| Flamenco isn't anyone's own personal
heritage. It was born in Spain, of course, and in Andalucía,
to be more precise, but this does not mean that there can't
be any good artists outside of this region. In Spain, there
are important flamenco artists who are not from Andalucía, and
they are also beginning to appear in other countries. Flamenco
has crossed borders to reach everybody, and anyone who has a
certain degree of sensitivity can come to understand and enjoy
it. The only thing that you need to know is that it is a kind
of music that must be performed and listened to with the heart,
and that, for this reason, it uses its own vocabulary, which
is abstract and poetic, and which is used to define this sense
of emotion and feeling. Thus, you will have to become familiar
with terms like duende, ángel, quejío, jondura ... |
| Becoming initiated in flamenco dancing |
Elegance, grace, character and
duende (a spirit, representing inspiration or a trance-like
condition that has to do with the delivery or expression of
flamenco) are the fundamental qualities. You will have to clearly
understand that flamenco dancing is not something mechanical.
The bailaor (flamenco dancer) is different from the ballet dancer
in that s/he must be able to express him/herself beyond what
constitutes the technical aspect, developing the ability to
improvise and invent. Once these requirements are fulfilled,
each performer becomes unique and unrepeatable.
Overall, this form of dancing includes foot movements (zapateado,
punteado, pateo), body movements (torsions, swinging, and convulsive
shaking movements) and arm movements (waving the arms, or moving
the hands or fingers). It has been described as an individualist
form of dancing, based on improvisation and invention, which
requires great concentration and takes place in a limited space.
Furthermore, the dancing cannot be considered separately from
the singing and guitar playing. Flamenco is made up of palos
(forms) that are different from each other and have general
guidelines for the way in which they are choreographed. Depending
on the dramatic mood of the dances, they can be divided into
deep (soleá, seguirilla...), festive (alegrías, bulerías, tangos...)
or popular (sevillanas, fandangos...).
Nowadays, the habit of dancing traditional flamenco in theatres
is being lost, and the dances that are performed are flamenco
choreographies or flamenco fusion. The dance styles for men
and for women are also becoming increasingly similar to one
another.
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| Becoming initiated in flamenco guitar playing |
The tocaor (flamenco guitarist) has a technique that differs entirely from that
which is used for the classical guitar. This difference begins
from the way in which the instrument is held, resting it on
the right thigh, without a footrest. It can also be told apart
due to the use of the cejilla (bridge) to adjust the playing
to the cantaor; some believe that the cejilla gives the guitar
playing a sound that is particularly “flamenco”. However, the
main difference does not lie in the guitar, but rather in the
guitarist who plays by ear, by intuition, constantly improvising
and making contributions that arise from his/her own crop,
the falsetas (variations, or melodic phrases interspersed between
successions of chords).
The two traditional techniques for playing the guitar are punteado
and rasgueado. Other techniques include the trémolo, the striking
of the guitar's soundbox, the picado and the arpegio.
Since the guitar joined the singing in the nineteenth century
until after the middle of the twentieth century, its scope
has been that of accompanying. Nonetheless, it has been progressively
gaining prominence and the tocaores have risen to the same
status as the cantaores, and they now express themselves with
greater personality. There are even guitarists that have become
musicians who perform in concerts independently, on their own.
Furthermore, nowadays the guitar is played at a greater speed.
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| Live flamenco |
The majority of flamenco activity in the country takes place in Madrid where,
in the last few years, regular flamenco sessions are being
held featuring the most important figures in flamenco. To
name but a few, the Festival Flamenco (Flamenco Festival),
Veranos de la Villa (Madrid Summers), the Cumbre Flamenca
(Flamenco Summit)...
Andalucía also periodically organises great flamenco festivals.
Those that stand out for their quality are held in two Andalusian
cities: Sevilla, where the Bienal de Arte Flamenco (Biennial
of Flamenco Art) is held every two years in the months of
September and October, and Córdoba, where the Trienal de Flamenco
(Triennial Flamenco festival) is held in the spring every
three years.
Outside of Andalucía, the most important event is the Festival
Nacional de Cante de las Minas that is held every summer in
La Unión, in the province of Murcia, and which is dedicated
to the cante de Levante, and in particular to cante minero
(relating to the mines).
Furthermore, in Madrid and Barcelona a wide range of flamenco
theatre shows are on offer, and live flamenco is also available
in concert halls and bars, but not in a permanent manner. Although
there are tablaos that are open all year round, the list of
performing artists changes, as does the quality of the shows.
 Continue reading:
Read, watch and listen
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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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