Flamenco

1
Flamenco
A Trilogy of Arts The development of Flamenco can
be thought of and understood as three distinct
but complementary styles that fuse in the
service of the flamenco way of life. Through
song, dance, and rhythms, the flamencos
conception of self and mode of existence is
celebrated. During quieter moments shared over a
bottle of sherry, there may be recitation of
poetry in the presence or absence of guitar. The
modern influences of world music, especially
jazz, add still more variation in
instrumentation, such as flute, bass guitar and
a hollow wooden box called a cajón.
A Musical Journey Through Andalusia
Toque The unsung hero of Flamenco is the
guitarist.1 In the mind of a flamenco, the
guitar exists in the shadow and the service of
the singer and dancer, although is now becoming
more independently respected. Technique
Flamenco guitar is known for Intricate
right-hand technique, whose purpose lies in the
enhancement and support of the overall rhythm. A
specific technique, rasqueado, is characterized
by rolling chords. Improvisation The guitarist
must be familiar with all song forms as well as
basic chord progressions within each form, as
everything else is improvised, taking cues from
both singer and dancer. Usually, this takes place
in the Phrygian mode.
Cante Without the song, flamenco would not exist.
It is by far the most integral and important
aspect of the art, respected above both
the dance and the guitar by nearly all
aficionados. Aesthetics
For those accustomed to the sounds of Western
singing, flamenco singing might better be
described as wailing. A smooth, velvety voice is
not considered ideal. Rather, the ideal voice of
a cantaor is rough and scratching. It has been
described as the howling of wolves in the
Tundra. The voice is often cracked and split,
and has a hoarse, sharp, and grating quality to
it. This is called voz afila, and represents
the strong historical and social oppositional
nature of flamencos. The experience of flamencos
has always been against the grain, and this mode
of existence is mirrored through not only
lamenting lyrics but also the texture and quality
of the voice. Pitches Flamenco singing does not
always consist of pitches that are recognized as
degrees of a tonal scale. Rather, the singer
weaves around pitches, utilizing quartertones
while pushing or pulling the emphasis to enhance
the emotional expression of the song.
Baile The goal of the dancer is to reveal in a
physical form what emotion is being expressed
through the singer and guitar. Hands Graceful
hand movements are integral to a good
performance of any flamenco dancer. It is
through these embodiments that bailoras reveal
their pain, sorrow, joy, or happiness at
specific moments of a song. Body All movements
are improvised within the structure of a song
form. Movements differ, though all share a common
grace. Upper body movements are purposely
constrained. Flamenco, in contrast to ballet, is
a heavier, earth centered dance that is based on
mature eroticism, and as a result we do not see
light or airy jumps. This demonstrates an
acceptance, rather than a rejection, of gravity.
Feet Stamping feet (zapateo), another
component of the Flamenco dance, anchors the
baile. Originally performed barefoot, heelwork is
now important for its rhythmic contributions in
addition to dance patterns.
Research conducted by Sara Hughes primarily
through ethnographic field research in Spring
2004 in Seville, Spain under the direction of Dr.
Christopher Smith.
A Way of Life When asked what flamenco is, an
artist will often reply that flamenco is a way of
life rather than a form of music. It is true that
Flamenco is not easy to define. It cannot be
transcribed in the western musical system because
of its diversity in mode, tone, and rhythm. More
importantly, emotional nuances and stresses of
the expressive forces that are the spine of
flamenco cannot be notated. Flamenco is a direct
and sincere expression of fundamental human
sentiments. The art form saturates the
province, and can be heard raining through
loudspeakers in supermarkets as well as
microphones at clubs and theatres every day of
the week. Rhythms ingrained in the hearts and
minds of the Sevillanos are clapped out by old
men standing behind newspaper stands and young
people riding the bus on their way to school.
Flamenco can be found in any of Sevillas 300
city plazas. For the Sevillanos, Flamenco's
profound expression of sorrow and joy is more
than an electrifying song and dance form it's a
way of life. Spanish poet Garcia Lorca once
wrote that duende, the mysterious, untranslatable
emotional charge that gives flamenco its
overwhelming power, emanates from "the final
blood-filled room of the soul. Today Flamenco
is evolving at an unprecedented rate due to
changes in Spanish politics, global economics,
and global media. Flamenco is often fused with
Jazz, hip hop, African and Cuban rhythms and
others. These new approaches to Flamenco are
called Nuevo Flamenco, the next phase in
Flamencos evolution.
Other Rhythmic Components Palmas- Polyrhythmic
patterns are clapped out by audience or ensemble
members. Pitos Finger snapping, tongue
clicking, and even knuckle or fingernail drumming
on a tabletop, are all examples of
pitos. Castanets These are a Spanish-classical
influence and are played in some dances,
including the Sevillanas. Jaleo Anyone
present during a flamenco performance may often
shout words of encouragement. Some popular
phrases to shout are ESO ES! OLE! and Que
Toque Bien!
Example of the overlaying rhythms of the
buleria.
gt gt gt gt
gt Basic rhythmic pattern 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12
gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt
Parallel rhythm 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6

• Acknowledgements and Works Cited
• I would like to thank Dr. Christopher Smith, an
  invaluable mentor and director of the Vernacular
  Music Center at Texas Tech
• University and professor of Music History for the
  College of Visual and Performing Arts.
• I would also like to thank Dr. Tydeman of the
  Southwest Collection of Texas Tech, as well as
  Dr. Susan Tomlinson, director of the
• Natural History and Humanities program at Texas
  Tech University. Special thanks to Cheryl
  Carroll and the Honors College.
• Research for this project was conducted primarily
  during Spring of 2004 through field research in
  Sevilla, Espana. I owe a large
• amount of gratitude to the gypsy flamenco artists
  Chica, Pola, and Cristobol (whose photographs
  appear on this poster) for their
• willingness to share the art of Flamenco with me.
• Pohren, D.E. The Art of Flamenco.
• Sevilla, Paco. Flamenco The Early Years.
• All Photographs by Sara Hughes.

Map by Paco Sevilla 2