All about the origin of flamenco
Flamenco is not only performed in Spain, but also in different parts of the world. This musical genre has been considered by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, given the overflow of feelings and emotional intensity of the singers, dancers and guitarists.
Flamingo Definition
If you wonder what flamenco is, here we give you the answer. It is a Spanish musical genre whose development took place in Andalusia, mainly in the areas of Jerez de la Frontera, Seville, Huelva and Cádiz.
Also, flamenco is the product of the miscegenation of different cultures, among which the Jewish, Christian, gypsy and Arab stand out. Therefore, flamenco music is appreciated and practiced in different parts of the world.
flamingo history
Flamenco music emerged at the end of the 18th century in the towns and cities of Andalusia and, without a doubt, this musical genre had the gypsy culture or gypsy flamenco as its main influence. Flamenco is characterized by having three facets, singing, playing and dancing.
Old flamenco, the one that had its first beginnings in the cultural diversity of the towns that settled in Andalusia, has evolved over time. However, it continues to maintain its essence and captivates many people.
Next, we present you the different parts of flamenco, singing, playing and dancing. When these three elements are united you enjoy flamenco to the fullest, but also with just flamenco dance or guitar you can see what this beautiful musical genre means.
he sings
It is called “cante” to the action of executing any Andalusian song , which is characterized by transmitting a deep feeling. Likewise, we mention that the person who performs flamenco singing is called a singer.
On the other hand, it should be noted that the most representative artists of Andalusian music throughout history were Lola Flores, La Niña de los Peines, Camarón de la Isla, Manolo Caracol, Enrique Morente, among others.
The touch
Flamenco guitarists are called tocaores, who use a different technique and posture than classical guitar musicians , since the classical guitarist usually supports the instrument on his inclined left leg. Instead, the flamenco guitarist crosses both legs and supports his instrument on the leg that is higher, in addition, he places the neck almost horizontally in relation to the ground.
In the same way, we mention that modern guitarists use Spanish guitars (by clicking on this link you can find some purchase options), however, for this musical genre there is the flamenco guitar, which is less heavy and has a narrower body than the flamenco guitar. a classical guitar, having a better sound, without overshadowing the singer.
Also, the tocaores use different guitar techniques; among them the tremolo, rasgueo, alzapúa and the picado stand out.
In addition to this, in the flamenco guitar there are several types of touches:
- Short touch: It is characterized by being much simpler regarding technical resources.
- Sober touch: This type of touch does not have many ornaments, thus being quite balanced.
- Gypsy or flamenco touch: Use pinches, drones and syncopations, giving a lot of color and joy to any song.
- Cold touch: This touch does not use depth and pinching, but it is also very useful to accompany the singer.
- Airy touch: It is a type of lively and very rhythmic touch that inspires a lot to dance with joy.
- Virtuoso touch: He has a great mastery of technique, so it is quite useful for solo flamenco guitarists.
- Toque pastueño: It is a slow and easy touch, so it can be very useful for beginners in flamenco.
The dance
Flamenco dance is characterized by being improvised. In other words, the dancer lets himself be carried away by the emotions that flourish while the music plays (particularly a flamenco guitar).
Likewise, we mention that in the dance the flamenco zapateado stands out, which has several principles that go from the posture used to the mastery of the beat in each of the flamenco palos.
In addition, the percussion of the flamenco zapateado is based on the heel, the sole and the tip of the flamenco shoes.
flamingo sticks
Palos are called the traditional varieties that flamenco singing has , for example:
- Tangos: It is one of the basic styles of this art and has different modalities.
- Alegrías: This type of palo is characterized by expressing the feeling of the Cadiz atmosphere, of Cádiz.
- Fandangos: In the mid-19th century, flamenco took on important features of the Andalusian fandangos, so they are considered fundamental palos of flamenco.
- Sevillanas: This is the name given to the typical dance and song of Seville. This is one of the best known dances of Spanish flamenco. It is danced in pairs to the sound of its four couplets.
- Bulerías: This is a party style, which is characterized by having a redoubled and fast rhythm, in which clapping is used. Also, in this style the dancers form a semicircle and enter the center to dance a part of the musical piece.
flemish fusion
Modern flamenco or flamenco fusion has adopted other musical genres such as rock, jazz, blues, among others. Likewise, it maintains the influence of Arab flamenco.
Currently, there are artists who have been inspired by the most outstanding flamenco singers that we mentioned earlier. One of these is Rosalía, a young singer who has mixed flamenco with other genres such as hip hop, copla, trap and electronic music. Among her musical successes we mention “I think of you look” and “Say my name”.
The transcendence of flamenco
Due to the greatness of flamenco, it has transcended borders. In fact, in many parts of the world there are flamenco schools for children or adults. In this way, the little ones in the house and their parents can get to know this music that is so important from a cultural point of view. The art of flamenco has even reached Asia, due to its cheerful style, as well as the virtuosity that guitarists require.
In other words, although Spain is the Flemish country, there are many other places in the world where you can learn it. However, if you don’t have a school nearby, you can watch flamenco tutorials on YouTube.
