Cante flamenco
Encyclopedia
The cante flamenco is one of the three main components of flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....

, along with toque (playing the guitar) and baile (dance). Because the dancer is front and center in a flamenco performance, foreigners often assume the dance is the most important aspect of the art form - but in fact, it is the cante which is the heart and soul of the genre.

The cante flamenco is part of musical tradition in the Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...

n region of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. Like any folkloric music, its origins are uncertain but scholars see many influences in the cante flamenco including: The Persian Zyriab song form, the Classical Andalusian Orchestras of the Islamic Empire
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...

, the Jewish Synagogue Chants, Mozarabic forms such as Zarchyas and Zambra, Arabic zayal (the foundation for the Fandango
Fandango
Fandango is a lively couple's dance, usually in triple metre, traditionally accompanied by guitars and castanets or hand-clapping . Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has an instrumental introduction followed by "variaciones"...

), Andalusian regional folk forms, as well as West African and South American influences as seen in the cantes de ida y vuelta
Cantes de ida y vuelta
Cantes de ida y vuelta is a Spanish expression literally meaning roundtrip songs. It refers to a group of flamenco musical forms or palos with diverse musical features, which "travelled back" from Latin America as styles that, having originated in the interplay between Spanish musical traditions...

.

Many of the earliest flamenco songs are said to have been dark and profound in nature, concentrating on events such as bloody encounters, violent death, love and love betrayed, displacement, incarceration, sickness and loss. This is often interpreted as expressing the emotions of the conquered peoples of Andalucia during the Moorish occupation.

Flamenco developed into its definitive form during its Golden Age
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology and legend and refers to the first in a sequence of four or five Ages of Man, in which the Golden Age is first, followed in sequence, by the Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages, and then the present, a period of decline...

 (1869-1910). Beginning in 1910, cante flamenco was popularized by the opera flamenca which included the lighter forms of flamenco such as fandangos and cantes de ida y vuelta
Cantes de ida y vuelta
Cantes de ida y vuelta is a Spanish expression literally meaning roundtrip songs. It refers to a group of flamenco musical forms or palos with diverse musical features, which "travelled back" from Latin America as styles that, having originated in the interplay between Spanish musical traditions...

. In order to preserve the "authentic" cante jondo (deep song), Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla y Matheu was a Spanish Andalusian composer of classical music. With Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados and Joaquín Turina he is one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century....

 and Federico Garcia Lorca
Federico García Lorca
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...

, organized the Concurso de Cante Jondo
Concurso de Cante Jondo
El Concurso del Cante Jondo was a well-known celebration of the art of flamenco, its music, song, and dance, held in Granada, Andalusia on Corpus Christi, the 13th and 14th of June, 1922.-Falla's purpose:...

 in Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...

 in 1922. Singers from all over Andalusia travelled to join in the competition. The first two prizes went to El Tenazas and El Caracol.

Types of Cante

There are many variants of cantes or palo
Palo (flamenco)
A palo is the name traditionally given in the flamenco environment for the different musical forms that constitute the traditional musical heritage of flamenco...

s
(song forms), each expressing a unique emotion (which shares noticeable resemblance to Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...

. The flamenco songs of today may be classified into one of three categories: cante grande, cante intermedio or cante chico.

Cante Grande (also known as cante jondo
Cante jondo
Cante jondo is a vocal style in flamenco. An unspoiled form of Andalusian folk music, the name means deep song It is generally considered that the common traditional classification of flamenco music is divided into three groups of which the deepest, most serious forms are known as cante jondo...

)

Meaning "profound" and "deep," this intensely sad form of cante deals with themes of death, anguish, despair, or religious sentiments and is sung a palo seco (without guitar accompaniment). Major forms are the tona
Tona
Tona is a municipality in the province of Barcelona, part of the autonomous community of Catalonia, northeastern Spain. It located in the Plain of Vic, in the comarca of Osona.As of 2007, the estimated population stands at 7,800. -External links:***...

, martinetes
Martinetes
Martinetes are a flamenco palo belonging to the group of the tonás or cantes a palo seco. As the rest of the songs in this group, it is sung with no accompaniment. In some dance shows for the stage, though, it is accompanied by percussion played with the compás of siguiriya...

, seguiriya, soleá
Soleá
"Soleares" is one of the most basic forms or "palos" of Flamenco music, probably originated around Cádiz or Seville in Andalusia, the most southern region of Spain...

, and carcelera. It is said that cante jondo (deep song) is the heart and soul of flamenco:
Sample Seguiria describing anguish in Caló
Caló language
Caló is a language spoken by the Spanish and Portuguese Romani. It is a mixed language based on Romance grammar, with an adstratum of Romani lexical items through language shift by the Romani community. It is often used as an argot, a secret language for discreet communication amongst Iberian...

, Spanish and English:

Cante Intermedio

Meaning "intermediate," this form is less profound but also moving, sometimes containing an oriental cast to the music. The term (between cante chico and cante grande that is) varies according who is singing and describing the "cante intermedio".

Cante Chico

Literally meaning "little song," this form of cante sings of lighter subjects including love, bawdy humor and happiness to the accompaniment of the flamenco guitar. Festive forms of cante chico include forms such as the
alegrías
Alegrías
Alegrías is a flamenco palo or musical form, which has a rhythm consisting of 12 beats. It is similar to Soleares. Its beat emphasis is as follows: 1 2 [3] 4 5 [6] 7 [8] 9 [10] 11 [12]. Alegrías originated in Cádiz. Alegrías belongs to the group of palos called Cantiñas and it is usually played in...

, bulerías
Bulerias
Bulería is a fast flamenco rhythm in 12 beats with emphasis in two general forms as follows:1 2 [3] 4 5 [6] 7 [8] 9 [10] 11 [12]or...

and tangos
Tangos
Tangos is a flamenco palo closely related in form and feeling to the Rumba. It is often performed as a finale to a Tientos. Its compas and llamada are the same as that of the Farruca and share the Farruca's lively nature. However, Tangos is normally performed in the A Phrygian mode.Tangos is...

.

Cante Flamenco Gitano

Cante gitano (or the "Gypsy song") refers to the original songs believed to be developed by Gypsies who immigrated in the 15th century. These include the
tona, soleá, seguiriya, tango and buleria.

Cante Flamenco Andaluz

Cante andaluz began to spread during the middle of the 19th century, and is a combination of other forms of folkloric music from Andalusia which demonstrate a definite influence of Gypsy flamenco music. Cante andaluz genres include the many variations of the
fandango and cantinas.

Cantes Folkloricos Aflamencados

The styles of cantes folkloricos aflamencados are forms of cante that are not considered to be true forms of flamenco by the purists. Examples of these styles include the
sevillanas
Sevillanas
Sevillanas are a type of folk music, sung and written in Seville in Spain. Historically, they are a derivative of Castilian folk music . They have a relatively limited musical pattern, but rich lyrics, based on country side life, virgins, towns, neighborhoods, pilgrimage, and love themes...

, Farruca
Farruca
Farruca is a form of Flamenco music, probably originating in the Galicia region of north-western Spain. It is a light form typical of cante chico, and is traditionally danced only by men...

, Garrotin, and the Cuban Rumba
Cuban Rumba
In Cuban music, Rumba is a generic term covering a variety of musical rhythms and associated dances. The rumba has its influences in the music brought to Cuba by Africans brought to Cuba as slaves as well as Spanish colonizers...

. These are the folk song and dances from Andalusia, other Spanish provinces including Galicia and Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...

, as well as South America which have been slightly influenced by traditional flamenco forms.

Antonio Fernandez a/k/a El Planeta

Although concrete information about El Planeta is scarce, it is thought he was born around 1770 in Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....

. He is widely acknowledged as the first famous performer of the cante flamenco. Originally a blacksmith, El Planeta soon became a renowned leader within the Gypsy community, bearing the honorary title of "Count and Prince of the Fraternity." It is believed he usually sang unaccompanied, although he sometimes accompanied himself on the guitar. The oldest siguiriyas in recorded flamenco history are those of El Planeta. He died around 1850, most likely in or around Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...

.

Francisco Ortega Vargas a/k/a El Fillo

Born around 1820 in Villa Real
Vila Real, Portugal
Vila Real is a city in Vila Real Municipality, Trás-os-Montes, northern Portugal.According to the 2001 census, the city had a total of 24,481 inhabitants.- History :...

, El Fillo was the chosen disciple of La Planeta. El Fillo was able to perform all forms of cante, and has thus been known as "the father of cante." His hoarse, harsh voice has become a defining characteristic of cante to this day - this style of singing is described as afilla in homage to him. It is believed that El Fillo died in 1878 in Seville.

Silverio Franconetti Aguilar a/k/a Silverio Franconetti

Born 1829, Silverio Franaconnetti was born in Moron de la Frontera
Morón de la Frontera
Morón de la Frontera is a Spanish town in Seville province, Andalusia, 63 km South-East of Seville. It is primarily known as being home to Morón Air Base. The most remarkable monuments are the Moorish castle ruins and the main church...

 was expected to enter the family tailoring business, but would escape to the nearby blacksmith to hear the gypsy singers. Here he met El Fillo and was encouraged to become a singer. He later went to Argentina and Uruguay working as a picador
Picador
A picador is one of the pair of horsemen in a Spanish bullfight that jab the bull with a lance. They perform in the tercio de varas which is the first of the three stages in a Spanish bullfight.The picador has three main functions:...

 in the bullrings, and he also served as an officer in the Uruguay Army. Franconnetti was arguably the best non-Gypsy singer of the Nineteenth Century. He died in 1889.

Pastora Maria Pavon Cruz a/k/a La Nina De Los Peines

Born in Seville in 1890, La Nina de Los Peines is regarded by some as the most exceptional and innovative female flamenco singer of all time. Affectionately called "La Nina," she was known for her interpretation of the tangos, and was often requested to sing siguiriyas at a time when women did not customarily perform it.

Manuel Ortega Juarez a/k/a Manolo Caracol

Manolo Caracol came from an exalted Gypsy dynasty which to this day remains legendary in the arenas of both flamenco and bullfighting. Born in Seville in 1909, it is commonly believed that his ancestral lineage included both El Planete and El Fillo. Caracol won the prestigious first prize at the Cante Jondo Competition (in 1922) at the age of only 13. During the Spanish Civil War he worked in theaters to survive. Caracol claimed his style of singing was unique. He is remembered for his capacity to evoke overwhelming passions from his listeners. Caracol frequently performed with full orchestras or pianos (much to the harsh remarks made by the purists). Caracol died at the age of fifty-four in 1973 Madrid.

Jose Monje Cruz a/k/a Camaron de la Isla

Camaron de la Isla was born in San Fernando in 1950, and was the second child of eight to a Gypsy blacksmith and a basketweaver. He received his nickname early on due to his light complexion and blond hair, and began performing at the age of eight. In 1969 he made his first album with Paco de Lucia
Paco de Lucía
Paco de Lucía, born Francisco Sánchez Gómez , is a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist and composer. He is considered by many to be one of the finest guitarists in the world and the greatest guitarist of the flamenco genre...

. Although trained as a traditional flamenco singer, Camaron broke with convention, incorporating new musical instruments including the drums, zither, flute, moog, and keyboards to name a few. In his comparatively short career of 20 years, he and Paco de Lucia revolutionized the art of flamenco, attracting vast new audiences to the art form. Camaron met his untimely death at the age of forty-one, in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

.

Other Famous Singers of Cante

There are many more famous and very influential flamenco singers, including:
  • Jose Reyes
  • Carmen Amaya
    Carmen Amaya
    Carmen Amaya was a flamenco dancer and singer, of gypsy origin, born in the Somorrostro slum of Barcelona, Spain, nowadays....

  • Rafael de Utrera
    Rafael de Utrera
    Rafael Usero is a Spanish flamenco singer more commonly known of his stage name Rafael de Utrera.- Biography :...

  • Duquende
    Duquende
    Juan Rafael Cortés Santiago, known as Duquende , is a Spanish flamenco cantaor . Born in Sabadell, Spain, Duquende is considered a successor to influential Flamenco singer Camarón de la Isla...

  • Potito
  • Remedios Amaya
    Remedios Amaya
    Remedios Amaya is a flamenco singer and former Eurovision Song Contest contestant. Amaya's first records, Luna nueva and Seda en mi piel were an example of flamenco-rock. She reappeared in 1997, alongside Vicente Amigo, with Turu Turai .-References:...

  • Diego Carrasco
  • Antonio Mairena
    Antonio Mairena
    Antonio Cruz García, known as Antonio Mairena was a famous flamenco singer. He led the movement towards the revival of traditional flamenco in the fifties and subsequent decades....

  • Diego El Cigala
    Diego El Cigala
    Diego Ramón Jiménez Salazar, known as El Cigala , is a famous Spanish Romani Flamenco singer...

  • Enrique El Mellizo
    Enrique el Mellizo
    Enrique Jiménez Fernández , known as Enrique el Mellizo was a famous flamenco singer, the most influential one in the development of the Cádiz flamenco styles. Together with Silverio Franconetti and Antonio Chacón, he is considered to be one of the most important figures in the development of...

  • Antonio Chacon
    Antonio Chacón
    Antonio Chacón was a Spanish flamenco singer [cantaor].Chacón began earning a living by performing flamenco around 1884. He toured Andalucia with his two friends, the Molina brothers - dancer Antonio Molina, and guitarist Javier Molina. He was later hired by Silverio Franconetti for his café in...

  • Manuel Torre
    Manuel Torre
    Manuel Soto Loreto, known as Manuel Torre or Manuel Torres , was a Romani flamenco singer.- Beginning :...

  • Enrique El Granaino
  • Pepe de Lucía
    Pepe de Lucía
    Pepe de Lucía is a Spanish flamenco singer and songwriter. The son of flamenco guitarist Antonio Sánchez and brother of flamenco guitarists Paco de Lucía and Ramón de Algeciras, he adopted the stage name Pepe de Lucía in honor of his Portuguese mother, Luzia Gomes...

  • Estrella Morente
    Estrella Morente
    Estrella Morente is a Spanish flamenco singer. She was born on August 14, 1980 in Las Gabias, Granada Province in southern Spain...

  • Lola Flores
    Lola Flores
    María Dolores "Lola" Flores Ruiz was a Spanish singer, dancer, and actress.- Professional career :Flores was born in Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz . Although thought to be only part gypsy, she strongly identified with the Spanish gypsy culture...

  • Fosforito
    Fosforito
    Antonio Fernández Díaz known as Fosforito, is a flamenco singer and winner of the fifth Golden Key of flamenco singing. Only five of these have been awarded since the award's inception in 1862...

  • Lebrijano
    Lebrijano
    Juan Peña Fernández, also known as Juan Peña "El Lebrijano" or simply El Lebrijano is a Spanish Gitano musician, the nephew of Perrate de Utrera.- Biography:...

  • La Perla de Cadiz
  • Terremoto
    Terremoto
    For the sismic movement, see Earthquake""Terremoto"" is the 5th studio album from Italian rock band Litfiba and the band's most hard rock album. It continues on the way started with previous album El Diablo to harden the music, with the massive use of distorted guitars that contrasts with the...

  • Chocolate
  • Manolo Leiva
  • Antonio Mairena
    Antonio Mairena
    Antonio Cruz García, known as Antonio Mairena was a famous flamenco singer. He led the movement towards the revival of traditional flamenco in the fifties and subsequent decades....

  • Manuel Agujetas
    Manuel Agujetas
    Manuel de los Santos Pastor, also known as El Agujetas or el El Agujeta, is a Flamenco singer.Son of singer Agujetas el Viejo. Both father and son follow the school of Manuel Torre, representative of the tradition of Jerez, and father of singers Dolores Agujetas and Antonio Agujetas...

  • Pepe Marchena
    Pepe Marchena
    José Tejada Marín known as Pepe Marchena, and also as Niño de Marchena in the first years of his career, was a flamenco singer who achieved great success in the ópera flamenca period...

  • Mayte Martín
    Mayte Martín
    Mayte Martín . Flamenco cantaora , bolero singer, and composer. She is widely recognized as one of the most important flamenco voices of her generation...

  • José Mercé
    José Mercé
    José Mercé is a flamenco cantaor .He is the great-grandson of nineteenth-century seguiriya maestro Francisco Valencia, who received the nickname Paco la Luz....

  • Antonio Molina
    Antonio Molina
    Antonio Molina was born in Málaga, 9 March 1928 - Madrid, 18 March 1992. Flamenco and popular singer and actor in films and on theatrical stage. He had a high, brilliant voice, which he perhaps abused until he lost it prematurely. He was very popular starring in many theater shows. After a few...

  • Niña Pastori
    Niña Pastori
    Niña Pastori is a Spanish flamenco singer . She was born María Rosa García García in San Fernando on 15 January 1978. The youngest of five siblings and only daughter of a military man and gypsy flamenco singer 'La Pastori', she started her artistic career at a young age...

  • Manuel Torre
    Manuel Torre
    Manuel Soto Loreto, known as Manuel Torre or Manuel Torres , was a Romani flamenco singer.- Beginning :...

  • Juan Valderrama
    Juan Valderrama
    Juan Valderrama Blanca was a Spanish flamenco and folk singer also known as Juanito Valderrama.Born in Torredelcampo, Juanito's recording career began in 1935 and lasted more than 60 years...


Sources

ALVAREZ CABALLERO, Angel: Historia del Cante Flamenco, Alianza Editorial, Madrid, 1981.

GARCIA LORCA, Federico: In Search of Duende. Edition by Christopher Maurer. New Direction Books, New York, 1998.

TOTTEN, Robin: Song of the Outcast - An Introduction to Flamenco, Amadeus Press, Oregon, 2003.

See also

  • Glossary of flamenco terms
    Glossary of flamenco terms
    This is a glossary of terms relating to flamenco.-A:aficionado: one interested in flamenco aflamencao: flamencoizeda golpe: sung to the rhythm of only a stick hitting the floor, or knuckles on the table....

  • Federico Garcia Lorca
    Federico García Lorca
    Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...

  • Flamenco Chill
  • Flamenco guitar
    Flamenco guitar
    A flamenco guitar is a guitar similar to a classical guitar. Flamenco guitar also refers to toque, the guitar-playing part of the art of Flamenco.-Brief history:...

  • Paco de Lucia
    Paco de Lucía
    Paco de Lucía, born Francisco Sánchez Gómez , is a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist and composer. He is considered by many to be one of the finest guitarists in the world and the greatest guitarist of the flamenco genre...

  • Palo (flamenco)
    Palo (flamenco)
    A palo is the name traditionally given in the flamenco environment for the different musical forms that constitute the traditional musical heritage of flamenco...

  • New Flamenco
    New Flamenco
    Nuevo Flamenco is synonymous with contemporary flamenco and is a modern derivative of traditional flamenco ....

  • Spanish translation in the Golden Age
    Spanish translation in the Golden Age
    During the Spanish Golden Age a great number of translations were made, specially from Arabic, Latin and Greek classics, into Spanish, and in turn, from Spanish into other languages.-Background:...

  • :Category:Andalusian music

English links


Spanish links

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