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Flamenco Forms
Cantiñas
by Susana
Navalón
Translated by Yasha
Maccanico
(From the Galician cantiña, song, or from the verb cantiñear, that is, to sing
softly, improvising and playfully). It is a generic name for a
range of cantes (styles of songs) involving happy and lively music,
such as caracoles, mirabrás, romeras and alegrías, all of which
have generally brief coplas (poetic compositions, in verse, used
as lyrics), and are thought to be related with the old Cádiz jota.
They are cantes festeros (lit. feast or party songs, which tend
to be loud and happy) for dancing that became very fashionable
in the cafés cantantes (late nineteenth and early twentieth century
establishments serving drinks that staged performances of singing,
playing and dancing). |
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 They represented the beauty and joy of flamenco companies for several years
and it was to their rhythm that La Mejorana, Gabriela Ortega, La Jeroma, La
Macarrona ... etc ... performed their best desplantes.
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| Dance |
These styles of cantes for dancing were indispensable in any flamenco party,
and as they started to become fashionable in the cafés
cantantes they enjoyed a preponderant presence. They
represented the beauty and joy of flamenco companies
for several years, and it was to their rhythm that La
Mejorana, Gabriela Ortega, La Jeroma, La Macarrona ...
etc ... performed their best desplantes (a series of
hard stepping movements that end, or climax, a series
of steps or section of a dance). This dance is characterised
by a harmonious swinging of the arms, undulating movements,
light punteados (a kind of percussion using the feet),
paso castellano de perfil (a dance step that is characteristic
of cantiñas and alegrías, and is done with side-on to
the audience) and escobillas (section of the dance that
includes the zapateado, a rhythmic combination of sounds
made by stepping with the heel, sole and toe of the foot).
The meter of the cantiñas is related to the meter of
the soleá, and both of them are also related to bulerías.
That is, it belongs to the group of dances whose meters
are in twelve beats.
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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| Guitar |
| They are executed following the same meter as the bulerías or soleá, but their
melody is structured around major keys. Rhythmically,
they can be fitted into the alegrías style of guitar
playing, although the variations in the music will be
defined by the tonalities, and the basic key in which
each cante (song) is played. The cantiña is usually played
in a C major key, whereas alegrías are played in LA major
and the mirabrás and romeras are executed in E major. |
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| This
cante is originally from Cádiz and the ports in its Bay, although
there are also styles, like Pinini's style, that are established
in provinces such as Utrera or Lebrija. |
| Singing |
| This cante (style of song)
is originally from Cádiz and the ports in its Bay, although
there are also styles, like Pinini's style, that are established
in provinces such as Utrera and Lebrija. They are characterised
by their versatility, as any song, proclamation or political
anthem that is part of the legacy of the 1820 revolution,
used to be adapted and sung in a cantiñas style. This
is something similar to what happened with bulerías in
the last century ... In fact, cantiñas are a cante festero,
generally loud rather than deep, although some have a
somewhat deeper character. Some kinds of cantiñas that
are named after persons are: la Rosa, la Contrabandista,
el Torrijos and the cantiña de las Mirris. Some of their
most outstanding performers include: Manuel Vallejo and
Pastora Pavón “Niña de los Peines”. |
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Getting
started in flamenco
What is meant by cante jondo, duende, jondura, quejío, garbo…?
Everything you need to know to get started in flamenco.
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You
can start dancing straight away
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The skirt shapes your figure and highlights your movements.
Here you can learn how to pick the one that suits you best.
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Paso
a Paso.
Flamenco Forms
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