History of Flamenco

"Duende", mystery, pinch, "quejío"… All these words have served the fans, since singing is singing, to explain what they feel when they come face to face with flamenco. Why? What does this artistic genre have hidden in its chest?? The answer to these questions is almost a chimera., because the lyricism with which the flamenco people declaim the greatness of their music is always due to the same reason based on faith: No one still knows for sure when and how this Andalusian art emerged.

15th century

Musical background

In a quick exercise of imagination we could travel to Arab Spain, since the modulations and melismas that define the flamenco genre can come from Islamic monochord songs..
15th century

17th century

First written references

According to the most widespread ideas, In the beginning there was no dancing or guitar, just singing, so that it has come to be thought that the first palo of the story was the "toná", and that it settled in the triangle formed by Triana, Jerez and Cadiz.
17th century

18th Century

Origin of the word “flamenco”

Another aspect that makes this art a true mystery lies in defining the exact origin of the term “flamenco”. There are multiple theories about the genesis of this word, although perhaps the most widespread is the one defended by Blas Infante in his book “Orígenes de lo flamenco”.
18th Century

18th Century

Evolution. Hermetic Stage. First singers

Aside from the keys that the history of literature has provided for the study of the origin of flamenco, there is data, many of it still unproven, that talk about ancient flamencos. The reference to two figures who for a long time have been thought to be the first singers in history cannot be left out.
18th Century

19th century

The great creators. The Golden Age. The Singing Cafes

At the end of the 19th century, flamenco was already a widespread art throughout Andalusia. In Cadiz, mother of singing by cantiñas, figures like El Chiclanita emerge, Dolores and Alonso del Cepillo, José de los Reyes and el Negro del Puerto and singing centers such as Los Puertos are certified, San Fernando, Sanlucar, Chiclana and Arcos.
19th century

1922

The contest that took place in 1922 in Granada

When singing professionals begin to emerge decisively, the dance and the touch, certain sectors of the intellectuality related to the Generation 27 begin to fear for “the pure”. Masters like Manuel de Falla or Federico García Lorca have an apocalyptic vision of flamenco, since for them this must be an art of the people, reduced to the Andalusian minority, and not a marketable style.
1922

1925

Flamenco in Madrid. The Pavón Cup. Second Golden Key of Singing

The success that flamenco singing had achieved among the public made the capital, Madrid, became a singing center from the beginning of the 20th century. Most of the renowned artists decided to settle in “La Corte” to give meaning to their artistic career and shows began to proliferate in theaters..
1925

Years 20

The Flamenco Opera

In the 20 's, the posters announcing the shows began to be stamped with a controversial label: “Flamenco Opera”. The term has not yet been accepted by many experts, because according to them this era represented an adulteration of flamenco styles.
Years 20

Years 50

Revaluation of flamenco. Third Golden Key of Singing

With “Flamenco Opera” as the common thread of the genre, the 50. 's arrive. Flamenco art is known throughout the world thanks to the “troupes”, which had reduced the density of the songs to facilitate understanding by all audiences.

Years 50

Years 50 and 60

The festivals

The first flamenco festivals in history were created a little before Mairena won the third Key, but they took on real importance in the light of this event, that gave a transcendental push to the new values.
Years 50 and 60

21st century

The present and future of the genre. The Fourth Golden Key of Singing

Since 1979 , when Jose Monge Cruz, Camarón de la Isla, recorded “The Legend of Time”, the future of flamenco has another appearance. In that Ricardo Pachón production there were many new things.
21st century

The history of flamenco regarding
its geographical distribution

In parallel to the course of the different stages mentioned, flamenco has lived another very interesting story: that of each geographic nucleus. The creation of the different palos is due to the varied ways of expressing oneself musically in each area of ​​Andalusia. That's why, the study of the flamenco allows us to make a classification by provinces.

Almeria

The reason why the westernmost province of Andalusia is a creative enclave in flamenco is absolutely clear and defined: in 1838 The Jaroso vein is discovered in the Sierra de Almagrera.
Almeria

Cadiz

Cadiz is the mother of cantiñas, name that brings together other songs such as the alegrías, the romera, the mirabrás or the caracoles.
Cadiz

Córdoba

Córdoba stands out for its wide variety of fandangos and peasant songs. Besides, the creation of the serrana is attributed to this province.
Córdoba

Granada

This province deserves a unique study, because there continues to exist an eminently folkloric style that has not yet been elevated to the category of artistic genre: the zambra.
Granada

Huelva

Huelva is the birthplace of fandango. Throughout the province there are several creative centers: Alosno -the oldest and head of the entire Andévalo-, the Sierra and the capital.
Huelva

Jaen

Singing comes to this area thanks to the mining boom, so its main style is taranta.
Jaen

Málaga

This province is the most opulent in abandolao styles. In Malaga you can review a multitude of good styles, but, first of all, It is necessary to distinguish between the three dominant stylistic groups: la verdial - folk songs typical of Axarquía- the fandango abandolao and the malagueña.
Málaga

Sevilla

in this province, the attribution of the songs is distributed among four large places: Triana, Utrera, Alcalá and Lebrija.
Sevilla

The Guitar:
last to join

The analysis of the guitar in flamenco deserves a different section, since it is the last of the components that the genre acquired but, at the moment, one of the most valued. According to studies carried out by various experts, Everything seems to indicate that one of the first references is located in “The explanation of the guitar”, work published by Juan Antonio de Vargas y Guzmán from Cádiz in 1773.

However, At this time we can only talk about what would later be called the existence of guitarists “por lo fino”. Actually, the first signs of the approach of the six strings to flamenco come with figures like those of El Murciano, Trinitario Huertas, Bernardo Troncoso, José Toboso and, above all, Julián Arcas from Almeria, father of a soleá that bears his name.

To this first era of guitarists still located between the “fine” and “flamenco” playing, They are followed by those of the so-called Eclectic School, in which the inventor of the cejilla stands out, Maestro Patiño -Cádiz-, Antonio Pérez -Seville-, Paco el Barbero -Seville- and Paco el de Lucena -Córdoba-.

From this moment on, the first specialists in the flamenco style began to emerge, as Juan Gandulla Habichuela, from Cadiz, Javier Molina, from Jerez, and Miguel Borrul father, from Castellón.

But the great guitarist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries is Ramón Montoya Salazar (Madrid, 1880-1948). He is responsible for the creation of the vast majority of flamenco styles for the guitar and is considered the first revolutionary of technique and harmony, to the point where he became the first flamenco concert performer in history.

His legacy is used by a generation of unmatched guitarists who have shaped the era of great personal creators.

At this time, Niño Ricardo, Manolo de Huelva, Perico el del Lunar, Esteban Sanlucar, Melchor de Marchena, Sabicas and Diego del Gastor emerged.

The greatest teacher of all time is inspired by all of them, Paco de Lucia, undisputed leader of the latest generation of guitarists. Along with him, we must highlight Manolo Sanlúcar and Víctor Monge Serranito, a triangle of players who revolutionized the concept of flamenco guitar by coming into contact, especially in the case of Paco de Lucía, with other music like Brazilian, jazz, rock…

To this school, indisputably, new touch values ​​belong, like Tomatito from Almeria, Gerardo Núñez from Jerez, the Catalan Juan Manuel Cañizares or the Cordoban Vicente Amigo.

A tourist and cultural vision of flamenco

Plains and rocky terrain, hills and slopes, cistus and almond trees… Andalusia is a melting pot. When the Despeñaperros gorges send the first beam of light to other people's eyes, the blackness of infinity is reflected in them. But diversity protects that void. Cavernaries, Phoenicians, greeks, Romans, arabs,cristianos y conversos han hollado las tierras del Sur de España. Y en su caminar han forjado la senda de una expresión propia: el flamenco.

Puede que el arte andaluz feche su bautizo hace sólo dos siglos, como han querido señalar algunos expertos. Pero el cante, el toque y el baile son mucho más que el sentir de un pueblo ampliamente desperdigado por el mundo y que sólo ha sido capaz de producir flamenco dentro de nuestros fielatos.

Los gitanos son responsables de una parte generosa del acervo musical andaluz, pero no son la pieza inmanente que justifica su existencia. Los “sonidos negros” de los que habló Lorca en referencia a Manuel Torre han sido paridos por la cultura de un pueblo con una historia peculiar.

Son hijos del folclore, aunque, como todo buen descendiente, han sabido volar del nido para adquirir una identidad propia.

No hay más que oír la trillera, sobre cuyo acento rítmico siempre encuentra sentido el cascabeleo de las mulas que otrora regían con su trabajo las tierras de las gañanías de Jerez, Utrera o Lebrija. ¿Y la toná? ¿Acaso no nace del pueblo el lamento sonoro de la calamidad que tantas ánforas modeló en Triana?

Idem con la soleá, nacida del arrabal para buscar fortuna por Alcalá de Guadaira, Utrera, Cádiz… O con la seguiriya, esa queja que se aposentó sobre las gargantas del Planeta, el Fillo, Silverio, el Gordo o El Nitri mirando en cada postulado al martinete de las fraguas, la debla de la Cava, la carcelera y la cabal.

A ver quién dice que no habita en el taranto sino la propia gente de Almería, o en el fandango sino la Tharsis alosnera, o en la cartagenera sino la retahíla murciana…

Cádiz se expresa por cantiñas; Málaga por jaberas, jabegotes y verdiales; Córdoba por zánganos y fandangos de Lucena; Granada por zambras, roas, granaínas y medias. Y por si no hubiera heterogeneidad, al otro lado del charco nos prestan la guajira, la milonga, la vidalita y la rumba para que luego Pepe Marchena se invente la colombiana.

En efecto, Andalucía es un crisol cuyo entendimiento campea más allá de bellotas y castañas, de jábegas y almadrabas. Una parte de su alma se edifica sobre melopeas cavernarias, fenicias, griegas, romanas, árabes, cristianas y conversas, ladrillos de una muralla musical a la que luego los gitanos le pusieron sus almenas: el quejío.