Primitive stage
(From the mid-eighteenth century to the middle of the nineteenth
century) |
| In this period, the presence of established gypsy settlements had already started
in the suburbs of Sevilla, Jerez, Granada, Utrera and Cádiz,
and during their feasts and celebrations, they gathered to
sing and dance together. They were also seasonal workers on
farms in the countryside and, at night or on feast days, they
organised events that involved singing and dancing. The first
well-known cantaores (flamenco singers) of this period are:
el Planeta, whose name comes from the constant references to
the stars in his coplas (poetic compositions, in verse, used
as lyrics), and el Fillo, who was characterised by his voz
afillá, that is, a voice that is dark, hoarse, throaty. It
is the kind of voice that is used for the deepest forms of
singing. |
The age of the café cantante
(From the mid-nineteenth century to the 1920s) |
In this period, flamenco spread massively as, until then, it
had been confined to closed circles of enthusiasts. Dancing
also reached an unprecedented high point. The reason for which
it spread in this way lies in the appearance of the café cantante,
an establishment for drinking and eating where flamenco performances
were staged. Sevilla and Cádiz were the first Andalusian cities
where these establishments opened, but they also appeared in
other Spanish capitals like Madrid and Barcelona, as a result
of the commercial success of the shows. For the first time,
artists were being paid for singing, and the competition that
resulted led to different schools of singing arising, and to
the appearance of the guitar to accompany the singing. Some
persons thought that this professionalisation was damaging the
primitive Andalusian gypsy form of singing, leading to the organisation
in Granada of the 1922 Concurso Nacional de Cante Jondo (National
Cante Jondo Competition, “Cante Jondo” literally means “deep
singing”, and is a common way to refer to flamenco), whose main
promoter was Manuel de Falla, but the competition failed to
arouse the public's interest. Some important figures from this
golden period were Silverio, El Nitri, Enrique el Mellizo, Manuel
Torre and Antonio Chacón. |
Flamenco opera
(From the middle of the 1920s to the end of the 1950s) |
| The name has an economic reason,
as organisers paid less taxes to set up opera performances than
for variety shows. In this period flamenco performances became
mass events. Professional businessmen would organise the show,
that would take place in bull-rings and great theatres, going
on tours around the towns and cities of Spain. It is considered
a disastrous period for flamenco. Pure singing was spurned,
the taste for authenticity was lost, the fandango became the
king among the styles of singing, and superficial aspects were
highly valued. As time passed, the quejío (lament, or wailing)
was replaced by trilling and intricacy. The cantaor who best
exemplifies this period was Pepe Marchena. |
The revaluation of flamenco
(From 1954 to date) |
In the mid-1950s flamenco experiences a revaluation. The first Antología del
Cante (Anthology of Flamenco Singing) is published in France
by Hispavox, González Climet publishes his book, “Flamencología”,
and in 1956 the first Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco
(National Competition of Flamenco Art) is held in Córdoba.
Flamenco reached the public at large without losing its essence
through the open air festivals in which several artists would
share the line-ups. Antonio Mairena was the great promoter
of this process.
The blooming economic situation in the 1960s and the increase
in tourism contributed to a proliferation of tablaos, as an
updated version of the old café cantante. The dancing was the
centrepiece of the show and the audience was predominantly
foreign, which resulted in these establishments playing a fundamental
role in the internationalisation of flamenco. Another element
that helped it to become more widely known was the record.
Theatres also became important in promoting flamenco from the
1970s onwards, when theatre shows began touring around the
stages in Spain and the whole world.
 Continue reading:
Present and future of flamenco
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You
can start dancing straight away
Finding a jersey, skirt, fan, or dance school is easier than you think:
the technique can be learnt, but only you can put the magic into it.
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"Flamencoing"in
Madrid
Madrid is undoubtedly the flamenco capital: schools, tablaos, taverns,
bars and festivals. Everything that you mustn´t miss out on.
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Choose
the best skirt
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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