gitano influences In this style the dance is often performed solo and is based on signals and calls of structural improvisation rather than choreographed In the improvisational style castanets are not often used Classical flamenco is the style most frequently performed by Spanish flamenco dance companies It is danced largely in a proud and upright style For women the back is often held in a marked back bend Unlike the more gitano influenced styles there is little movement of the hips the body is tightly held and the arms are long like a ballet dancer In fact many of the dancers in these companies are trained in Ballet Clasico Espanol more than in the improvisational language of flamenco Flamenco has both influenced and been influenced by Ballet Clasico Espanol as evidenced by the fusion of the two ballets created by La Argentinita in the early part of the 20th century and later by Joaquin Cortes eventually by the entire Ballet Nacional de Espana et al In the 1950s Jose Greco was one of the most famous male flamenco dancers performing on stage worldwide and on television including the Ed Sullivan Show and reviving the art almost singlehandedly Greco s company left a handful of prominent pioneers most notably Maria Benitez and Vicente Romero of New Mexico Today there are many centers of flamenco art Albuquerque New Mexico is considered the Center of the Nation for flamenco art Much of this is due to Maria Benitez s 37 years of sold out summer seasons Albuquerque boasts three distinct prominent centers National Institute of Flamenco Casa Flamenca and Flamenco Works Each center dedicates time to daily training cultural diffusion and world class performance equaled only to world class performances one would find in the heart of Southern Spain Andalucia Modern flamenco is a highly technical dance style requiring years of study The emphasis for both male and female performers is on lightning fast footwork performed with absolute precision In addition the dancer may have to dance while using props such as castanets canes shawls and fans Flamenco nuevo is a recent marketing phenomenon in flamenco Marketed as a newer version of flamenco its roots came from world music promoters trying to sell albums of artists who created music that sounded like or had Spanish style influences Though some of this music was played in similar pitches scales and was well received it has little to nothing to do with the art of flamenco guitar dance cante Jondo or the improvisational language Nuevo flamenco consists largely of compositions and repertoire while traditional flamenco music and dance is a language composed of stanzas actuated by oral formulaic calls and signals Los Angeles United States The flamenco most foreigners are familiar with is a style that was developed as a spectacle for tourists To add variety group dances are included and even solos are more likely to be choreographed The frilly voluminous spotted dresses are derived from a style of dress worn for the Sevillanas at the annual Feria in Seville In traditional flamenco only the very young or older dancers are considered to have the emotional innocence or maturity to adequately convey the duende soul of the genre Anon 2010 Therefore unlike other dance forms where dancers turn professional through techniques early on to take advantage of youth and strength many flamenco dancers do not hit their peak until their thirties and will continue to perform into their fifties and beyond One artist that is considered a young master is Juan Manuel Fernandez Montoya otherwise known as Farruquito At age 12 Farruquito was considered a pioneer and for Flamenco Puro or Flamenco por Derecho because of his emotional depth Claudio Castelucho flamenco source source source source source source source source source source source source Theatre flamenco work sample Jose Villegas Cordero Baile Andaluz John Singer Sargent Spanish DancerScenes of flamenco performance in Seville Regulated teaching of flamenco in educational centers EditIn Spain regulated flamenco studies are officially taught in various music conservatories dance conservatories and music schools in various autonomous communities 18 Conservatories of music Edit Rafael Orozco Superior Conservatory of Music of Cordoba Flamenco guitar studies in official educational centers began in Spain in 1988 at the hands of the great concert performer and teacher from Granada Manuel Cano Tamayo 19 who obtained a position as emeritus professor at the Superior Conservatory de Musica Rafael Orozco from Cordoba There are specialized flamenco conservatories throughout the country although mainly in the Andalusia region such as the aforementioned Cordoba Conservatory the Murcia Superior Music Conservatory or the Superior Music School of Catalonia among others Outside of Spain a unique case is the Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands which offers regulated flamenco guitar studies under the direction of maestro Paco Pena since 1985 a few years before they existed in Spain 20 University EditIn 2018 the first university master s degree in flamenco research and analysis begins 21 after the previous attempts of the Doctorate Program of Approach to Flamenco taught by several universities such as Huelva Seville Cadiz and Cordoba among others History Edit The fandango which in the 17th century was the most widespread song and dance throughout Spain eventually ended up generating local and regional variants especially in the province of Huelva In Alta Andalucia and bordering areas the fandangos were accompanied with the bandola an instrument with which they accompanied themselves following a regular beat that allowed dancing and from whose name the style derives abandoned Thus arose the fandangos of Lucena the drones of Puente Genil the primitive malaguenas the rondenas the jaberas the jabegotes the verdiales the chacarra the granaina the taranto and the taranta Due to the expansion of the Sevillanas in Baja Andalusia the fandango gradually lost its role as a support for the dance which allowed the singer to shine and freedom generating a multitude of fandangos of personal creation in the 20th century Likewise thousands of Andalusian peasants especially from the Eastern Andalusian provinces emigrated to the mining sites Murcian where the tarantos and taranta s evolved The Tarante de Linares evolved into the mining of the Union the Cartagena and the Levantica At the time of the cafes cantantes some of these cantes were separated from the dance and acquired a free beat which allowed the performers to show off The great promoter of this process was Antonio Chacon who developed precious versions of malaguenas granainas and cantes mineros The stylization of romance and cord sheets gave rise to corrido The extraction of the romances from quatrains or three significant verses gave rise to the primitive tonas the cana and the polo which share meter and melody but differing in their execution The guitar accompaniment gave them a beat that made them danceable It is believed that their origin was in Ronda a city in Alta Andalucia close to Baja Andalucia and closely related to it and that from there they reached the Sevillian suburb of Triana with a great tradition of corridos where they became the solea From the festive performance of corridos and soleares the jaleos arose in Triana who traveled to Extremadura and in Jerez and Utrera led to the buleria from where they spread throughout Baja Andalucia generating local variations Lexicon EditOle Edit Adolfo Salazar states that the expressive voice ole with which Andalusian cantaores and bailaores are encouraged can come from the Hebrew verb oleh which means to throw upwards showing that the dervish girovaghi of Tunisia Maghreb also dance around to the sound of repeated ole or joleh 22 23 The use of the word arza which is the Andalusian dialect form of pronouncing the voice imperative rise with the characteristic Andalusian equalization of l and r implosives The indiscriminate use of the voices arza and ole is frequent when it comes to jalear but the most evidence of the origin of this word can be from the calo Ola which means come Likewise in Andalusia it is known as jaleo al ojeo de hunt that is the act of glancing which is driving away the game with voices shots blows or noise so that they get up Duende Edit According to the RAE dictionary 1956 The duende in Andalusia is a mysterious and ineffable charm a charisma that the Gitanos call duende Federico Garcia Lorca in his lecture Teoria y juego del duende confirms this ineffability of the duende by defining it with the following words from Goethe Mysterious power that everyone feels and that no philosopher explains In the flamenco imaginary the duende goes beyond technique and inspiration in Lorca s words To search for the duende there is no map or exercise When a flamenco artist experiences the arrival of this mysterious charm the expressions have duende or sing play or dance with duende are used Along with those previously mentioned there are many other words and expressions characteristic of the flamenco genre such as tablao flamenco flamenco spree third aflamencar and flamenco See also Edit Latin music portal Music portalConcurso de Cante Jondo Contest of the Deep Song was a fiesta of flamenco arts music song and dance held in Granada in 1922 Festival Bienal Flamenco in theatres Seville this festival features flamenco puro to innovative new works by dancers vocalists and guitarists Flamenco rumba a style of flamenco music Flamenco rock a rock music subgenre that emerged from Andalusia Flamenco shoes commonly leather shoes constructed with small nails embedded in the toe and heel to enhance the sound of the dancer s percussive footwork Latin Grammy Award for Best Flamenco Album Kumpania Flamenco Los Angeles a 2011 independent documentary film exploring the origins and contemporary Spanish culture of flamenco New flamenco a derivative of traditional flamenco fusing flamenco guitar virtuosity with other musical styles Camaron de la Isla considered one of the all time greatest flamenco singers Paco de Lucia a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist composer and record producer David Pena Dorantes a Romani flamenco pianist and composer from Andalusia Nino Josele a Spanish guitarist and exponent of the New flamenco style Paco Pena regarded as one of the world s foremost traditional flamenco guitar players Sevillanas a type of folk music and dance of Seville and its region influenced by flamenco Silverio Franconetti a singer and the leading figure of the period in flamenco history known as The Golden Age Tablao a place where flamenco shows are performed and the term used for the flamenco dance floor Tomatito a Spanish roma flamenco guitarist Traje de flamenca the dress traditionally worn by women at festivals in Andalusia one form worn by dancers Maria Pages a modern Spanish dancer and choreographer considered the paramount representative of flamenco vanguard Cristina Hoyos a Spanish flamenco dancer choreographer and actress who played an important role during the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona Vicente Amigo a Spanish flamenco composer and guitarist Antonita Singla a Catalonian flamenco dancer and actress known as La Singla who took Spain and Europe by storm in the period 1960 1988 Flamenco zapateado notation It is the graphic representation of the sonorous and motor aspects of the particular movements of flamenco dancingReferences Edit a b Leblon 2003 72 73 Aoyama 2007 105 Manuel 1989 51 52 Hayes 2009 31 37 Akombo 2016 240 241 Rios Ruiz 1997 16 17 Flamenco ich unesco org UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List 2010 Retrieved 30 September 2021 Gitanos en Espana camina o revienta ELMUNDO in Spanish 17 September 2015 Retrieved 24 October 2022 El costumbrismo andaluz Isabel Vargas 15 June 2017 El dia grande del cante jondo Europa Sur Retrieved 5 October 2019 Seville Flamenco Dance Museum 2014 Manuel Peter 1986 Evolution and Structure in Flamenco Harmony Current Musicology Columbia University Press 42 42 46 47 doi 10 7916 D88051HJ S2CID 193937795 Other cantes although Andalusian in a general sense originated from Gypsy subculture and lack non Gypsy counterparts these would include siguiriyas soleares bulerias and tonas Santos Hernandez guitars flamenco guitars com Archived from the original on 9 November 2017 Retrieved 9 November 2017 Picado consists of pressing a string with the index and middle fingers alternately resting the fingers on the immediately superior string The tremolo which is the action of pressing the same string with the pinky ring middle and index finger consecutively and quickly It is a technique that in flamenco is executed using four fingers while in classical guitar only three are used ring heart and index There is also talk of playing or accompanying above using the fingering of the chord E major and through A major regardless of whether or not it was transported with the capo See cante in the DRAE El IES Santa Isabel de Hungria Fernando Gallo y el CADF recogen los premios Flamenco en el Aula 17 November 2018 The art of living flamenco ed Manuel Cano Tamayo The art of living flamenco ed Paco Pena The scientific corpus of flamenco According to Salazar the origin of the verb joleh could be in the liturgical Hallel Salazar Adolfo The Music of Spain Ed Espasa Calpe Madrid Austral Collection 1514 1975 P 44 45 Derviches Tourneurs 4 on YouTubeSources EditAkombo David 2016 The Unity of Music and Dance in World Cultures North Carolina McFarland Books ISBN 978 0786497157 Aoyama Yuko 2007 The role of consumption and globalization in a cultural industry The case of flamenco Geoforum Elsevier 38 1 103 113 doi 10 1016 j geoforum 2006 07 004 Alvarez Caballero Angel El cante flamenco Alianza Editorial Madrid Second edition 1998 ISBN 84 206 9682 X First edition 1994 Alvarez Caballero Angel La Discografia ideal del cante flamenco Planeta Barcelona 1995 ISBN 84 08 01602 4 Anon 2010 El flamenco es declarado Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad por la Unesco permanent dead link Yahoo Noticias 16 November 2010 accessed 16 November 2010 Anon Palos amp compas Flamenco Events com 2012 accessed 19 March 2020 Anon Palos del Flamenco Categorias flamencoexport com 2019 accessed 19 March 2020 Arredondo Perez Herminia and Francisco J Garcia Gallardo Musica flamenca Nuevos artistas antiguas tradiciones In Andalucia en la musica Expresion de comunidad construccion de identidad edited by Francisco J Garcia y Herminia Arredondo Sevilla Centro de Estudios Andaluces 2014 pp 225 242 ISBN 978 84 942332 0 3 Banzi Julia Lynn PhD Flamenco Guitar Innovation and the Circumscription of Tradition 2007 382 pages AAT 328581 DAI A 68 10 University of California Santa Barbara Caba Landa Pedro and Carlos Caba Landa Andalucia su comunismo y su cante jondo First edition Editorial Atlantico 1933 Third edition Editorial Renacimiento 2008 ISBN 978 84 8472 348 6 Coelho Victor Anand Editor Flamenco Guitar History Style and Context in The Cambridge Companion to the Guitar Cambridge University Press 2003 pp 13 32 Garcia Lorca Federico El cante jondo Primitivo canto andaluz In full citation needed Harper Douglas flamenco Online Etymology Dictionary Hayes Michelle Heffner 2009 Flamenco Conflicting Histories of the Dance North Carolina McFarland Books ISBN 978 0786439232 Herrera Muhammad Ali March 2006 Breve biografia de Blas Infante Alif Nun 36 Archived from the original on 11 April 2013 Hoces Bonavilla Sabas de n d Acotaciones sobre algunos conceptos errados con el flamenco 1 funjdiaz net Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 22 October 2019 Revista de Folklore no 23 147 157 archive from 24 September 2015 Holguin Sandie 2019 Flamenco Nation The Construction of Spanish National Identity Madison University of Wisconsin Press pp 25 57 doi 10 2307 j ctvgc62dd ISBN 9780299321802 JSTOR j ctvgc62dd S2CID 197774320 Infante Blas 2010 Origenes de lo Flamenco y Secreto del Cante Jondo 1929 1933 PDF Consejeria de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucia p 166 Archived PDF from the original on 2 November 2013 Koster Dennis 1 June 2002 Guitar Atlas Flamenco Alfred Music Publishing ISBN 978 0 7390 2478 2 Retrieved 4 March 2013 Leblon Bernard 2003 Gypsies and Flamenco The Emergence of the Art of Flamenco in Andalusia Translated by Ni Shuinear Sinead Hatfield University of Hertfordshire Press ISBN 9781902806051 Machin Autenrieth Matthew 2015 Flamenco Algo Nuestro Something of Ours Music Regionalism and Political Geography in Andalusia Spain Ethnomusicology Forum 24 1 April 4 27 doi 10 1080 17411912 2014 966852 hdl 2164 17695 S2CID 217531496 Mairena Antonio and Ricardo Molina Mundo y formas del cante flamenco Libreria Al Andalus third edition 1979 First Edition Revista de Occidente 1963 Manuel Peter 1986 Evolution and Structure in Flamenco Harmony Current Musicology Columbia University Press 42 46 57 doi 10 7916 D88051HJ S2CID 193937795 Manuel Peter 1989 Andalusian Gypsy and Class Identity in the Contemporary Flamenco Complex Ethnomusicology University of Illinois Press 33 1 51 52 doi 10 2307 852169 JSTOR 852169 Martin Juan 2002 Solo Flamenco Guitar Mel Bay Publications p 48 ISBN 978 0 7866 6458 0 Martinez Emma 2011 Flamenco All You Wanted to Know Mel Bay ISBN 9781609744700 Martin Salazar Jorge Los cantes flamencos Diputacion Provincial de Granada Granada 1991 ISBN 84 7807 041 9 Manuel Peter Flamenco in Focus An Analysis of a Performance of Soleares In Analytical Studies in World Music edited by Michael Tenzer New York Oxford University Press 2006 pp 92 119 Mendoza Gabriela Ser flamenco no es una musica es un estilo de vida El Diario de Hoy 2011 page needed Ortiz Nuevo Jose Luis Alegato contra la pureza Libros PM Barcelona 1996 ISBN 84 88944 07 1 Pohren Donn E The Art of Flamenco Westport Connecticut Bold Strummer 2005 ISBN 978 0933224025 Real Academia Espanola flamenco ca Diccionario de la lengua Espanola tricentenary edition Madrid Real Academia Espanol 2019 accessed 19 March 2020 Rios Ruiz Manuel Ayer y hoy del cante flamenco Ediciones Istmo Tres Cantos Madrid 1997 ISBN 84 7090 311 X Rossy Hipolito Teoria del Cante Jondo Cresda Barcelona 1998 ISBN 84 7056 354 8 First edition 1966 Ruiz Ana 2007 Vibrant Andalusia The Spice of Life in Southern Spain Algora ISBN 978 0 87586 540 9 Torres Cortes Norberto El compromiso y la generosidad de manolo Sanlucar El Olivo no 88 February 2001 especial Manolo Sanlucar Rito y geografia del cante Serie documental de los anos 70 del siglo XX sobre los origenes estilos y pervivencia del cante flamenco con Jose Maria Velazquez Gaztelu Nuestro flamenco programa de Radio Clasica con Jose Maria Velazquez Gaztelu Agencia Andaluza para el Desarrollo del Flamenco Flamenco Viejo Flamenco Olimpico Reportaje Documental Flamenco de la A a la Z breve enciclopedia del flamenco que incluye diccionario en el sitio de Radiole GRANDE Felix Memoria del flamenco con prologo de Jose Manuel Caballero Bonald Galaxia Gutenberg Circulo de Lectores Barcelona 1991 Texto en PDF Flamenco en Sevilla LAFUENTE ALCANTARA Emilio 1825 1868 Cancionero popular Coleccion escogida de seguidillas y coplas 1865 Vol II Coplas texto en Google Books Sobre Emilio Lafuente Alcantara hermano de Miguel Lafuente Alcantara en el sitio Biblioteca Virtual de Arabistas y Africanistas Espanoles 1 Universo Lorca El Concurso del Cante Jondo de 1922 Web dedicada a la vida y obra de Federico Garcia Lorca y su vinculacion con Granada Diputacion de Granada Los Palos del Flamenco Los Palos del Flamenco Articulos sobre el origen y evolucion del arte flamenco Archived 23 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine Flamencos Online Notes EditExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flamenco Flamenco show in Seville Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Flamenco amp oldid 1151039664, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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