Flamenco is often cited as the epitome of Spanish culture, with its distinctive guitar style and expressive dancing. However, there’s much more to it than this. Here’s a closer look at what flamenco is and how it evolved.
Flamenco is an art form
Flamenco is a traditional Spanish artform that developed in Andalucia, the southern region of Spain, during the 18th century. Some historians believe that its roots are even older, and it was influenced by the dances native to India.
Flamenco consists of four elements: dance, voice, guitar, and the Spanish term ‘Jaleo’ which could be loosely defined as ‘hell raising’. It is a sort of deliberate rowdiness that consists of shouts of encouragement, foot stomping, and hand clapping. However it is a highly expressive art form that tends towards the deepest human emotions of sadness and joy.
Flamenco singing
In the beginning, the voice (Cante) was all there was to flamenco, despite the widespread belief that it is mostly about dancing. Flamenco songs fall into categories known as palos.
There are over 50 palos that generally have deep and dark emotions expressed with complex rhythms, or lighter and simpler rhythms that express more joyous emotions of love and humour. There is a lot of room for interpretation in the song style, and the singer will be matched to a song by the depth, timbre, and flexibility of their voice.
Flamenco dancing
Flamenco dancing is known as baile; a female dancer is a bailaora and a male dancer is a bailaor. It is highly complex and technical, although the best dancers make it appear fluid and effortless.
It’s as much of a state of mind and an artistic performance as it is a dance, and although it always expresses the music and the emotions of the singer, the dancer has the freedom to improvise and put their own stamp on the performance.
The facial expressions and gestures of the dancer are an important element, used to communicate the profound feelings of the singer and the music. If the performance consists of a duet, the partners will be intensely focused on each other as their passion is played out for the audience.
Flamenco guitar
In the beginning, the guitar was used to provide rhythm to the singing and dancing, and took second stage to the other performers. However, the rise of the cafés cantantes culture during the early 20th century led to flamenco guitarists being celebrated in their own right.
These were local tavernas where food and drink were served and guitar music was played for entertainment. A flamenco guitar has a lighter sound and higher pitch than a traditional guitar, giving it its very distinctive and expressive sound.
As ever, the music is highly emotional and the guitarist will put his or her heart and soul into the performance. At times, they may improvise because flamenco music isn’t often written down, but passed from one generation to the next.
If you want to sample some authentic Andalusian culture yourself, why not come along to a Spanish restaurant on Upper Street.