flamenco
Change currency to dolar Change currency to euro Change currency to yen english español
es flamenco home New Products Dance Shop Flamenco shoes Flamenco CD store Flamenco DVD store Flamenco Book Store Spanish gift corner Flamenco guitar Flamenco dance
foro flamenco
Practical guides Magazine Features Flamenco news Practical guides Flamenco links Interviews
Search
Flamenco
magazine
Flamenco videos
News
Festivals and concerts
Reviews of performances
Features
Special reports
Interviews
Confidential, with...
Reviews of products and new releases
Practical guides
Flamencoing in... Flamenco guides to the main cities
esflamenco.com updates
Miscellaneous

Shopping guides 
Flamenco "palos" (styles) guide

Sevillanas

Susana Navalón
Translated by: Yasha Maccanico



(Sevillanas, from Sevilla.) Traditional folk song proceeding from the seguidilla manchega (from La Mancha), which has taken on some features of flamenco. It was born to accompany the dance that is performed in pairs, in series of four sevillanas. It is the Andalusian dance that has become most popular and, at present, even people in nightclubs dance to it. Once it used to be danced in patios or houses used for neighbourhood gatherings, also known as corrales, and people have always danced to them in romerias and other Andalusian feasts. Increasingly more people know their steps, as a result of the proliferation of dance schools.

Dance


It is characterised by its gracefulness, liveliness, nimble dynamism and its flexibility, although the sevillanas have been getting slower over the last few years. It is a dance for pairs formed by either a man and a woman or two women .

At a popular level they are executed in series of four coplas (poetic compositions, in verse, used as lyrics), each of which has a different choreography, with a brief interval between them. In earlier times, they were comprised of seven coplas, as they had a further three bolero sevillanas which are currently only performed by professionals, as they are considerably more difficult to dance to.

The most significant movements are the paseíllos (ceremonial entrance or a series of steps, somewhat like a stroll), pasadas (cross-over with the partners side by side), careos (cross-over with the partners facing each other) and remate (the emphatic final part of a movement).

On the last beat of the singing, the music and dancing cease simultaneously and the performers finish off with an elegant and provocative desplante (a series of hard stepping movements that end, or climax, a series of steps, or section, of a dance), characteristic of courtship dances.

It has a 3 x 4 time, that is, in three beats. At present, the first one is strong and the two following ones are weak
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Products we recommend:

- Pack "Baila por sevillanas"

- El baile flamenco. Fandangos, sevillanas y boleras. Vol. 2

- El baile flamenco nivel avanzado. Sevillanas. Vol. 21

- Paso a Paso. Los palos del flamenco. Sevillanas (01)

- Curso de Sevillanas

- El baile, el toque y el cante a compás por Sevillanas

- Sevillanas. Sólo Compás

Guitar


The sevillanas' guitar playing can be executed in any key, as this depends on the singer , but it is generally played at the top in LA minor, and in the middle in D minor.

The beginning involves strumming, until the cantaor (singer) or guitar introduces the singing.

They are mainly accompanied by hand clapping, although castanets, a flute, small drums and/or tambourines can also be used to provide accompaniment.

Products we recommend:

- Aprende y Practica el acompañamiento por Sevillanas

Song


It is the most popular kind of folk song that has been aflamencada (lit. flamencoised; that is, experienced changes as a result of the influence of flamenco) and has been very widely played for several years. Several variations of sevillanas can be distinguished, such as the corraleras (for neighbourhood patios), bíblicas (biblical), bolero, liturgícas (lithurgical or religious), de feria (typical of feasts) and rocieras (for the rocío feast) ... Carlos Saura collected them in the film Sevillanas.

La Niña de los Peines, Bernardo el de los Lobitos, Manuel Vallejo and La Paquera have been some of the great figures of this cante (style of song). Starting with the Toronjo brothers and the Reyes brothers, since the sixties, there has been no stopping the emergence of groups dedicated exclusively to sevillanas
Sevillanas have coplas that are similar to the classic Castillian seguidilla, although, at present, there are several variations. At times, the same chorus line is repeated in every couplet.

Products we recommend:

- Sevillanas de Carlos Saura

- Grandes Éxitos. Ecos del Rocío

- Costalera de Triana. El Pali

- A bailar sevillanas: 40 sevillanas inolvidables

- 100 Sevillanas de Oro

- Treinta años de sevillanas

Last published news features in: "Shopping guides"


Related pages


Features

Meter, history and technique
The flamenco forms


Shopping guides

5- Understanding flamenco
Flamenco for beginners


Shopping guides

Learn to dance and play Sevillanas
Flamenco guide: learning material


Shopping guides

Sevillanas, listen and dance
Flamenco guide: listen and dance


Shopping guides

Dress to dance sevillanas
Flamenco guide: wardrobe and accessories


Flamenco videos

Video: Sevillanas
Footage from the film "Sevillanas" by Carlos Saura


 

Related products

El baile, el toque y el cante a compás por Sevillanas (Dancing, guitar playing and singing following the meter in a Sevillanas style.)

Escuela de Flamenco presentada por Cristina Hoyos (Flamenco school, presented by Cristina Hoyos)

Price: ¥ 2,230


Paso a Paso. Los palos del flamenco. Sevillanas (01) (Step by step. Flamenco forms. (01) Sevillanas.)

Adrián Galia

Price: ¥ 3,067


El baile flamenco. Fandangos, sevillanas y boleras. Vol. 2 (Flamenco dancing. Fandangos, sevillanas and boleras. Vol. 2)

Manuel Salado

Price: ¥ 2,595


Pack "Baila por sevillanas" ("Dance sevillanas" pack)

Varios artistas (Various artists)

List price: ¥ 6,514
Discount: 10%
Price: ¥ 5,862



Sevillanas de Carlos Saura (Sevillanas de Carlos Saura, original soundtrack)

Banda sonora original

List price: ¥ 1,505
Discount: 30%
Price: ¥ 1,053



100 Sevillanas de Oro (100 Golden Sevillanas)

Varios artistas (Various Artists)

Price: ¥ 2,826


Aprende y Practica el acompañamiento por Sevillanas (Learn and practice guitar for Sevillanas)

José Manuel Montoya (José Manuel Montoya)

Price: ¥ 4,118


Enciclopedia de los estilos flamencos. De la A a la Z (An encyclopaedia of flamenco styles from A-Z)

Varios artistas (Various Artists)

List price: ¥ 11,682
Discount: 10%
Price: ¥ 10,514


Free flamenco newsletter Our newsletter is full of useful information about flamenco (news, releases, special offers, etc...) . Just enter your e-mail address below and we'll add you to our list.
We are also on: Blog esFlamenco Facebook Youtube Myspace Twitter
Advertising on esflamenco.com | Contact us | About us | Security | Data protection | Terms and conditions of sale
        
 © 2003-2010 Spain Ten Points S.L.U.( Madrid, España)