Fandango
Encyclopedia
Fandango is a lively couple's dance
, usually in triple metre
, traditionally accompanied by guitars and castanets or hand-clapping ("palmas" in Spanish and Portuguese). Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has an instrumental introduction followed by "variaciones". Sung fandango usually follows the structure of "cante" that consist of four or five octosyllabic verses (coplas) or musical phrases (tercios). Occasionally, the first copla is repeated.
The meter of fandango is similar to that of the bolero
and seguidilla
. It was originally notated in 6/8 time, but later in 3/8 or 3/4.
s, zarzuela
s, ballet
s and opera
s, not only in Spain, but also elsewhere in Europe.
Widely varying claims have been made about the origin of fandango: its relation to the soleá
, jabera and petenera; to the Andalusian malagueña
, granadina, murciana and rondeña
; to the canario
and gitano; to the jota
aragonesa. There have been suggestions of a Moorish origin. Currently the prevailing theories point to either a West Indian or Latin American origin.
's "Fandango portugués" (k492, 1756) and "Fandango del SigR Escarlate". Fandango forms #19 in the part 2 of Gluck's ballet Don Juan
(1761); it appears also in the third-act finale of Mozart's opera Le nozze di Figaro (1786); in the finale of Luigi Boccherini
's String Quartet op.40 no.2 (1798); Antonio Soler
's Fandango for harpsichord.
The fandangos grandes (big fandangos) are normally danced by couples, which start out slowly with gradually increasing tempo
. Many varieties are derived from this one.
The fandanguillos (little fandangos) are livelier, more festive derivations of fandangos. Some regions of Spain
have developed their own style of fandangos, such as Huelva
(fandangos de Huelva) and Málaga (fandangos de Málaga, or Verdiales
). Northern areas such as the Principality of Asturias
, the Basque Country
and Castile
have preserved a more relaxed performance.
This adaptation from Lubang, Mindoro
, has the dancers carry lights called tinggoy, which are oil lamps or glasses with lit candles, in each hand instead of castanets. Female dancers balance a third tinggoy on their head, and all the dancers swirl the lights over their heads and under their arms, or sometimes swing them around inside handkerchiefs.
. The choreography is quite simple: on its more frequent setting two male dancers face each other, dancing and tap-dancing one at each time, showing which one has the most lightness and repertoire of feet changes in the tap-dancing. The dancers can be boy and girl, boy and boy (most frequent) or rarely two girls. While one of the dancers dances, the other just "goes along". Afterwards, they "both drag their feet for a while" until the other one takes his turn. They stay there, disputing, seeing which one of them makes the feet transitions more eye-catching.
The "fandango do Ribatejo" refers specifically the form of fandango practiced in Ribatejo
, Portugal. The dance is usually performed by two Campino
s.
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, usually in triple metre
Triple metre
Triple metre is a musical metre characterized by a primary division of 3 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 3 or 9 in the upper figure of the time signature, with 3/4, 3/2, and 3/8 being the most common examples...
, traditionally accompanied by guitars and castanets or hand-clapping ("palmas" in Spanish and Portuguese). Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has an instrumental introduction followed by "variaciones". Sung fandango usually follows the structure of "cante" that consist of four or five octosyllabic verses (coplas) or musical phrases (tercios). Occasionally, the first copla is repeated.
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
and seguidilla
Seguidilla
The seguidilla is a quick, triple-time old Castillian folksong and dance form. The song is generally in the major key and often begins on an off-beat...
. It was originally notated in 6/8 time, but later in 3/8 or 3/4.
Origins
The earliest fandango melody is found in the anonymous "Libro de diferentes cifras de guitarra" from 1705, and the earliest description of the dance itself is found in a 1712 letter by Martín Martí, a Spanish priest. Fandango's first sighting in a theatrical work was in Francisco de Leefadeal's "Entremés El novio de la aldeana" staged in Seville, ca. 1720. By the late 18th century it had become fashionable among the aristocracy and was often included in tonadillaTonadilla
Tonadilla was a Spanish musical song form of theatrical origin; not danced. The genre was a type of short, satirical musical comedy popular in 18th-century Spain, and later in Cuba and other Spanish colonial countries. It originated as a song type, then dialogue for characters was written into the...
s, zarzuela
Zarzuela
Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance...
s, ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
s and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s, not only in Spain, but also elsewhere in Europe.
Widely varying claims have been made about the origin of fandango: its relation to the 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...
, jabera and petenera; to the Andalusian malagueña
Malagueña
Originally the sixth movement of the Suite Andalucia by Ernesto Lecuona, who also provided it with Spanish lyrics, the song "Malagueña" has since become a popular, jazz, marching band, and drum corps standard and has been provided with lyrics in several languages.-Notable vocal performances:A...
, granadina, murciana and rondeña
Rondeña
A Rondeña is a palo or musical form of flamenco originating in the town of Ronda in the province of Malaga in Spain.In common with other palos originating in Malaga, the rondeña antedated flamenco proper and became incorporated into it during the 19th century.- History :The rondeña has its origin...
; to the canario
Canário
Darcy Canário Silveira dos Santos is a Brazilian-Spanish footballer who played as a right-winger for Real Madrid. He was part of their European Cup victory in 1960. Being the first Brazilian player to win the European Cup. After that he moved to Real Zaragoza, and played as winger in their 1960s...
and gitano; to the jota
Jota
Jota may refer to:*the name of J, the tenth letter of the Spanish alphabet and Portuguese alphabet*Jota , a type of Spanish music and dance*Jota, a bean-sauerkraut soup of Slovenian/Croatian origin*Laverda Jota, a motorcycle...
aragonesa. There have been suggestions of a Moorish origin. Currently the prevailing theories point to either a West Indian or Latin American origin.
Fandango in classical music
The form of Fandango have been used by many European composers, and often included in stage and instrumental works. Notable examples include J.P.Rameau's "Les trois mains" ( in "Nouvelles suites de pièces de clavecin", ca.1729–30); Domenico ScarlattiDomenico Scarlatti
Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti was an Italian composer who spent much of his life in the service of the Portuguese and Spanish royal families. He is classified as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the development of the Classical style...
's "Fandango portugués" (k492, 1756) and "Fandango del SigR Escarlate". Fandango forms #19 in the part 2 of Gluck's ballet Don Juan
Don Juan
Don Juan is a legendary, fictional libertine whose story has been told many times by many authors. El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra by Tirso de Molina is a play set in the fourteenth century that was published in Spain around 1630...
(1761); it appears also in the third-act finale of Mozart's opera Le nozze di Figaro (1786); in the finale of Luigi Boccherini
Luigi Boccherini
Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini was an Italian classical era composer and cellist whose music retained a courtly and galante style while he matured somewhat apart from the major European musical centers. Boccherini is most widely known for one particular minuet from his String Quintet in E, Op. 11, No...
's String Quartet op.40 no.2 (1798); Antonio Soler
Antonio Soler
Antonio Francisco Javier José Soler Ramos, usually known as Padre Antonio Soler, known in Catalan as Antoni Soler i Ramos was a Spanish Catalan composer whose works span the late Baroque and early Classical music eras...
's Fandango for harpsichord.
Spanish dance
The current 3/4 pattern of the fandango, its distinctive descending chord progression (A minor/G major/F major/E major), lyrics with octosyllabic verses and the use of castanets are well-documented from the 18th century.The fandangos grandes (big fandangos) are normally danced by couples, which start out slowly with gradually increasing tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
. Many varieties are derived from this one.
The fandanguillos (little fandangos) are livelier, more festive derivations of fandangos. Some regions 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...
have developed their own style of fandangos, such as Huelva
Huelva
Huelva is a city in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous region of Andalusia. It is located along the Gulf of Cadiz coast, at the confluence of the Odiel and Tinto rivers. According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of 149,410 inhabitants. The...
(fandangos de Huelva) and Málaga (fandangos de Málaga, or Verdiales
Verdiales
Verdiales are a Flamenco music style, and song form belonging to Canté Chico.Originating in Almogia, near the Spanish port of Málaga in Andalucia, it is based upon the fandango...
). Northern areas such as the Principality of 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...
, the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
and Castile
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
have preserved a more relaxed performance.
Philippines
In the Philippines, which was a Spanish colony for 333 years, the fandango lives on in the folk dance called Pandanggo sa Ilaw (Fandango of Lights).This adaptation from Lubang, Mindoro
Lubang Island
Lubang Island is the largest island in the Lubang Group of Islands, an archipelago which lies to the northwest of the northern end of Mindoro in the Philippines. The Lubang Islands are about southwest of Manila. There are seven islands in the group, The island is divided into two municipalities. ...
, has the dancers carry lights called tinggoy, which are oil lamps or glasses with lit candles, in each hand instead of castanets. Female dancers balance a third tinggoy on their head, and all the dancers swirl the lights over their heads and under their arms, or sometimes swing them around inside handkerchiefs.
Portuguese dance
Fandango is one of the main folk dances in PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. The choreography is quite simple: on its more frequent setting two male dancers face each other, dancing and tap-dancing one at each time, showing which one has the most lightness and repertoire of feet changes in the tap-dancing. The dancers can be boy and girl, boy and boy (most frequent) or rarely two girls. While one of the dancers dances, the other just "goes along". Afterwards, they "both drag their feet for a while" until the other one takes his turn. They stay there, disputing, seeing which one of them makes the feet transitions more eye-catching.
The "fandango do Ribatejo" refers specifically the form of fandango practiced in Ribatejo
Ribatejo
The Ribatejo is the most central of the traditional provinces of Portugal, with no coastline or border with Spain. The region is crossed by the Tagus River...
, Portugal. The dance is usually performed by two Campino
Campino
Campino is a singer/songwriter, and actor. He is most famous for his performance as the head of, and lead vocalist of the German punk rock band Die Toten Hosen.- Biography :...
s.
Figurative meaning
As a result of the extravagant features of the dance, the word fandango is used as a synonym for "a quarrel," "a big fuss," or "a brilliant exploit."See also
- SevillanasSevillanasSevillanas 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...
- BoleroBoleroBolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
- ChamarritaChamarritaChamarrita can refer to two different types of music and dance, one from the Azores in Portugal and one from the Rio de la Plata littoral region in northern Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil.-Azorean Chamarrita:...
- WaltzWaltzThe waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
- MazurkaMazurkaThe mazurka is a Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, and with accent on the third or second beat.-History:The folk origins of the mazurek are two other Polish musical forms—the slow machine...
- Polska (dance)Polska (dance)The polska is a family of music and dance forms shared by the Nordic countries: called polsk in Denmark, polska in Sweden and Finland and by several names in Norway in different regions and/or for different variants - including pols, rundom, springleik, and springar...
- LandlerLändlerThe ländler is a folk dance in 3/4 time which was popular in Austria, south Germany and German Switzerland at the end of the 18th century.It is a dance for couples which strongly features hopping and stamping...
- PolonaisePolonaiseThe polonaise is a slow dance of Polish origin, in 3/4 time. Its name is French for "Polish."The polonaise had a rhythm quite close to that of the Swedish semiquaver or sixteenth-note polska, and the two dances have a common origin....
- BourréeBourréeThe bourrée is a dance of French origin common in Auvergne and Biscay in Spain in the 17th century. It is danced in quick double time, somewhat resembling the gavotte. The main difference between the two is the anacrusis, or upbeat; a bourrée starts on the last beat of a bar, creating a...
External links
- Flamenco Institute Flora Albaicín. Flamenco dance company and academy (the oldest and biggest of its kind in the world).
- Flamenco Forms