Cante jondo
Encyclopedia
Cante jondo is a vocal style in flamenco
. An unspoiled form of Andalusian folk music, the name means deep song (Spanish
hondo = "deep".) 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. The name is spelt with a j as a form of eye-dialect because traditional Andalusian pronunciation
has retained an aspirated h lost in other forms of Spanish.
led in the organization of the Concurso de Cante Jondo
for Granada
. Many classical musicians, cultural and literary figures, including the young poet Federico García Lorca
, participated in the program. The result was the memorable series of flamenco
performances held at the Alhambra
during June.
Lorca had evidently used the title Poema del Cante Jondo for a 1921 collection of poems, although he did not publish it for ten years.
In 1931, Garcia Lorca presented a conference devoted to keeping the rich tradition of the Cante Jondo alive. The following is translated from the conference notes by Lorca:
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....
. An unspoiled form of Andalusian folk music, the name means deep song (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
hondo = "deep".) 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. The name is spelt with a j as a form of eye-dialect because traditional Andalusian pronunciation
Andalusian Spanish
The Andalusian varieties of Spanish are spoken in Andalusia, Ceuta, Melilla and Gibraltar. They include perhaps the most distinct of the southern variants of peninsular Spanish, differing in many respects from northern varieties, and also from Standard Spanish...
has retained an aspirated h lost in other forms of Spanish.
Cultural references to cante jondo
In 1922 the Spanish composer Manuel de FallaManuel 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....
led in the organization of 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:...
for 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...
. Many classical musicians, cultural and literary figures, including the young poet Federico García 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...
, participated in the program. The result was the memorable series 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....
performances held at the Alhambra
Alhambra
The Alhambra , the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra , is a palace and fortress complex located in the Granada, Andalusia, Spain...
during June.
Lorca had evidently used the title Poema del Cante Jondo for a 1921 collection of poems, although he did not publish it for ten years.
In 1931, Garcia Lorca presented a conference devoted to keeping the rich tradition of the Cante Jondo alive. The following is translated from the conference notes by Lorca:
The "cante jondo" approaches the rhythm of the birds and the natural music of the black poplar and the waves; it is simple in oldness and style. It is also a rare example of primitive song, the oldest of all Europe, where the ruins of history, the lyrical fragment eaten by the sand, appear live like the first morning of its life. The illustrious FallaManuel de FallaManuel 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....
, who studied the question attentively, affirms that the gypsy "siguiriyaSiguiriyasSiguiriyas is a form of flamenco music belonging to the cante jondo category. Its deep, expressive style is among the most important in flamenco...
" is the song type of the group "cante jondo" and declares that it is the only song on our continent that has been conserved in its pure form, because of its composition and its style and the qualities it has in itself, the primitive songs of the oriental people.