Flamenco

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Flamenco (disambiguation).

Flamenco

Flamenco dancer with traditional dress

Stylistic origins

Andalusian

Andalusia, Spain

Cultural origins
Typical instruments

Flamenco guitar

classical guitar

palillos

palmas

cajn
Subgenres

New Flamenco (flamenco nuevo)

Fusion genres
Flamenco chill (with downtempo)
Other topics

Music of Spain

Music of Andalusia

Cante Chico

Cante Jondo
Cante Intermedio

Falseta

Flamenco (Spanish pronunciation: [flameko]) is an artform native to the Spanish regions

of Andalusia, Extremadura and Murcia. It includescante (singing), toque (guitar
playing), baile (dance), jaleo (vocalizations), palmas (handclapping) and pitos (finger snapping).[1]
First mentioned in literature in 1774, the genre originates in Andalusian music and dance
styles.[2][3][4] Flamenco is strongly associated with the gitanos (Romani people of Spain)however,
unlike Romani music of eastern Europe, the style is distinctively Andalusian and the fusion of the
various cultures of southern Spain is clearly perceptible in Flamenco music. Although there are
many theories on its influences and origins, the most widespread highlights a Morisco heritage, the
ethnic and cultural melting pot that was Andalusia during the early modern period (locals, Moors,
Castilian settlers, Romanis, Jews etc..) fostering its development over time.[5] Flamenco music, as a
theatrical representation of Andalusian musical tradition, was first recorded in the late 18th century
but the genre underwent a dramatic development in the late 19th century.[6]
In recent years, flamenco has become popular all over the world and is taught in many non-Hispanic
countries, especially United States and Japan. In Japan, there are more flamenco academies than
there are in Spain.[7][8] On November 16, 2010, UNESCO declared flamenco one of the Masterpieces
of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.[9]
Contents
[hide]

1Etymology
2Palos
3Music
o 3.1Structure
o 3.2Harmony
o 3.3Melody
o 3.4Comps
4Forms of flamenco expression
o 4.1Toque (guitar)
o 4.2Cante (song)
o 4.3Baile (dance)
5See also
6References
7Sources
8External links

Etymology[edit]
There are many suggestions for the origin of the word flamenco as a musical term (summarized
below) but no solid evidence for any of them.[10] The word was not recorded as a musical and dance
term until the late 18th century.

The Spanish word flamenco could have been a derivative of "fire" or "flame", as it is connected to the
'Cante' and the dance's solemn, passionate nature. The word flamenco may have come to be used
for certain behaviour in general, which could possibly have come to be applied to the Gitano players
and performers.[11]
Another theory, proposed by Andalusian historian Blas Infante in his 1933 book Orgenes de lo
Flamenco y Secreto del Cante Jondo suggests that the word flamenco comes from the HispanoArabic term fellah mengu, meaning "expelled peasant"; Infante argued that this term referred to the
ethnic Andalusians of the Islamic faith, the Moriscos, who in order to avoid forced exile and religious
persecution, joined with the Roma newcomers.[12][13]

Palos[edit]
Main article: Palo (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 categories Palos but they traditionally fall into three classes: the most
serious is known as cante jondo (or cante grande), while lighter, frivolous forms are calledcante
chico. Forms that do not fit either category are classed as cante intermedio.[citation needed] Cante
jondo has clear traces of Arabic and Spanish folk melodies, as well as vestiges of Byzantine,
Christian and Jewish religious music.[14]
These are the most known palos:[15]

Alegras
Buleras
Buleras por sole (sole por buleras)
Caracoles
Cartageneras
Fandango
Fandango de Huelva
Fandango Malagueo
Grananas
Malagueas
Mineras
Peteneras
Rondeas
Rumba
Saeta
Seguiriyas
Sevillanas
Tangos
Tanguillos
Tientos
Villancicos

Music[edit]
There are many great guitartists who have dedicated their professional expertise and been a part of
the Flamenco scene, such as Paco Pea, Paco De Lucia, Ramon Montoya, Pepe Romero, Pepe
Martinez and The Romeros to name a few. They are the backbone of helping to create the ambiance
to this much loved tradition of Spanish song and dance.

Structure[edit]
A typical flamenco recital with voice and guitar accompaniment, comprises a series of pieces (not
exactly songs) in different palos. Each song of a set of verses (called copla, tercio, orletras), which
are punctuated by guitar interludes called falsetas. The guitarist also provides a short introduction
which sets the tonality, comps and tempo of the cante.[16] In some palos, these falsetas are also
played with certain structures 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.[17]

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 sole, most buleras, 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 AmGFE.[18] According to Manolo Sanlcar E is here
the tonic, F has the harmonic function of dominant while Am and Gassume the functions
of subdominant and mediant respectively.[19]
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 Ramn Montoya, have introduced other positions: Montoya
himself started to use other chords for the tonic in the modern Dorian sections of
severalpalos; F for tarantas, B for grananas and A for the minera. Montoya also created a
new palo as a solo for guitar, therondea 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 cantias and alegras, guajiras, some buleras and tons,
and the cabales (a major type of siguiriyas). The minor mode is restricted to theFarruca,
the milongas (among cantes de ida y vuelta), and some styles of tangos, buleras, etc. In general
traditional palos in major and minor mode are limited harmonically to two-chord (tonicdominant) or
three-chord (tonicsubdominantdominant) progressions. (Rossy 1998:92) However modern
guitarists have introduced chord substitution, transition chords, and evenmodulation.
Fandangos and derivative palos such as malagueas, 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 [20] 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 differenttimbres,
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 Hiplito Rossy adds the following characteristics (Rossy 1997: 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 fromforte to piano, as
was usual in ancient Greek scales
In many styles, such as sole 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.

Comps[edit]
Comps 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 comps is fundamental to flamenco. Comps 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 comps is rendered through hand clapping (palmas) or by hitting a table with the
knuckles. The guitarist uses techniques like strumming (rasgueado) or tapping
thesoundboard (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,
thetons, saetas, malagueas, 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, jcara and canarios.

There are three types of 12-beat rhythms, which vary in their layouts, or use of accentuations: sole,
seguiriya and bulera.
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, ton liviana,
cabales: 121 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12.
3. sole, within the cantias group of palos which includes
the alegras, cantias, mirabras, romera, caracoles and sole
por bulera (also " bulera por sole"): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1112.
For practical reasons, when transferring flamenco guitar music
to sheet music, this rhythm is written as a regular 3
4.
The Buleras 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
comps.

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

Forms of flamenco expression[edit]

Toque (guitar)[edit]
Main article: Flamenco guitar

Paco de Luca, one of the most commercially successful exponents of flamenco.[21]

The origins, history and importance of the flamenco guitar is covered in the main Wikipedia entry for
the Flamenco guitar

Cante (song)[edit]
Main article: Cante flamenco

Flamenco performance by the La Primavera group

The origins, history and importance of the cante is covered in the main Wikipedia entry for the cante
flamenco.

Baile (dance)[edit]
El baile flamenco is known or its emotional intensity, proud carriage, expressive use of the arms and
rhythmic stamping of the feet (similar totap dance). As with any dance form, many different styles of
flamenco have developed.
In the twentieth century, flamenco danced informally at gitano (Roma) weddings and celebrations in
Spain was considered the most "authentic" form of flamenco. There is 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, Crdoba

"Flamenco puro" is considered the form of performance flamenco closest to its gitano influences. In
this style, the dance is always performed solo, and is improvised rather than choreographed. Some
purists frown on castanets (even though they can be seen in many early 20th century photos of
flamenco dancers).
"Classical flamenco" is the style most frequently performed by Spanish flamenco dance companies,
tending to exhibit more clearly the characteristics derived from the Seguidilla, a traditional Spanish

dance. It is danced largely in a proud and upright way. 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 have trained in ballet as well as flamenco. Flamenco has both influenced and been
influenced by ballet, as evidenced by the fusion of the two created by 'La Argentinita' in the early part
of the twentieth century and later, by Joaqun Corts.
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.
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, shawls and fans.
"Flamenco nuevo" is a recent style in flamenco, characterized by pared-down costumes (the men
often dance bare-chested, and the women in plain jersey dresses). Props such as castanets, fans
and shawls are rarely used. Dances are choreographed and include influences from other dance
styles.
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, young people are not considered to have the emotional maturity to
adequately convey the duende (soul) of the genre. Therefore, unlike other dance forms, where
dancers turn professional early 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.

Claudio Castelucho, Flamenco

Theatre Flamenco Work Sample

Jos Villegas Cordero, Baile Andaluz

John Singer Sargent, Spanish Dancer

See also[edit]
Guitar portal
Latin music portal
Music portal

Andalusian Centre of Flamenco

Concurso de Cante Jondo
Festival Bienal Flamenco
Flamenco rumba
Flamenco shoes
Latin Grammy Award for Best Flamenco Album
Kumpana: Flamenco Los Angeles
New Flamenco
Camarn de la Isla
Paco de Lucia
David Pea Dorantes
Nio Josele
Paco Pea
Picados
Silverio Franconetti

Tomatito
Traje de flamenca
Vicente Amigo
Kathak

References[edit]
1.

2.
3.

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

9.

10.
11.
12.

13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Jump up^ Landborn, Adair (2015). Flamenco and Bullfighting:

Movement, Passion and Risk in Two Spanish Traditions. Jefferson,
NC, USA: McFarland Books. pp. 107108.
Jump up^ In the book Cartas Marruecas by Jos Cadalso
Jump up^ Ros Ruiz notes that the origins and development of
Flamenco are 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". Ros Ruiz Ayer y hoy del cante flamenco, Ediciones
ISTMO, Tres Cantos (Madrid), 1997, ISBN 84-7090-311-X
Jump up^ See the third definition for "flamenco" in the Dictionary of
Real Academia Espaola.
Jump up^ Flamenco: All You Wanted to Know Page 21
Jump up^ Washabaugh, William (1996). Flamenco: Passion, Politics,
and Popular Culture. Oxford, England: Berg Publishers. pp. 3852.
Jump up^ Mendoza, Gabriela (2011), "Ser flamenco no es una
msica, es un estilo de vida", El Diario de Hoy, p. 52
Jump up^ En El Salvador la agrupacin Alma Flamenca es
considerada la mxima representante y pionera de este movimiento
musical. Mendoza, Gabriela (2011), "Ser flamenco no es una msica,
es un estilo de vida", El Diario de Hoy, p. 52
Jump up^ El flamenco es declarado Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de
la Humanidad por la Unesco, Yahoo Noticias, 16 de noviembre de
2010, consultado el mismo da.
Jump up^ Harper, Douglas. "flamenco". Online Etymology Dictionary.
Jump up^ Ana Ruiz (2007). Vibrant Andalusia: The Spice of Life in
Southern Spain. Algora. pp. 165 ff.ISBN 978-0-87586-540-9.
Jump up^ Infante, Blas (2010). Orgenes de lo Flamenco y Secreto
del Cante Jondo (19291933) (PDF). Consejera de Cultura de la Junta
de Andaluca. p. 166.
Jump up^ Muhammad Ali Herrera (March 2006). "Breve biografa de
Blas Infante". Alif Nn (36).
Jump up^ Rodgers, Eamonn; Rodgers, Valerie (1999). Encyclopedia
of Contemporary Spanish Culture. London: Routledge. p. 191.
Jump up^ http://www.flamencoexport.com/flamenco-wiki/palos-delflamenco.html
Jump up^ Manuel, Peter (2006). Tenzer, Michael, ed. Analytical
Studies in World Music. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 98.
Jump up^ Martin, Juan. Solo Flamenco Guitar. Mel Bay Publications.
p. 48. ISBN 0-7866-6458-4.
Jump up^ Manuel, Peter (2006). Tenzer, Michael, ed. Analytical
Studies in World Music. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 96.
Jump up^ http://www.tristeyazul.com/cronicas/ntc14.htm
Jump up^ "Revista de Folklore". funjdiaz.net. Retrieved 2014-02-10.

21. Jump up^ Koster, Dennis (1 June 2002). Guitar Atlas, Flamenco.
Alfred Music Publishing. p. 5.ISBN 978-0-7390-2478-2. Retrieved 4
March 2013.

Sources[edit]

LVAREZ CABALLERO, ngel: El cante flamenco, Alianza

Editorial, Madrid, Second edition, 1998. ISBN 84-206-9682-X (First
edition: 1994)
LVAREZ CABALLERO, ngel: La Discografa ideal del cante
flamenco, Planeta, Barcelona, 1995. ISBN 84-08-01602-4
BANZI, JULIA LYNN (Ph.D.): "Flamenco Guitar Innovation and the
Circumscription of Tradition" 2007, 382 pages; AAT 328581, DAI-A
68/10, University of California, Santa Barbara.
COELHO, Vctor Anand (Editor): "Flamenco Guitar: History, Style,
and Context", in The Cambridge Companion to the Guitar,
Cambridge University Press, 2003, pp. 1332.
MAIRENA, Antonio & MOLINA, Ricardo: Mundo y formas del cante
flamenco, Librera Al-ndalus, Third Edition, 1979 (First Edition:
Revista de Occidente, 1963)
MARTN SALAZAR, Jorge: Los cantes flamencos, Diputacin
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. 92119.
ORTIZ NUEVO, Jos Luis: Alegato contra la pureza, Libros PM,
Barcelona, 1996. ISBN 84-88944-07-1
ROS RUIZ, Ayer y hoy del cante flamenco, Ediciones ISTMO, Tres
Cantos (Madrid), 1997, ISBN 84-7090-311-X
ROSSY, Hiplito: Teora del Cante Jondo, CREDSA, Barcelona,
1998. ISBN 84-7056-354-8 (First edition: 1966)
CABA LANDA, Pedro y Carlos CABA LANDA, Carlos. Andaluca,
su comunismo y su cante jondo. 1 Ed Editorial Atlntico 1933. 3
Edicin, Editorial Renacimiento 2008. ISBN 978-84-8472-348-6

External links[edit]
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Flamenco

Andalusian music

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