Contest of cante jondo in Granada. 1922
February 28, 2018Sacromonte Exodus from Granada
August 14, 2021Learn about the origins of flamenco and its influence on music and culture.
Flamenco is the musical icon of Spain, a rich cultural expression that encompasses dance, music and song. Declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco in 2010, this indisputable art enchants people around the world for its characteristic elements that make it special and unique.
The origins of flamenco are lost in history and time. It arose through the influence and crossbreeding of elements from different cultures that coexisted in Spain at the time. Andalusian customs were influenced by the different cultures of Jews, Muslims, Africans, Caribbeans and, above all, gypsies, who were passing through these lands and contributing their cultural elements and generating this rich expression that we can see in flamenco.
Gypsies dancing flamenco in the Sacromonte of Granada.
"The word flamenco may come from the Arabic expression 'Fellah-mangu', which literally means 'wandering peasant'." "
Thus, today, in flamenco there are sounds that are the result of the mixture of Gregorian chants, Arabic and African rhythms, songs characteristic of Jewish synagogues, which were integrated with sounds from different areas of Andalusia. In the same way, the movements that we see in flamenco dancers are the result of the influence of Indian, African and Spanish dances.
There are many theories about the term itself, flamenco, although none of them has been proven. The most widespread could be the one that Blas Infante explains in his book 'Orígenes de lo flamenco', where he assures that the word comes from the Arabic expression 'Fellah-mangu', which literally means 'wandering peasant'.
THE "PALOS" OF FLAMENCO.
In flamenco there are different styles of singing that are known as 'palos' and, although it may be somewhat complex, they have well-defined characteristics that we are going to explain below. Apart from the personal touch and improvisation that each artist brings to the 'palos', we could say that there are more than fifty different styles. They are differentiated by their verses, their meter and their melodies. Let us explain some details of the most important `palos`.
The fandango is the first palo within flamenco, since it was the best known in the 17th century, although it has been evolving with the incorporation of dance and musical instruments. With a ternary meter and five verses, it has evolved into other palos (styles) when the meter was removed, such as the granaínas, the malagueñas or the cantes de Levante (songs from Levante). Among this group we find the tarantas, the mineras, the cartageneras or the levanticas, usually linked to the mining trade. Other types of fandangos, the abandolaos and the fandangos del Albaicín, these ones, these ones, accompanied, are usually used to close the malagueñas.
The soleá or soleares is not one of the oldest palos within flamenco, but it is one of the palos that has best preserved the qualities of flamenco art and its values, through its melody, its tonality and its meter, which combines a 3/4 and a 6/8. With three or four verses, the lyrics of this palo are full of feeling, emotion and, in many cases, tragedy. That is why we speak of one of the most profound and solemn palos. They are born between the provinces of Cadiz and Seville, and geographically several styles are developed, such as Utrera, Alcalá, Lebrija or Jerez.
There is no better palo that represents the party or the juerga than bulerías. It is the festive palo par excellence. This style transmits uproar, hustle and bustle. It is typical to see how the artists form a circle or semicircle and go out to dance one by one. The meter is, as in the soleá, 3/4 and 6/8, but up-tempo and with different accents. If they are bulerías por soleás or soleá por bulería, the rhythm is slower. Also in bulerías we find styles, being again Jerez the epicenter of this palo, together with Utrera, although in a slower way. In Extremadura there are the jaleos, and the famous alboreá of the gypsies is also a compás de tres por cuatro.
The alegrías, as its name suggests, is a cheerful and sensual palo, very representative of the area of Cádiz. It belongs to the dance songs, of the cantiñas genre. As for its styles, we find the romera, the mirabrás, the caracoles or the rosa.
One of the most basic flamenco palos is the tangos. Characteristic of Granada and of binary compás, it is another palo de fiesta and, possibly, it is the oldest dance and one of the most essential palos among flamenco artists. When the gypsy tangos become slower, it is called tientos, although we also have the marianas or the zambra. The tanguillos and the zapateado, much more lively.
The seguiriya or seguirilla, another of the most dramatic, emotionally charged and oldest palos. Its lyrics speak of tragedy, pain and death. Its dance, full of feeling, does not need ornaments, it is one of the most solemn. As usual, there are styles depending on the geographical area, such as the serrana, the livianaor the cabales.
Many palos arose around the labors or trades, the most important being those that are free, without musical accompaniment. Coming from the tonás, we find the trillas, the martinetes, the temporeras, the saeta or the carcelera.
Finally, we will talk about the cantes de ida y vuelta, which arise from the mixture of traditional flamenco with Caribbean music. In this group we have the guajira, the colombiana, the rumbas, the habanera, the milongas or the vidalita.