Folklore

FLAMENCO

The art of Flamenco derives from the south of Spain, from Andalusia and is expressed by three forms: song, dance and the play of the guitar. The real origin is unknown, because the root is very old and there are no documents that could enlighten the story. They imagine that it emanates from the folk-singing and -dancing, that existed in Andalusia many centuries ago, because specified styles of Flamenco are based on these traditions of old times. Even so the Flamenco has been formed by the different cultures and peoples, which settled Andalusia and fundamentally affected its rhythms and harmonies.

The first chronicle about the Flamenco is to be found in the “Cartas Marruecas” from Cadalso (1774). Therein the author accredits the origin to the gipsies. Also the Flamenco was immense influenced by the Arabians, when the so called Moors, different ethnic groups from North Africa, settled down in the late Middle Ages especially in Andalusia. This influence is clearly apparent in the melodies and also the singing of the Flamenco shows strong parallels to music from North Africa, for example to the Moroccan music.

The art of Flamenco is very pure and at the same time also very mixed. It has sui generesis, that no other type of folklore has and coexistent are so many influences from other peoples. Concerning the guitar, it rather hadn`t accompanied the singing in the past, because the singing was normally not accompanied by an instrument, but only by clapping and noises of barrels. Some composers like Julián Arcas started to compose themes with noises of the Flamenco, which was the beginning of a new era. Between 1860 and 1910 stretched a reproductive time, which is also called the “Golden Time of the Flamenco”. At this time cafés with singing boomed and the Flamenco developed its full spectrum with instruments, singing and dancing. The dance got an unprecedented status, because it was the main attraction for guests in cafés with singing and the guitar developed to the basic accompanying instrument; dancing and singing became impossible without the guitar.

Between 1910 and 1955 the singing was identified by the “Opera flamenco”-era, in which the easier singings like Fandangos and the “Cantes de ida y vuelta” (influence by Latin American singers, which have immigrated to Latin America) were authoritative. Not everybody suits this new direction of the Flamenco. Therefore the intellectuals of the “Generación del 27”, Falla and some more artists in Granada established a community with the aim to find new values, which cultivates the authentic Flamenco-singing. The guitar-player not only accompanied the singings, but also acts as a soloist. Paco de Lucia heralds a new glamorous chapter through his extraordinary style. Besides him there are a lot of others to mention, whose are really virtuosos at the guitar, like Manolo Sanlucar for example. The Flamenco is plainly the intimate music, but its popularity pushes it into a new era, in that the big media of communication are going to be witnesses of its charm and power.

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