El cante jondo flamenco
Flamenco guitar in Granada and the Habichuela family
March 17, 2023
Lola Flores, 100 años de historia viva del flamenco
mayo 23, 2023El cante jondo flamenco: cante primitivo andaluz.
When people think of flamenco, it is usually associated with Andalusia, in a joyful, colorful way, with flamenco dancing and singing. However, this representation of flamenco is not entirely accurate: flamenco has a tragic and dramatic side based on lament, which is expressed through cante jondo.
¿Qué es el cante jondo flamenco?
Flamenco cante jondo is a type of flamenco that is characterized by a marked tragic and dramatic character, and in which the singers express their deepest feelings through music, in a performance in which the lament becomes an emotional thread of the "palos" (forms).
The origin of cante jondo goes back centuries in Andalusia, and, like all flamenco, it is not known exactly when or how it originated, although all theories point to the Andalusian gypsy people, influenced by the Arab and Jewish culture that coexisted in the region at the time. Although there is another less popular theory, and that is that flamenco singing is influenced by the liturgical chants that were performed in Spanish churches at the time.
Flamenco cante jondo has its own characteristics and is usually divided into cantes grandes and cantes chicos.
The cantes grandes are deep and dramatic, and their lyrics reflect anguish and pain. They are composed of tonás, seguiriyas, soleares and tarantos, which form the four fundamental columns of flamenco singing.
On the other hand, the so-called cantes chicos reflect more mundane themes, such as humor, happiness or love, and are more based on improvisation and in a much more festive atmosphere. They are usually called this way because it is understood that their interpretation requires much less drama. In this group are the tangos, bulerias or the cantes de ida y vuelta like the guajira or the colombianas.
La improvisación y el sentimiento son dos características principales del cante jondo flamenco. La estructura del cante jondo se caracteriza por la repetición de una nota, buscando aportar dar dinamismo y acción a la conexión que surge entre la guitarra y el cantaor. El cante es intercalado con los 'quejíos' típicos del flamenco, que el cantaor va introduciendo de manera improvisada a lo largo de la interpretación.
The tonás in flamenco.
La toná es una de las composiciones más importantes del cante jondo flamenco. Se originó en el siglo XVIII y es una adaptación de los romances castellanos que se fueron desarrollando por los gitanos andaluces hasta convertirse en un canto flamenco. Todas las tonás poseen la misma tonalidad melódica, pero se diferencian en las letras.
Currently, the classification is limited to three types: the toná grande, the toná chica and the toná del Cristo. Although tonás are not commonly performed by today's cantaores, they are the origin of other palos that are much more commonly performed today, as the origin of a large group of palos that have developed over time.
The importance of the flamenco guitar in flamenco singing.
La guitarra es otro elemento importante del cante jondo flamenco. Junto con el cantaor, se convierte en la gran protagonista. La guitarra dialoga con el cantaor y rellena melódicamente las pausas en las que éste respira, preparándolo para que vuelva a cantar.
Main artists of the cante jondo.
Hay numerosos artistas flamencos que se han dedicado a expresarse a través del cante jondo dentro del género del flamenco, siendo algunos de ellos los más reconocidos internacionalmente. En éste artículo vamos a destacar algunos de ellos.
Manolo Caracol, whose real name was Manuel Ortega Juárez, was a flamenco singer born in Seville in 1909 and died in Madrid in 1973 in a traffic accident. He is known for his interpretations of the fandango and zambra, and was a popular figure during his career. In 1922, he won a prize at the Cante Jondo de Granada Contest, organized by Federico García Lorca. He began singing at a very young age and earned his living at private parties before participating in shows and films, often forming an artistic partnership with Lola Flores. In 1963, he opened the tablao Los Canasteros, which he would dedicate the rest of his life to.
Bernarda de Utrera, whose real name was Bernarda Jiménez Peña, was born in Utrera in 1927 and was a singer and member of a family of flamenco artists. After a period singing at gatherings and intimate parties, she made her professional debut with her sister Fernanda de Utrera, with whom she continued to perform throughout her career. In 1957, she began performing at the Tablao Zambra in Madrid and, later, at El Corral de la Morería. In 1957, she was also awarded a prize for bulerías at the Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco de Córdoba. Throughout her career, she performed in numerous flamenco shows, including the Manuela Vargas ensemble and the Cumbre Flamenca de Madrid. She has recorded several albums and has excelled especially in bulerías songs and romances.
Para comprender mejor el cante jondo flamenco, lo mejor es verlo en directo, ya que es la forma de conectar con los sentimientos que nos trasladan los artistas. Nuestros cantaores, Javier Flores, Miguelón Núñez, Juan Ángel Tirado o Estrella Fernández, interpretan el cante jondo a través de los distintos palos en nuestro espectáculo flamenco en Granada. Uno de los mejores espectáculos flamencos de Granada según los clientes que nos visitan.
