What is flamenco?
Flamenco is one of the most important art expressions on Spanish culture. It's a unique musical language; its inherent ability to pass emotions converts flamenco to a unique and universal art form, which is appreciated all around the world.

Improvised flamenco songs of ancient Andalusian origin are called cante hondo (deep song), and are characterized by a reduced tonal ambiance, a lack of rhythm, baroque ornamentation and repetition of notes. Cante hondo is sung by a single singer (cantaor).

Flamenco is one of the great European nonacademic musical genres. More than simply a type of folk music, flamenco embodies a complex musical and cultural tradition. Although considered part of the culture of Spain in general, flamenco actually originates from one region--Andalusia. Other areas, mainly Extremadura and Murcia, have, however, also contributed to the development of several flamenco musical forms. A great questions remaining about the roots of flamenco, but it is generally acknowledged that flamenco grew out of the unique interplay of native, Andalusian, Islamic, Sephardic, and Gypsy cultures that existed in Andalusia prior to and after the Reconquest. Latin American and especially Cuban influences have also been important to shape several flamenco musical forms.

How it was born
Once the seeds of flamenco were planted in Andalusia, it grew as a separate subculture, first centers in the provinces of Seville, Cadiz and part of Malaga--the area known as Baja Andalucia (Lower Andalusia)--but soon spreading to the rest of Andalusia, incorporating and transforming local folk music forms. As the popularity of flamenco extended to other areas, other local Spanish musical traditions (i.e. the Castilian traditional music) would also influence, and be influenced by, the traditional flamenco styles.

Most of the people think of flamenco principally as a flamboyant form of dance, in reality it comprises three elements, the song (el cante), the dance (el baile) and the guitar (el toque), which serves either as an accompaniment to the song and dancer or, more recently, as an art form in it.

Over several centuries, flamenco probably achieved a concrete form around the end of the 17th century as an unaccompanied song, which, much like the blues, was an expression of personal grief. The music incorporated many elements offered by the disparate peoples who had gravitated to the fertile and gentle region of Andalusia whose name derives from the Moorish term for the area, Al-Andalus.

How it evolved
In its early form, flamenco evolved solely as a personal form of expression, sung in the home for immediate family and friends. The most primitive forms (deblas, martinetes, siguiriyas and solea) deal only with unhappiness (death, lost love, hardship). With time, flamenco also became a means of expressing happiness as it incorporated elements of Spanish music in lighter forms (alegrias, bulerias, fandangos). The introduction of the guitar probably accelerated this as did the development of the dance in the last century. Towards the end of the last century, flamenco song and dance (el cante y el baile) entered the commercial arena.

Initially some artists were hired by rich patrons to sing in 'juergas' or parties. This led to the evolution of 'professional' artists and culminated in the period of the 'cafe cantantes' where flamenco could be heard in public. Flamenco dancers also became the major public attraction in those cafes. This evolution also led to changes in the nature of the songs as fads developed for particular types of cante. Many of the more primitive forms languished and some were totally lost while others--especially the fandangos--achieved tremendous popularity. Growing commercialization continued sporadically until the 1950's when the influx of tourists to post-war Spain threatened to transform the art form completely. In part thanks to Antonio Mirena, an excellent singer and gypsy from Mirena Del Alcor, a group of artist (including Jose Menese, Fosforito, El Chocolate, Enrique Morente and El Terremoto de Jerez) rediscovered the older forms and reestablished interest in flamenco as an art form as well as a commercial form of music. This process depended in part on memories of older amateur singers such as Juan Talega and Manolo Caracol. The establishment of May Flamenco Festivals during the 1960's and 70's accompanied this revival. They undoubtedly opened up the art to a wider public and provided opportunities for new artists.

Important figures in its evolution
The evolution of flamenco also owes a debt at this same time to the appearance of Paco de Lucia who along with a few contemporaries developed the guitar along lines that permitted a more lyrical and expanded expression. The left hand was liberated to roam over the whole fret board and lightning speed developed for both left and right hands. The partnership of Paco de Lucia (often with his brother Ramon de Algeciras) with the young singer El Camaron de la Isla produced some of the most important flamenco which has had a profound effect on the recent evolution. Camaron regrettably died of cancer years ago, but has left a fabuous--if uneven--legacy of recordings. During the 1980s and 1990s, flamenco has tended to become split between the traditional style and the fusion with jazz and rock. Some form of evolution is essential and flamenco presently is in an exciting stage of development in the hands of a number of superb performers such as Enrique Morente and Carmen Linares.

Cante flamenco
Foreigners often think that the essence of flamenco is the dance. The heart of flamenco, however, is the song (cante). Although to the uninitiated, flamenco seems totally extemporaneous, these cantes and bailes (dances) follow strict musical and poetic rules. The verses (coplas) of these songs often are beautiful and concise poems. The style of the flamenco copla was often imitated by Andalucian poets. Garcia Lorca is perhaps the best known of these poets. In the 1920's he, along with the composer Manuel de Falla and other intellectuals, crusaded to raise the status of flamenco as an art form and preserve its purity.

Cante flamenco can be categorized in a number of way. First, a cante may be categorized according to whether it follows a strict rhythmic pattern (compas) or follows a free rhythm ("libre"). There are some different styles in each types and the "compas-types" are generally known by the name of the most important cante of the group, such as, Solea, Siguiriya, Tango Fandango. For example Solea group includes the cantes, solea, romances, solea por buleriasm alegrias, etc.

What is "duende"?
The concept of duende is very important in flamenco. The primary definition of duende refers to a fairy--or goblin--like mythological character, while its nature varies throughout Spain and Latin America. Loosely defined, duende is a spiritual or emotional bond between the performer and audience. created by the performer's intense concentration and passion.

A second meaning of duende as in "tener duende (having duende) is a rarely explained concept in Spanish art, particularly flamenco having to do with emotion, expression and authenticity. In fact, "tener duende" can be loosely translated as "having soul".

Flamenco in "juerga"
Flamenco occurs in two types of settings. The first, the "juerga" is an informal gathering where people are free to join in creating music. This can include dancing, singing, palmas (had clapping), or simply pounding in rhythm on an old orange crate or a table. Flamenco, in this context, is very dynamic in that it adapts to the local talent, instrumentation, and mood of the audience. One tradition remains firmly in place, singers are the most important part.

Flamenco in concerts
The second setting, the professional concert is more formal and organized. The traditional singing performance has only one singer and one guitar, while a dancing performance usually includes two or three guitars, one or more singers and one or more dancers .A guitar concert used to include a single guitarist, with no other support, though this is now extremely rare except for a few guitarists. The so-called New Flamenco has included other instruments, like the now ubiquitous cajon, flutes or saxophones, piano or other keyboards, or even the bass guitar and the electric guitar.

Flamenco artists
A great number of flamenco artists are not capable of performing in both settings at the same level. There are still many artists, and some of them with a excellent level, who only perform in juergas, or at most in private parties with a small audience. As to their training in the art, traditional flamenco artists never received any formal training: they learned in the context of the family, by listening and watching their relatives, friends and neighbors. Since the appearance of recordings, though, they have relied more and more on audiovisual materials to learn from other famous artists. Today, dancers and guitarists (and sometimes even singers) take lessons in schools or in short courses organized by famous performers. Some guitarists can even read music or learn from teachers in other styles like classical guitar or jazz and many dancers take courses in contemporary dance or classical Spanish ballet.

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