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Flamenco
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins
Typical instruments
Mainstream popularity Sporadic except among Andalucians and Gitanos, mostly popular in Spain
Subgenres
Alegrías - Bulerias - Tangos - Fandangos - Farruca - Guajiras - Peteneras - Sevillana - Siguiriyas - Soleares - Tientos - Zambra - and many others, see the palos list below. Andalusia (Andalucía is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest in terms of land area The Romani people in Spain are generally known as Gitanos. Spanish Roma tend to speak Caló which is basically Andalusian Spanish with a large Mozarabic was a continuum of closely related Romance dialects spoken in Muslim dominated areas of the Iberian Peninsula during the early stages of the The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Andalusia (Andalucía is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest in terms of land area A flamenco guitar is a type of Classical guitar, built for the purpose of playing Flamenco music Castanets are Percussion instrument ( Idiophone) much used in Moorish, Ottoman, Ancient Roman, Italian, Spanish A cajón (ka'xɔn (plural Cajones not cajons (Spanish for 'crate' 'drawer' or 'box' is a kind of box Drum played by slapping the front face (generally thin plywood with Alegrías is a Flamenco palo or musical form which has a rhythm consisting of 12 beats Bulería (interchangeable with the plural bulerías is a fast Flamenco rhythm in 12 beats with emphasis in two general forms as follows1 2 ' Tangos is a Flamenco palo closely related in form and feeling to the Rumba. Fandango is a style of Folk and Flamenco Music and Dance. It arose as a dance of courtship in Andalusia in southern Spain Farruca is a form of Flamenco music probably originating in the Galicia region of north-western Spain. Punto Guajiro (also called Punto Cubano) with its Andalucian origins has been evolving in Cuba since the 1700s is the country music from the The Petenera is a Flamenco Palo in a 12-beat metre, with strong beats distributed as follows ' [3] ' [6] ' ' ' ' Sevillanas is a type of Folk music, sung and written in Seville ( Andalusia) in Spain. Siguiriyas (also seguiriyas, Seguidilla Gitana) is a form of Flamenco music belonging to the Cante jondo category Tiento is a musical form and Flamenco palo originating in Spain in the mid-15th century The Zambra, also known as the Zambra Mora is a Flamenco dance performed by the Roma people ( Gitanos) of Granada Flamenco is a Spanish term that refers both to a musical genre known for its intricate rapid passages and a dance genre characterized by its audible footwork
Fusion genres
New Flamenco
Other topics
Music of Spain - Music of Andalucia
Cante Chico - Cante Jondo - Cante Intermedio - Falseta
Spanish Dancer by John Singer Sargent 1880 - 1881
Spanish Dancer by John Singer Sargent 1880 - 1881

Flamenco is a Spanish musical genre with strong, rhythmic undertones and is often accompanied with a similarly impassioned style of dance characterized by its powerful yet graceful execution, as well as its intricate hand and footwork. Nuevo Flamenco ("New Flamenco" is synonymous with contemporary Flamenco and is a modern derivative of traditional flamenco (see the Cafés cantantes period Spanish music is often considered abroad to be synonymous with Flamenco, an Andalusian musical genre which contrary to popular belief is not widespread outside that region The cante flamenco (flamenco song is one of the three main components within the expression of Flamenco, along with toque (playing the flamenco guitar and baile Cante jondo is a vocal style in Flamenco. An unspoiled form of Andalusian folk music the name means deep song ( Spanish hondo The cante flamenco (flamenco song is one of the three main components within the expression of Flamenco, along with toque (playing the flamenco guitar and baile A Falseta is part of a Flamenco song much as a sentence is part of a paragraph Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Flamenco embodies a complex musical and cultural tradition. Although considered part of the culture of Spain in general, flamenco actually originates from one region: Andalusia. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Andalusia (Andalucía is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest in terms of land area However, other areas, mainly Extremadura and Murcia, have contributed to the development of several flamenco musical forms, and a great number of renowned flamenco artists have been born in other territories of the state. Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. The Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia (Spanish Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia) is one of Spain 's seventeen autonomous communities The roots of flamenco are not precisely known, but it is generally acknowledged that flamenco grew out of the unique interplay of native Andalucian, Islamic, Sephardic, and Gypsy cultures that existed in Andalucia prior to and after the Reconquest. Andalusia (Andalucía is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest in terms of land area For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins The Reconquista (a Spanish and Portuguese word for "Reconquest" Arabic: الاسترداد, "Recapturing" was a period Latin American and especially Cuban influences have also been important in shaping several flamenco musical forms. Latin music, includes the music of all countries in Latin America (and the Caribbean) and comes in many varieties The Caribbean island of Cuba has developed a wide range of creolized musical styles based on its cultural origins in Europe and Africa The term musical form refers to two related concepts the type of composition (for example a musical work can have the form of a Symphony, a

Once the seeds of flamenco were planted in Andalucia, it grew as a separate subculture, first centered in the provinces of Seville, Cádiz and part of Málaga—the area known as Baja Andalucía (Lower Andalusia)—but soon spreading to the rest of Andalucia, incorporating and transforming local folk music forms. Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. Cádiz ( Spanish:) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the province of the same name, a province which is one of eight As the popularity of flamenco extended to other areas, other local Spanish musical traditions (e. g. the Castilian traditional music) would also influence, and be influenced by, the traditional flamenco styles. Central Spain includes the cultural melting pot of Madrid and Castile.

Contents

Overview

Many of the details of the development of flamenco are lost in Spanish history. The History of Spain spans the period from Prehistoric Iberia, through the rise and fall of the first global empire, to Spain's current position There are several reasons for this lack of historical evidence:

There are questions not only about the origins of the music and dances of flamenco, but also about the origins of the very word flamenco. George Borrow writes that the word flemenc [sic] is synonymous with "Gypsy").

Blas Infante, in his book Orígenes de los Flamencos y Secreto del Cante Jondo, controversially argued that the word flamenco comes from Hispano-Arabic word fellahmengu, which would mean "expelled peasant"[2] after the end of the Moorish reign. Blas Infante Pérez de Vargas ( Casares, Spain; 5 July, 1885 - Seville, Spain; 11 August, 1936) Infante links the term to the ethnic Andalusians of Muslim faith, the Moriscos, who would have mixed with the Gypsy newcomers in order to avoid religious persecution. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. A morisco (Spanish " Moor -like" or mourisco (Portuguese was any Muslim of Spain or Portugal Other hypotheses concerning the term's etymology include connections with Flanders (flamenco also means Flemish in Spanish), believed by Spanish people to be the origin of the Gypsies, or the flameante (arduous) execution by the performers, or the flamingos. Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The terms Fleming and Flemings ( Vlaming and Vlamingen in Dutch) denote respectively a person and people and the Flemings or Flamingos or flamingoes ( are gregarious Wading birds in the Genus Phoenicopterus and family [3].

Background

For a complete picture of the possible influences that gave rise to flamenco, attention must be paid to the cultural and musical background of the Iberian Peninsula since Ancient times. The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra Long before the Moorish invasion in 711, Visigothic Spain had adopted its own liturgic musical forms, the Visigothic or Mozarabic rite, strongly influenced by Byzantium. The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East Mozarabic chant (also known as Hispanic chant, Old Hispanic chant, Old Spanish chant, or Visigothic chant) is the liturgical plainchant The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite, is the liturgical rite used currently (in various languages The Mozarabic rite survived the Gregorian reform and the Moorish invasion, and remained alive at least until the 10th or 11th century. History Gregorian chant was organized codified and notated mainly in the Frankish lands of western and central Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries with later additions Some theories, started by Spanish classical musician Manuel de Falla, link the melismatic forms and the presence of Greek Dorian mode (in modern times called “Phrygian mode”) in flamenco to the long existence of this separate Catholic rite. Manuel de Falla y Matheu ( November 23, 1876 &ndash November 14, 1946) was a Spanish Composer of classical music Due to historical confusion Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to two very different Musical modes or Diatonic scales Greek The Phrygian mode can refer to two different Musical modes or Diatonic scales the ancient Greek Phrygian mode and the Mediaeval Phrygian mode Unfortunately, owing to the type of musical notation in which these Mozarabic chants were written, it is not possible to determine what this music really sounded like, so the theory remains unproven.

Moor is not the same as Muslim. Moor comes from the Latin Mauroi, meaning an inhabitant of North Africa. The Carthaginians, for instance, came from North Africa. Moorish influence in the peninsula goes back thousands of years, but it was the Islamic invasion, by largely Berber armies in 711, that determined the main musical influences from North Africa. Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. Events By Place Europe April 30 — Ummayad troops led by Tariq ibn Ziyad land at Gibraltar, and begin They called the Iberian Peninsula Al-Andalus, from which the name of Andalusia derives. Al-Andalus (الأندلس was the Arabic name given to those parts of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Muslims or Andalusia (Andalucía is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest in terms of land area The Moorish and Arab conquerors brought their musical forms to the Peninsula, and at the same time, probably gathered some native influence in their music. The Emirate, and later Caliphate of Córdoba became a center of influence in both the Muslim and Christian worlds and it attracted musicians from all Islamic countries. The Caliphate of Córdoba (Arabic خلافة قرطبة ruled the Iberian peninsula ( Al-Andalus) and North Africa from the city of A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth One of those musicians was Zyriab, who imported forms of the Persian music, revolutionized the shape and playing techniques of the Lute (which centuries later evolved into the vihuela and the guitar), adding a fifth string to it, and set the foundations for the Andalusian nuba, the style of music in suite form still performed in North African countries. Abu l-Hasan ‘Ali Ibn Nafi‘ ( Persian and Arabic: أبو الحسن علي ابن نافع) (c Persian traditional music (also known as Iranian traditional music, Musiqi-e Sonati-e Irani, also Persian classical music or Iranian classical music Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either Fretted or unfretted and a deep round back or more specifically to an instrument from Vihuela is a name given to two different Guitar -like String instruments one from 15th and 16th century Spain, usually with 12 paired strings and the Andalusian classical music (or Arabo-Andalusian music, moussiqua al-âla) is a style of Arabic music found across North Africa, though it evolved In Music, a suite is an ordered set of Instrumental or Orchestral pieces normally performed in a Concert North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan

The presence of the Moors was also decisive in shaping the cultural diversity of Spain. Owing to the extraordinary length of the Reconquest started in the North as early as 722 and completed in 1492 with the conquest of Granada, the degree of Moorish influence on culture, customs and even language varies enormously between the North and the South. The Reconquista (a Spanish and Portuguese word for "Reconquest" Arabic: الاسترداد, "Recapturing" was a period Events By Place Americas 3 January — K'inich Ahkal Mo' Naab III takes the throne of the Maya state of Palenque Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous region of Andalusia, Spain. Music cannot have been alien to that process. While music in the North of the Peninsula has a clear Celtic influence which dates to pre-Roman times, Southern music is certainly reminiscent of Eastern influences. To what extent this Eastern flavour is owed to the Moors, the Jews, the Mozarabic rite (with its Byzantine influence), or the Gypsies has not been clearly determined. Byzantine music is the music of the Byzantine Empire composed to Greek texts as ceremonial festival or church music

During the Reconquest, another important cultural influence was present in Al-Andalus: the Jews. Enjoying a relative religious and ethnic tolerance due to Islamic law in comparison to Christian countries, they formed an important ethnic group, with their own traditions, rites, and music, and probably reinforced the middle-Eastern element in the culture and music forms of Al-Andalus. Certain flamenco palos like the Peteneras have been attributed a direct Jewish origin. A palo is the name traditionally given in the Flamenco environment for the different Musical forms that constitute the traditional musical heritage of flamenco The Petenera is a Flamenco Palo in a 12-beat metre, with strong beats distributed as follows ' [3] ' [6] ' ' ' '

The influence of the New World

Recent research has revealed that there might have been an influence of Sub-Saharan African music on flamenco's prehistory. Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries This developed from the music and dance of African slaves held by the Spanish in the New World. The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. There are 16th and 17th century manuscripts of classical compositions that are possibly based on African folk forms, such as negrillas, zarambeques, and chaconas. In Music, a chaconne (ʃaˈkɔn Italian: ciaccona) is a Musical form whose primary formal feature involves variation on a repeated We also find mention of the fandango indiano (Indiano meaning from the Americas, but not necessarily Native American). Fandango is a style of Folk and Flamenco Music and Dance. It arose as a dance of courtship in Andalusia in southern Spain The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Some critics support the view that the names of flamenco palos, like the tangos or even the fandango, are derived from Bantoid languages[4], and most theories state that the rhythm of the tangos was imported from Cuba. Tangos is a Flamenco palo closely related in form and feeling to the Rumba. Fandango is a style of Folk and Flamenco Music and Dance. It arose as a dance of courtship in Andalusia in southern Spain In the classification of African languages, Bantoid is a branch of the Benue-Congo subfamily of the Niger-Congo phylum Tangos is a Flamenco palo closely related in form and feeling to the Rumba.

It might be that during that stay in the New World, the fandango picked up dance steps deemed too inappropriate for European tastes. Thus, the dance for fandango, for chacon, and for zarabanda, were all banned in Europe at one time or another. The zarabanda is an old Spanish dance related to the Sarabande especially popular in the 16th and 17th centuries References to Gypsy dancers can be found in the lyrics of some of these forms, e. g. , the chacon. Indeed, Gypsy dancers are often mentioned in Spanish literary and musical works from the 1500s on. However, the zarabandas and jácaras are the oldest written musical forms in Spain to use the 12-beat metre as a combination of terciary and binary rhythms. Jacaras are Spanish songs of Arab origin which are accompanied with instruments and are performed during the Entr'acte of a theatrical performance and also as an Meter or metre is a concept related to an underlying division of time characteristic of western music The basic rhythm of the zarabanda and the jácara is 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12. The soleá and the Seguiriya, are variations on this: they just start the metre in a different beat. Siguiriyas (also seguiriyas, Seguidilla Gitana) is a form of Flamenco music belonging to the Cante jondo category [5]

The 18th century: the fandango and the Escuela Bolera

During this period of development, the “flamenco fiesta” developed. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system More than just a party where flamenco is performed, the fiesta, either unpaid (reunion) or paid, sometimes lasting for days, has an internal etiquette with a complex set of musical and social rules. In fact, some might argue that the cultural phenomenon of the flamenco fiesta is the basic cultural “unit” of flamenco.

A turning point in flamenco appears to have come about with a change of instruments. In the late 18th Century the favoured guitar became the 6 string single-coursed guitar which replaced the double-coursed 5 string guitar in popularity. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles It is the 6 string guitar to which flamenco music is inextricably tied. Flamenco became married to the 6 string guitar.

The rise of flamenco

During the late-eighteenth to mid-nineteenth centuries, flamenco took on a number of unique characteristics which separated it from local folk music and prepared the way to a higher professionalization and technical excellence of flamenco performers, to the diversification of flamenco styles (by gradually incorporating songs derived from folklore or even other sources), and to the popularization of the genre outside Andalusia.

The first time flamenco is mentioned in literature is in 1774 in the book Cartas Marruecas by José Cadalso. Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter José de Cadalso y Vázquez (1741-1782 Spanish, Colonel of the Royal Spanish Army author poet playwright and essayist one of the canonical producers of Spanish Enlightenment During this period, according to some authors, there is little news about flamenco except for a few scattered references from travellers. This led traditional flamencologists, like Molina and Mairena, to call the period of 1780 to 1850 as "The Hermetic Period" or the "private stage of flamenco". According to these flamencologists, flamenco, at this time was something like a private ritual, secretly kept in the Gypsy homes of some towns in the Seville and Cádiz area. This theory started to fall out of favour in the 1990s. José Blas Vega has denied the absence of evidences for this period:

Nowadays, we know that there are hundreds and hundreds of data which allow us to know in detail what flamenco was from 1760 until 1860, and there we have the document sources: the theatre movement of sainetes (one-act plays) and tonadillas, the popular songbooks and song sheets, the narrations and descriptions from travellers describing customs, the technical studies of dances and toques, the musical scores, the newspapers, the graphic documents in paintings and engravings; and all of this with no interruptions, in continuous evolution together with the rhythm, the poetic stanzas, and the ambience. Entremés, is a short and comic theatrical performance of one act usually played during the interlude of a performance of a long dramatic work in the 16th and 17th Entremés, is a short and comic theatrical performance of one act usually played during the interlude of a performance of a long dramatic work in the 16th and 17th (Quoted by Ríos Ruiz 1997)

Álvarez Caballero (1998) goes further, stating that if there are no news about flamenco previous to its late 1780 mentions, it is because flamenco simply did not exist. The whole theory about a hermetic stage would then be a fantasy, caused by the aura of mystery surrounding Gypsy culture.

There is disagreement as to whether primitive flamenco was accompanied by any instrument or not. For traditional flamencology, flamenco consisted of unaccompanied singing (cante). Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. Later, the songs were accompanied by flamenco guitar (toque), rhythmic hand clapping (palmas), rhythmic feet stomping (zapateado) and dance (baile). In Music, accompaniment is the art of playing along with a soloist or ensemble, often known as the Lead, in a Supporting manner A flamenco guitar is a type of Classical guitar, built for the purpose of playing Flamenco music A clap is the sound made by striking together two flat surfaces as in the body parts of humans or animals The zapateado is a Dance of Spanish origin characterized by a lively rhythm punctuated by the striking of the dancer's shoes akin to Tap dance Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Later theories claim that this is false. While some cante forms are sung unaccompanied (a palo seco), it is likely that other forms were accompanied if and when instruments were available. The Spanish term Cantes a palo seco refers to a category of flamenco Palos ( Musical forms traditionally sung A cappella or in some cases with some sort 19th century writer Estébanez Calderón already described a flamenco fiesta (party) in which the singing was accompanied not only by guitars, but also bandurria and tambourine. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The bandurria is a Plectrum plucked Chordophone from Spain, similar to the Cittern and the Mandolin, primarily used in Spanish The tambourine or Marine is a Musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame often of wood or plastic with pairs of small metal jingles

The Golden Age

During the so-called Golden Age of Flamenco, between 1869-1910, flamenco music developed rapidly in music cafés called cafés cantantes, a new type of venue with ticketed public performances. This was the beginning of the "café cantante" period. Flamenco was developed here to its definitive form. Flamenco dancers also became the major public attraction in those cafés. Along with the development of flamenco dance, guitar players supporting the dancers increasingly gained a reputation, and so flamenco guitar as an art form by itself was born. Reputation is the opinion (more technically a social evaluation of the public toward a Person, a group of people, or an Organization. A most important artist in this development was Silverio Franconetti, a non-Gypsy rob seaman of Italian descent. Silverio Franconetti, also known simply as Silverio ( June 10 1831 &ndash May 30 1889) was a famous singer and the leading figure He is reported to be the first "encyclopedic" singer, that is, the first who was able to sing well in all the palos, instead of specializing on a few of them, as was usual at the time. He opened his own café cantante, where he sang himself or invited other artists to perform, and many other venues of this kind were created in all Andalusia and Spain.

Traditional views on flamenco, starting with Demófilo have often accused this period as the start of the commercial debasement of flamenco. Antonio Machado (Alvarez (see Spanish naming customs) better known by his pseudonym Demófilo (Santiago de Compostela 1848 - Seville 4 February 1893 was a writer The traditional flamenco fiesta is crowded if more than 20 people are present. Moreover, there is no telling when a fiesta will begin or end, or assurance that the better artists invited will perform well. And, if they do perform, it may not be until the morning after a fiesta that began the night before. By contrast, the café cantante offered set performances at set hours and top artists were contracted to perform. For some, this professionalization led to commercialism, while for others it stimulated healthy competition and therefore, more creativity and technical proficiency. In fact, most traditional flamenco forms were created or developed during this time or, at least, have been attributed to singers of this period like El Loco Mateo, El Nitri, Rojo el Alpargatero, Enrique el Mellizo, Paquirri El Guanté, or La Serneta, among many others. Enrique Jiménez Fernández ( Cádiz, 1848-1906 known as Enrique el Mellizo was a famous Flamenco singer the most influential one in the development of La Serneta ( Jerez de la Frontera, 1837- Utrera, 1910 was a famous Spanish Flamenco Singer ( cantaora) Some of them were professionals, while others sang only at private gatherings but their songs were learned and divulged by professional singers.

In the 19th century, both flamenco and its association with Gypsies started to become popular throughout Europe, even into Russia. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Composers wrote music and operas on what they thought were Gypsy-flamenco themes. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Any traveler through Spain “had” to see the Gypsies perform flamenco. Spain - often to the chagrin of non-Andalucian Spaniards - became associated with flamenco and Gypsies. This interest was in keeping with the European fascination with folklore during those decades.

In 1922, one of Spain's greatest writers, Federico García Lorca, and renowned composer Manuel de Falla, organised the Concurso de Cante Jondo, a folk music festival dedicated to cante jondo ("deep song"). A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms Federico García Lorca' ( 5 June 1898 &ndash 19 August 1936) was a Spanish Poet and dramatist also remembered as Manuel de Falla y Matheu ( November 23, 1876 &ndash November 14, 1946) was a Spanish Composer of classical music Cante jondo is a vocal style in Flamenco. An unspoiled form of Andalusian folk music the name means deep song ( Spanish hondo They did this to stimulate interest in some styles of flamenco, which were falling into oblivion as they were regarded uncommercial and, therefore, not apt the cafés cantante. Two of Lorca's most important poetic works, Poema del Cante Jondo and Romancero Gitano, show Lorca's fascination with flamenco and appreciation of Spanish folk culture. However, the initiative was not very influential, and the derivations of fandango and other styles kept gaining popularity while the more difficult styles like siguiriyas and, especially, tonás were usually only performed in private parties. Siguiriyas (also seguiriyas, Seguidilla Gitana) is a form of Flamenco music belonging to the Cante jondo category Tonás is the name given to a Palo or type of Flamenco songs It belongs to the wider category of Cantes a palo seco, that is palos which are

The "Theatrical" period: 1892-1956

The stage after the Concurso de Cante Jondo in 1922 is known as Etapa teatral (Theatrical period) or Ópera flamenca (Flamenco Opera) period. The name Ópera flamenca was due to the custom, started by impresario Vedrines to call these shows opera, as opera performances enjoyed lower taxes. The cafés cantante entered a period of decadence and were gradually replaced by larger venues like theatres or bullrings. This led to an immense popularity of flamenco but, according to traditionalist critics, also caused it to fall victim to commercialism and economic interests. New types of flamenco shown were born, where flamenco was mixed with other music genres and theatre interludes portraying picturesque scenes by Gitanos and Andalusians.

The dominant palos of this era were the personal fandango, the cantes de ida y vuelta (songs of Latin American origin) and the song in bulería style. Cantes de ida y vuelta is a Spanish expression literally meaning roundtrip songs. Bulería (interchangeable with the plural bulerías is a fast Flamenco rhythm in 12 beats with emphasis in two general forms as follows1 2 ' Personal fandangos were based on Huelva traditional styles with a free rhythm (as a cante libre) and with a high density of virtuouso variations. Cantes libres (sing cante libre) is a Spanish expression that literally means free songs. The song in bulería style (Canción por bulerías) adapted any popular or commercial song to the bulería rhythm. This period also saw the birth of a new genre, sometimes called copla andaluza (Andalusian couplet) or canción española (Spanish song), a type of ballads with influences from zarzuela, Andalusian folk songs, and flamenco, usually accompanied with orchestra, which enjoyed great popularity and was performed both by flamenco and non-flamenco artists. A couplet is a pair of lines of verse. It usually consists of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter Zarzuela (θarˈθwela in Spain in Latin America is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes the latter incorporating Operatic Owing to its links with flamenco shows, many people consider this genre as "flamenco".

The leading artist at the time was Pepe Marchena, who sang in a sweet falsetto voice, using spectacular vocal runs reminding of bel canto coloratura. José Tejada Marín (Marchena Seville, Spain 1903-Seville December 4, 1976) known as Pepe Marchena, and also as Niño de Marchena Bel canto ( Bel-Canto) ( Italian, "beautiful singing" an Italian musical term refers to the art and science of vocal technique which originated in Coloratura has several meanings The word derives from the Italian colorare (to Colour; to heighten to enliven or colorazione (colouring coloration A whole generation of singers was influenced by him and some of them, like Pepe Pinto, or Juan Valderrama also reached immense celebrity. Juan Valderrama Blanca ( May 24, 1916 &ndash April 12, 2004) was a Spanish Flamenco and Folk singer. Many classical flamenco singers who had grown with the café cantante fell into oblivion. Others, like Tomás Pavón or Aurelio Sellé, found refuge in private parties. The rest adapted (though often did not completely surrender) to the new tastes: they took part in those mass flamenco shows, but kept singing the old styles, although introducing some of the new ones in their repertoire: it is the case of La Niña de los Peines, Manolo Caracol, Manuel Vallejo, El Carbonerillo and many others. Pastora Pavón Cruz, known as La Niña de los Peines ( Seville Spain, February 10, 1890 - November 26, 1969) is considered Manuel Ortega Juárez. ( July 9 1909 - February 24 1973) was a Flamenco cantaor.

This period has been considered by the most traditionalist critics as a time of complete commercial debasement. According to them, the opera flamenca became a "dictatorship" (Álvarez Caballero 1998), where bad personal fandangos and copla andaluza practically caused traditional flamenco to disappear. Other critics consider this view to be unbalanced (See Ríos Ruiz 1997:40-43): great figures of traditional cante like La Niña de los Peines or Manolo Caracol enjoyed great success, and palos like siguiriyas or soleá were never completely abandoned, not even by the most representative singers of the ópera flamenca style like Marchena or Valderrama. Pastora Pavón Cruz, known as La Niña de los Peines ( Seville Spain, February 10, 1890 - November 26, 1969) is considered Manuel Ortega Juárez. ( July 9 1909 - February 24 1973) was a Flamenco cantaor. Siguiriyas (also seguiriyas, Seguidilla Gitana) is a form of Flamenco music belonging to the Cante jondo category

Typical singers of the period like Marchena, Valderrama, Pepe Pinto or El Pena, have also been reappraised. Starting with singers like Luis de Córdoba, Enrique Morente or Mayte Martín, who recorded songs they created or made popular, a high number of singers started to rescue their repertoire, a CD in homage to Valderrama was recorded, and new generations of singers claim their influence. Enrique Morente Cotelo, known as Enrique Morente, born in Granada, 1942 is a Flamenco singer and controversial figure in contemporary flamenco Critics like Antonio Ortega or Ortiz Nuevo have also vindicated the artists of the ópera flamenca period.

Musical characteristics

Harmony

Whereas, in Western music, only the major and minor modes are explicitly named by composers, (except as an occasional oddity in jazz and classical music)[6] flamenco has also preserved the Phrygian mode, commonly "Dorian mode" by flamencologists, referring to the Greek Dorian mode, and sometimes also "flamenco mode". In Music theory, the major scale or Ionian scale is one of the diatonic scales It is made up of seven distinct Notes plus an eighth Minor Scale was a test conducted by the United States Defense Nuclear Agency (now part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency) involving the detonation The Phrygian mode can refer to two different Musical modes or Diatonic scales the ancient Greek Phrygian mode and the Mediaeval Phrygian mode Due to historical confusion Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to two very different Musical modes or Diatonic scales Greek The reason for preferring the term "Greek Dorian" is that, as in ancient Greek music, flamenco melodies are descending (instead of ascending as in usual Western melodic patterns). Some flamencologists, like Hipólito Rossy (Rossy 1998: 19–36) or guitarist Manolo Sanlúcar, also consider this flamenco mode as a survival of the old Greek Dorian mode. Manolo Sanlúcar is a flamenco composer and guitarist born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cadiz in 1945 The rest of the article, however, will use the term "Phrygian" to refer to this mode, as it is the most common denomination in English speaking countries.

The Phrygian mode is in fact the most common in the traditional palos of flamenco music, and it is used for soleá, most bulerías, siguiriyas, tangos and tientos, among other palos (Rossy 1998:82). Bulería (interchangeable with the plural bulerías is a fast Flamenco rhythm in 12 beats with emphasis in two general forms as follows1 2 ' Siguiriyas (also seguiriyas, Seguidilla Gitana) is a form of Flamenco music belonging to the Cante jondo category Tangos is a Flamenco palo closely related in form and feeling to the Rumba. Tiento is a musical form and Flamenco palo originating in Spain in the mid-15th century The flamenco version of this mode contains two frequent alterations in the 7th and, even more often, the 3rd degree of the scale: if the scale is played in E Phrygian for example, G and D can be sharp. In Music alteration, an example of Chromaticism, is the use of a neighboring pitch in the Chromatic scale in place of its Diatonic neighbor such In Music theory, a scale degree is the name of a particular note of a scale in relation to the tonic (the note of the scale that is considered This such augmentation results in the Phrygian Dominant mode of that key.

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

G sharp is compulsory for the tonic chord. Based on the Phrygian scale, a typical cadence is formed, usually called “Andalusian cadence”. In Western Musical theory, a harmonic cadence (Latin cadentia, "a falling" is a formula of two chords that conclude In Music theory, the Andalusian cadence is a Chord progression comprising four chords, whose roots descend stepwise following a particular pattern The chords for this cadence in E Phrygian are Am–G–F–E. According to guitarist Manolo Sanlúcar, in this flamenco Phrygian mode, E is the tonic, F would take the harmonic function of dominant, while Am and G assume the functions of subdominant and mediant respectively. Manolo Sanlúcar is a flamenco composer and guitarist born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cadiz in 1945 The tonic is the first note of a musical scale in the tonal method of Musical composition. A diatonic function, in tonal Music theory, is the specific recognized Roles of Notes or chords in relation to the key. In Music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the Diatonic scale. In Music, the mediant is the third degree of the Diatonic scale, being the "middle" note of the tonic [7]

When playing using the Phrygian mode, guitarists traditionally use only two basic positions for the tonic chord (music): E and A. The tonic is the first note of a musical scale in the tonal method of Musical composition. This article describes musical chords in traditional Western styles However, they often transport these basic tones by using a capo. A capo tasto (from Italian capo, "head" and tasto, "tie or fret" or simply capo, is a device Modern guitarists, starting with Ramón Montoya, have also introduced other positions. Ramón Montoya (born November 2 1880, Madrid, Spain; Died 1949 Flamenco guitarist and composer Montoya himself started to use other chords for the tonic in the doric sections of several palos: F sharp for tarantas, B for granaína, A flat for the minera, and he also created a new palo as solo piece for the guitar, the rondeña, in C sharp with scordatura. In Music, sharp means higher in pitch More specifically in Musical notation, sharp means "higher in pitch by a Semitone (half step" The Tarantella is an Italian dance its name coming from the town of Taranto, where it originated Minera (Mwynglawdd is a small Village in the county borough of Wrexham in Wales, bordering Coedpoeth to the east and Bwlchgwyn to A Rondeña is a ''palo'' or musical form of Flamenco originating in the town of Ronda in the province of Malaga in Spain A scordatura (literally Italian for "mistuning" also called cross-tuning, is an alternative Tuning used for the open strings of a String Later guitarists have further extended the repertoire of tonalities, chord positions and scordatura. Tonality is a system of Music in which specific hierarchical pitch relationships are based on a key "center" or tonic. [8].

There are also palos in major mode, for example, most cantiñas and alegrías, guajiras, and some bulerías and tonás, and the cabales (a major mode type of siguiriyas). The Cantiñas is a group of Flamenco palos ( Musical forms) originated in the area of Cádiz in Andalusia (although some Alegrías is a Flamenco palo or musical form which has a rhythm consisting of 12 beats Punto Guajiro (also called Punto Cubano) with its Andalucian origins has been evolving in Cuba since the 1700s is the country music from the Bulería (interchangeable with the plural bulerías is a fast Flamenco rhythm in 12 beats with emphasis in two general forms as follows1 2 ' Tonás is the name given to a Palo or type of Flamenco songs It belongs to the wider category of Cantes a palo seco, that is palos which are Siguiriyas (also seguiriyas, Seguidilla Gitana) is a form of Flamenco music belonging to the Cante jondo category The minor mode is less frequent and it is restricted to the Farruca, the milongas (among cantes de ida y vuelta), and some styles of tangos, bulerías, etc. Farruca is a form of Flamenco music probably originating in the Galicia region of north-western Spain. Cantes de ida y vuelta is a Spanish expression literally meaning roundtrip songs. In general, traditional palos in major and minor mode are limited harmonically to the typical two-chord (tonic–dominant) or three-chord structure (tonic–subdominant–dominant) (Rossy 1998:92). However, modern guitarists have increased the traditional harmony by introducing chord substitution, transition chords, and even modulation. A chord substitution is the use of a chord in the place of another related chord in a Chord progression. In Music, modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key ( tonic, or tonal center) to another

Fandangos and the palos derived from it (e. Fandango is a style of Folk and Flamenco Music and Dance. It arose as a dance of courtship in Andalusia in southern Spain g. malagueñas, tarantas, cartageneras) are bimodal. Malagueñas is one of the traditional styles of flamenco, derived from earlier types of fandango from the area of Málaga, classified among the Cantes de Levante Cartageneras are a Flamenco Palo belonging to the category of the Cantes de las minas (in English songs of the mines or cantes minero-levantinos Guitar introductions are in Phrygian mode, while the singing develops in major mode, modulating to Phrygian mode at the end of the stanza. (Rossy 1998:92)

Traditionally, flamenco guitarists did not receive any formal training, so they just relied on their ear to find the chords on the guitar, disregarding the rules of Western classical music. Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music This led them to interesting harmonic findings, with unusual unresolved dissonances (Rossy 1998:88). Examples of this are the use of minor 9th chords for the tonic, the tonic chord of tarantas, or the use of the 1st unpressed string as a kind of pedal tone. Pedal tones are special notes in the harmonic series of cylindrical-bore Brass instruments A pedal tone has the pitch of its harmonic series' fundamental tone

Melody

Dionisio Preciado, quoted by Sabas de Hoces[9] established the following characteristics for the melodies of flamenco singing:

  1. Microtonality: presence of intervals smaller than the semitone. Microtonal music is Music using microtones — intervals of less than an equally spaced Semitone. In Music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitches of two Notes Intervals may be described as vertical A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest Musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music and it is considered the
  2. Portamento: frequently, the change from one note to another is done in a smooth transition, rather than using discrete intervals. Portamento is a Musical term primarily denoting a vocal slide between two pitches and its emulation by instruments such as the violin and in 16th century
  3. Short tessitura or range: The most traditional flamenco songs are usually limited to a range of a sixth (four tones and a half). In Music, the term tessitura ( Italian for texture) generally describes the most musically acceptable and comfortable Timbre for a given In Music, the range of a Musical instrument is the distance from the lowest to the highest pitch it can play The impression of vocal effort is the result of using different timbres, and variety is accomplished by the use of microtones. In Music, timbre (ˈtæm-bər' like timber, or, from Fr timbre tɛ̃bʁ is the quality of a Musical note or sound that distinguishes different
  4. Use of enharmonic scale. An enharmonic scale is a musical scale in which there is no exact equivalence between a sharpened note and the flattened note it is enharmonically related to While in equal temperament scales, enharmonics are notes with identical name but different spellings (e. Equal temperament is a Musical temperament, or a system of tuning in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical Frequency ratio. In modern Music and notation, an enharmonic equivalent is a Note ( enharmonic tone) interval ( enharmonic interval) or g. A flat and G sharp), in flamenco, as in unequal temperament scales, there is a microtonal intervalic difference between enharmonic notes. Equal temperament is a Musical temperament, or a system of tuning in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical Frequency ratio.
  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. In Music, ornaments are musical flourishes that are not necessary to carry the overall line of the melody (or harmony but serve instead to decorate or "ornament"
  7. Greek Dorian mode (modern Phrygian mode) in the most traditional songs. Due to historical confusion Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to two very different Musical modes or Diatonic scales Greek The Phrygian mode can refer to two different Musical modes or Diatonic scales the ancient Greek Phrygian mode and the Mediaeval Phrygian mode
  8. 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. Siguiriyas (also seguiriyas, Seguidilla Gitana) is a form of Flamenco music belonging to the Cante jondo category
  9. Most styles express sad and bitter feelings.
  10. Melodic improvisation. Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting singing talking and reacting of making and creating in the moment and in response to the stimulus of Although flamenco singing is not, properly 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: 94):

Compás

Compás is the Spanish word for metre and time signature in classical music theory. Meter or metre is a concept related to an underlying division of time characteristic of western music The time signature (also known as " meter signature" is a notational convention used in Western Musical notation to specify how many beats Music theory is the field of study that deals with the Mechanics of music and how Music works In flamenco, besides having these meanings, it also refers to the rhythmic cycle, or layout, of a palo or flamenco style. When performing flamenco it is important to feel the rhythm — the compás — rather than mechanically count the beats. In this way, flamenco is similar to jazz or blues where performers seem to simply 'feel' the rhythm.

Flamenco uses three basic counts or measures: Binary, Ternary and the (unique to flamenco) twelve-beat cycle which is difficult to confine within the classical measure. There are also free-form styles, not subject to any particular metre, including, among others, the palos in the group of the tonás, the saetas, malagueñas, tarantas, and some types of fandangos. Tonás is the name given to a Palo or type of Flamenco songs It belongs to the wider category of Cantes a palo seco, that is palos which are Malagueñas is one of the traditional styles of flamenco, derived from earlier types of fandango from the area of Málaga, classified among the Cantes de Levante Fandango is a style of Folk and Flamenco Music and Dance. It arose as a dance of courtship in Andalusia in southern Spain

They are also common in Latin American countries.

12-beat amalgams are in fact the most common in flamenco. There are three types of these, which vary in their layouts, or use of accentuations:

  1. peteneras and guajiras: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
  2. The seguiriya, liviana, serrana, toná liviana, cabales: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 The seguiriya is measured in the same way as the soleá but starting on the 8th beat
  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. The Petenera is a Flamenco Palo in a 12-beat metre, with strong beats distributed as follows ' [3] ' [6] ' ' ' ' Punto Guajiro (also called Punto Cubano) with its Andalucian origins has been evolving in Cuba since the 1700s is the country music from the Siguiriyas (also seguiriyas, Seguidilla Gitana) is a form of Flamenco music belonging to the Cante jondo category For the atoll see Serrana Bank. Serrana is a solo Guitar Etude that relies heavily on Arpeggios and the technique The Cantiñas is a group of Flamenco palos ( Musical forms) originated in the area of Cádiz in Andalusia (although some Alegrías is a Flamenco palo or musical form which has a rhythm consisting of 12 beats Bulería (interchangeable with the plural bulerías is a fast Flamenco rhythm in 12 beats with emphasis in two general forms as follows1 2 ' 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 1, 4, 8, and 9th beats. Bulería (interchangeable with the plural bulerías is a fast Flamenco rhythm in 12 beats with emphasis in two general forms as follows1 2 ' 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

The compás is fundamental to flamenco, it is the basic definition of the music, and without compás, there is no flamenco. Compás is therefore more than simply the division of beats and accentuations, it is the backbone of this musical form. In private gatherings, if there is no guitarist available, the compás is rendered through hand clapping (palmas) or by hitting a table with the knuckles. This is also sometimes done in recordings especially for bulerías. The guitar also has an important function, using techniques like strumming (rasgueado) or tapping the soundboard. Changes of chords also emphasize the most important downbeats. When a dancers are present, they use their feet as a percussion instrument.

Forms of flamenco expression

Flamenco is expressed through the toque -- the playing of the flamenco guitar, the cante (singing), and the baile (dancing)

Toque

Main article: Flamenco guitar

The flamenco guitar (and the very similar classical guitar) is a descendent from the lute. A flamenco guitar is a type of Classical guitar, built for the purpose of playing Flamenco music Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either Fretted or unfretted and a deep round back or more specifically to an instrument from The first guitars are thought to have originated in Spain in the 15th century. The traditional flamenco guitar is made of Spanish cypress and spruce, and is lighter in weight and a bit smaller than a classical guitar, to give the output a 'sharper' sound. Cupressus sempervirens, the Mediterranean Cypress,(Or Italian Tuscan or Graveyard Cypress or Pencil Pine is a species of cypress native to the eastern Spruce refers to Trees of the genus Picea, a genus of about 35 species of Coniferous Evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae The flamenco guitar, in contrast to the classical, is also equipped with a barrier, called a golpeador. A pickguard (also known as scratchplate or golpeador in Flamenco music, and uncommonly a fingerrest) is a piece of plastic or other laminated This is often plastic, similar to a pick guard, and protects the body of the guitar from the rhythmic finger taps, called golpes. The flamenco guitar is also used in several different ways from the classical guitar, including different strumming patterns and styles, as well as the use of a capo in many circumstances. A capo tasto (from Italian capo, "head" and tasto, "tie or fret" or simply capo, is a device

Cante

Main article: Cante flamenco
Flamenco performance by the La Primavera group
Flamenco performance by the La Primavera group

Foreigners often think that the essence of flamenco is the dance. The cante flamenco (flamenco song is one of the three main components within the expression of Flamenco, along with toque (playing the flamenco guitar and baile However, the heart of flamenco is the song (cante). Although to the uninitiated, flamenco seems totally extemporaneous, these cantes (songs) and bailes (dances) follow strict musical and poetic rules. The verses (coplas) of these songs often are beautiful and concise poems, and the style of the flamenco copla was often imitated by Andalucian poets. Garcia Lorca is perhaps the best known of these poets. Federico García Lorca' ( 5 June 1898 &ndash 19 August 1936) was a Spanish Poet and dramatist also remembered as In the 1920s he, along with the composer Manuel de Falla and other intellectuals, crusaded to raise the status of flamenco as an art form and preserve its purity. Manuel de Falla y Matheu ( November 23, 1876 &ndash November 14, 1946) was a Spanish Composer of classical music But the future of flamenco is uncertain. Flamenco is tied to the conditions and culture of Andalusia in the past, and as Spain modernizes and integrates into the European community, it is questionable whether flamenco can survive the social and economic changes.

Cante flamenco can be categorized in a number of ways. First, a cante may be categorized according to whether it follows a strict rhythmic pattern ("compas") or follows a free rhythm ("libre"). The cantes with compas fit one of four compas patterns. These compas-types are generally known by the name of the most important cante of the group. Thus

  1. Solea
  2. Siguiriya
  3. Tango
  4. Fandango

The solea group includes the cantes: solea; romances, solea por bulerias, alegrias (cantinas); La Cana; El Polo

Baile

El baile flamenco is a highly-expressive solo dance, known for its emotional sweeping of the arms and rhythmic stomping of the feet. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic While flamenco dancers (bailaores and bailaoras) invest a considerable amount of study and practice into their art form, the dances are not choreographed, but are improvised along the palo or rhythm. In addition to the percussion provided by the heels and balls of the feet striking the floor, castanets are sometimes held in the hands and clicked together rapidly to the rhythm of the music, or clicking using just fingers. Castanets are Percussion instrument ( Idiophone) much used in Moorish, Ottoman, Ancient Roman, Italian, Spanish Sometimes, folding fans are used for visual effect.

Palos

Main article: Palo (flamenco)
Performers in Seville
Performers in Seville

Flamenco music styles are called palos in Spanish. A palo is the name traditionally given in the Flamenco environment for the different Musical forms that constitute the traditional musical heritage of flamenco Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. A palo is the name traditionally given in the Flamenco environment for the different Musical forms that constitute the traditional musical heritage of flamenco There are over 50 different palos flamenco, although some of them are rarely performed. A palo can be defined as musical form of flamenco. The term musical form refers to two related concepts the type of composition (for example a musical work can have the form of a Symphony, a Flamenco songs are classified into palos based on several musical and non-musical criteria such as its basic rhythmic pattern, mode, chord progression, form of the stanza, or geographic origin. In Music, a scale is an ordered series of Musical intervals which along with the key or tonic, define the pitches However mode A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence) is a series of chords played in order In Poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger Poem. In modern poetry the term is often equivalent with Strophe; in popular vocal music a stanza is The rhythmic patterns of the palos are also often called compás. A compás (the Spanish normal word for either time signature or bar) is characterised by a recurring pattern of beats and accents. The time signature (also known as " meter signature" is a notational convention used in Western Musical notation to specify how many beats In Musical notation, a bar or measure is a segment of time defined as a given number of beats of a given duration

To really understand the different palos, it is also important to understand their musical and cultural context:

Some of the forms are sung unaccompanied, while others usually have a guitar and sometimes other accompaniment. Farruca is a form of Flamenco music probably originating in the Galicia region of north-western Spain. Some forms are danced while others traditionally are not. Amongst both the songs and the dances, some are traditionally the reserve of men and others of women, while still others could be performed by either sex. Many of these traditional distinctions are now breaking down; for example, the Farruca is traditionally a man's dance, but is now commonly performed by women too. Many flamenco artists, including some considered to be amongst the greatest, have specialised in a single flamenco form.

The classification of flamenco palos is not entirely uncontentious, but a common traditional classification is into three groups. The deepest, most serious forms are known as cante jondo (or cante grande), while relatively light, frivolous forms are called cante chico. Cante jondo is a vocal style in Flamenco. An unspoiled form of Andalusian folk music the name means deep song ( Spanish hondo The cante flamenco (flamenco song is one of the three main components within the expression of Flamenco, along with toque (playing the flamenco guitar and baile The cante flamenco (flamenco song is one of the three main components within the expression of Flamenco, along with toque (playing the flamenco guitar and baile Other non-musical considerations often factor into this classification, such as whether the origin of the palo is considered to be gypsy or not. Forms which do not fit into either category but lie somewhere between them are classified as cante intermedio. The cante flamenco (flamenco song is one of the three main components within the expression of Flamenco, along with toque (playing the flamenco guitar and baile However, there is no general agreement on how to classify each palo. Whereas there is general agreement that the soleá, seguiriya and the tonás must be considered cante jondo, there is wide controversy on where to place cantes like the fandango, malagueña, or tientos. Siguiriyas (also seguiriyas, Seguidilla Gitana) is a form of Flamenco music belonging to the Cante jondo category Tonás is the name given to a Palo or type of Flamenco songs It belongs to the wider category of Cantes a palo seco, that is palos which are Fandango is a style of Folk and Flamenco Music and Dance. It arose as a dance of courtship in Andalusia in southern Spain The Malagueña is a typical folk music from the Venezuelan east Tiento is a musical form and Flamenco palo originating in Spain in the mid-15th century Many flamenco fans tend to disregard this classification as highly subjective, or else they considered that, whatever makes a song cante grande is not the song itself but the depth of the interpreter.

The classification below reflects another traditional classification of cantes more based on rhythmic pattern, but also taking the origin into account.

Toná Palos (usually known as Cantes a palo seco)

Palos based on the Soleá rhythm

Palos derived from Fandango

Seguiriya Palos

Palos with a Tango rhythm

Palos de "Ida y vuelta"

Other palos with a tango rhythm are often considered as "Ida y vuelta", that is, originated in Spanish America. Tiento is a musical form and Flamenco palo originating in Spain in the mid-15th century Tangos is a Flamenco palo closely related in form and feeling to the Rumba.

Other palos of difficult classification

Flamenco artists

Flamenco occurs in two types of settings. Milonga can refer to an Argentine, Uruguayan, and Southern Brazilian form of Music which preceeded the tango and the dance form which In Cuban music, Rumba is a generic term covering a variety of musical rhythms and associated dances A Campanillero is a flamenco cante or song form It is in Couplets of six verses Bambera is a cante, one of many traditional song forms associated with Flamenco. Sevillanas is a type of Folk music, sung and written in Seville ( Andalusia) in Spain. The first, the juerga is an informal gathering where people are free to join in creating music. This can include dancing, singing, palmas (hand clapping), or simply pounding in rhythm on an old orange crate or a table. Flamenco, in this context, is very dynamic: it adapts to the local talent, instrumentation, and mood of the audience. One tradition remains firmly in place: singers are the most important part.

The professional concert is more formal and organized. The traditional singing performance has only a singer and one guitar, while a dancing performance usually included two or three guitars, one or more singers (singing in turns, as in traditional flamenco singers always sing solo), and one or more dancers. In Music, a solo (from the Italian solo, meaning alone) is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer A guitar concert used to include a single guitarist, with no other support, though this is now extremely rare except for a few guitarists like Dylan Hunt or, occasionally, Gerardo Núñez. Dylan Hunt is the name of two Fictional characters created for television by Gene Roddenberry. Gerardo Núñez was born in Jerez de la Frontera ( Province of Cádiz) in 1961 The so-called New flamenco has included other instruments, like the now ubiquitous cajón, flutes or saxophones, piano or other keyboards, or even the bass guitar and the electric guitar. Nuevo Flamenco ("New Flamenco" is synonymous with contemporary Flamenco and is a modern derivative of traditional flamenco (see the Cafés cantantes period A cajón (ka'xɔn (plural Cajones not cajons (Spanish for 'crate' 'drawer' or 'box' is a kind of box Drum played by slapping the front face (generally thin plywood with The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder Camarón de la Isla was one artist who popularized this style. El Camarón de la Isla ( December 5, 1950, San Fernando, Spain – July 2, 1992, Badalona, Spain) was

A great number of flamenco artists are not capable of performing in both settings at the same level. There are still many artists, and some of them with a good level, who only perform in juergas, or at most in private parties with a small audience. As to their training in the art, traditional flamenco artists never received any formal training: they learnt in the context of the family, by listening and watching their relations, friends and neighbours. Since the appearance of recordings, though, they have relied more and more on audiovisual materials to learn from other famous artists. Nowadays, dancers and guitarists (and sometimes even singers) take lessons in schools or in short courses organized by famous performers. Some guitarists can even read music or learn from teachers in others styles like classical guitar or jazz, and many dancers take courses in contemporary dance or Classical Spanish ballet. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Contemporary dance is the name given to a group of 20th century Concert dance forms

An overview of the various flamenco artists can be found in the following categories:

Sources

See also

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External links

El Camarón de la Isla ( December 5, 1950, San Fernando, Spain – July 2, 1992, Badalona, Spain) was Paco de Lucía, born Francisco Sánchez Gómez (in Algeciras, Cádiz on December 21, 1947) is a Spanish composer and guitarist A flamenco guitar is a type of Classical guitar, built for the purpose of playing Flamenco music For the period of Spanish cultural flourishing in the 17th century see Spanish Golden Age. La Convivencia ("the Coexistence" is a term used to describe the situation in Spanish history from about 711 to 1492 &ndash concurrent with the Picados -- the Flamenco scales of a Guitar (see Flamenco guitar) or guitar playing technique by which the Musician plays scale passages by alternating A palo is the name traditionally given in the Flamenco environment for the different Musical forms that constitute the traditional musical heritage of flamenco Festival celebrated in Seville in different theatres of the city Silverio Franconetti, also known simply as Silverio ( June 10 1831 &ndash May 30 1889) was a famous singer and the leading figure The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory

Dictionary

flamenco

-noun

  1. a Spanish dance
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