Flamenco

Towering castles, royal families, sangria, cheese, wine and bullfights! Vivid images of culturally rich Spain fill the mind while pondering the wealth of tradition in this European country covering most of the Iberian Peninsula. Due to its geographical location, Spain has been subjected throughout history to influences from many ethnic groups which have molded many of its cultural identities, including its famous music styles.

As with any nation in the world, each region is famous for its own unique styles of music and Spain is no exception. Spain, of course, has modern pop sensations, such as La Oreja de Van Gogh and David Bisbal, both famous in all corners and regions of Spain for their catchy tunes. However, in terms of traditional music, each province takes pride in their cultural musical heritage.  Northwestern Spain is known for its traditional bagpipe music and the Basque Country, where Spanish is rarely spoken, incorporates accordions, pipes and tambourines. However, no music in the land of Don Quixote can compare to the richness and complexity of Flamenco.

Flamenco, born in Andalusia in southern Spain, is a trichotomy of art that integrates song (cante), guitar (toque) and dance (baile).  Although the song is the most vital element in Flamenco, these three essences of Flamenco can be performed separately or in harmony and they are often accompanied by a few percussion instruments.  The Spanish guitar is skillfully strung during a presentation and is the key instrumentation for the toque. While a guitarist strokes, a singer, known as a cantaor in Spanish, will bellow a unique tune with the renowned Flamenco style voice. The dancers are usually in the spotlights receiving the most attention. Stereotypically, a flamenco dancer is a female in a frilly, fitted dress that flows to floor; however, in many shows there are also male Flamenco dancers dressed in traditional masculine outfits. The key components of any flamenco dance are coordinated moves of the body, often paired with strategic hand claps and folds of dainty, hand-held fans called albanicos. 

Flamenco is very complex and can be classified into 50 different song (cante) styles, known as palos. These palos can be categorized into three groups:  cante jondo, cante intermedio and cante chico. The jondo style is a profound style and is usually sad in nature and may pertain to topics of death or lost romances. The intermedio style is less intense, but it still may carry much emotion. The chico category is usually light-hearted and much more upbeat, and at times even comical in nature. These styles are very common in festivals and public events. Sometimes, this it is also called fiestero which means happy and party-like. Each part of Andalusia will have its own unique aspects of Flamenco and as Flamenco continues to evolve, it is possible to experience more modern twists to the dance, song and guitar. An increasingly popular music genre is Flamenco-based Hip-Hop music, such as that produced by the widely famous group, Ojos de Brujo.

Given the unique history and the ethnic groups that have passed through the Andalusia region of Spain, it is of no surprise that we have today such a unique music and dance phenomenon. While the history of Flamenco is a bit murky, historians have concluded that due to the influence of the early Phoenicians, Romans, Jews, Moors and the later Eastern Indians and European gypsies that migrated to the peninsula, cultural remnants of each group have meshed together to create this striking art form.  It is believed that by mid-1700’s the basis of what we know as Flamenco today had solidified into a structured art.  It was normally performed by the lower-class gypsies and social outcasts as an artful outlet to express their struggles. By the mid 1800’s, these performances began to generate money as entrepreneurs began opening cafés cantantes, the first establishments where people paid to see Flamenco shows. Within a half century, the popularity began to spread beyond Andalusia and Madrid to other locations in Spain and then to foreign destinations.  Today, this tradition has become an emblem of Spain and Spanish culture. 

Many cultural traditions are extinguished with time; however, Flamenco has maintained its popularity throughout the years and continues to thrive in Spain, as well as cultural venues internationally. In Spain, many social functions will include Flamenco presentations and many businesses specialize in Flamenco shows, including tablaos, the traditional Flamenco bars of the modern era. Spaniards always yearn to see their favorite renowned Flamenco troops and dancers and even follow Flamenco news in local media. One popular Internet site for such Flamenco information is http://www.deflamenco.com/.  On a sultry Spanish evening cold sangria and a spectacle of musical history and tradition is a satisfactory option to pass the time away, losing oneself in the sad lyrics of one of the world’s most famous art forms, Flamenco. ¡Olé!