Flamenco is an art combining song (cante), guitar (toque), dance (baile) and rhythmic accompaniment with handclaps (palmas) and footwork (zapateado). Born in Andalusia, it was declared intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO in 2010.
Origins
Flamenco took shape between the late eighteenth and the nineteenth century in lower Andalusia, especially in the triangle between Seville, Jerez and Cádiz, among Gitano communities and Andalusian working people. It drew on Andalusian folk music and Gitano traditions, but also on Arab, Jewish and Castilian echoes and, through the ports, American ones. The origin of the word flamenco, which also means "Flemish" and "flamingo", is uncertain. In the mid-nineteenth century the cafés cantantes appeared, venues where flamenco became professional entertainment.
The palos
Flamenco is divided into dozens of forms, called palos, distinguished by rhythm (compás), key and mood:
- cante jondo, deep and dramatic: soleá, seguiriya, tonás and martinetes, sung without guitar;
- festive, brilliant forms such as the alegrías of Cádiz and the bulerías of Jerez, which often close a party;
- tangos, tientos and farruca;
- the fandangos of Huelva and the mining songs of the Levante, such as taranta and minera;
- the cantes de ida y vuelta, which came back from America, such as guajira and colombiana.
Sevillanas, danced by everyone at Andalusian fairs, are related to flamenco but belong to popular folklore (see Spanish dances).
Duende
In 1933 García Lorca described in a famous lecture the duende, the moment of mysterious, almost painful inspiration in which the performer transcends technique and deeply moves the listener. In 1922 Lorca and Manuel de Falla had organised the Cante Jondo Competition in Granada to save the oldest forms.
The great artists
Historic cantaores include Antonio Chacón, Manuel Torre, La Niña de los Peines, Antonio Mairena and above all Camarón de la Isla (1950-1992), the legendary voice from San Fernando. Guitarist Paco de Lucía (1947-2014) revolutionised the toque and took flamenco into jazz and around the world; in dance, Carmen Amaya, Antonio Gades, Cristina Hoyos, Sara Baras, Joaquín Cortés and Israel Galván stand out. Carlos Saura's films, Blood Wedding, Carmen and Flamenco, spread its image. New flamenco has met rock, pop and electronic music, from Ketama to Rosalía.
Where to see flamenco
Tablaos are venues with live shows: in Madrid (Corral de la Morería, Cardamomo, Casa Patas), in Seville in Triana and the centre (with the Flamenco Dance Museum), in Granada in the caves of Sacromonte, in Jerez and Cádiz in the peñas, the aficionados' clubs. The main festivals are the Bienal de Flamenco in Seville (even years), the Festival de Jerez in February-March and the Cante de las Minas Festival at La Unión, near Cartagena. Jerez is also home to the Andalusian Flamenco Documentation Centre.