Flamenco: Fire And Grace Essay, Research Paper
Flamenco is one of the greatest musical forms of Europe, and is considered to be one of the most passionate and complex forms of music. Flamenco is a multicultural art form, that arose in Andalucia, the southern region of Spain, evolving from the interaction of many migrating cultures?including the Moorish, Jewish, Spanish, and especially the Gypsies. It is the Gypsies from the south of Spain that created this improvised music day by day since their arrival to Spain in the 15th century.
The gypsies had always lived as a nomad culture and when it came to music they were accustomed to take the local music and make their own versions from it. Music was very important in their celebrations and everyday life. All they needed to start to make music is a voice, and they soon started to add rhythms with their hands and feet. They have always liked improvisation and virtuosity and in Andalucia they found a wonderful ground for their music. Often quoted as saying “it?s in the blood,” to the lower class gypsies Flamenco was song. Flamenco was music. Flamenco was dance. Flamenco was feeling. Flamenco was life… love… pain… rage… passion…
The Moors occupied Spain, and particularly the south (Andalucia), for about 800 years. It was during this time that flamenco became the stereotype for the “Andalucian gypsy”. The gypsies began to face hard times in the following century, as the Catholic kings and upper class began to question their lifestyle. They implemented new rules and those who did not conform to strict racial, social and religious norms were expelled, jailed, tortured or even killed. At this time many of the gypsies took refuge to the mountains and worked and died in large numbers in the mines, and lived in caves, where they were free from the rules and changes made by the Catholic kings and the Church. They never gave up there music and dance though, instead they held their celebrations in secret. Often the songs where about the injustice done to them. Flamenco lived on as powerful form of expression passed on from generation to generation.
Eventually, as time passed, the laws lightened up a little, the Gypsies sort of adapted, and more people began to take interest in their music. At some point, after a good mixing of musical backgrounds, the locals started to adopt and to interpret some of this music. By the end of the 19th century, flamenco had settled into it?s current form, which is still known and performed today. When speaking of form however; it is important to understand that flamenco is a music that has always been improvised and thrived day by day in live performances since its first steps. Therefore only so much emphasis can be on it?s “form.” In fact, while it is agreed that flamenco requires great skill to perform, many say the heart of flamenco lies in the performers ability to express emotion. It is one of the most popular Spanish art forms because of the great intensity of its music and its energetic dance, that reveal a vision of life, full of pride, passion, honor, love, sorrow, and death.
To understand the complexity of this art form you must look at the whole picture, what elements make up the flamenco form. There are three main instruments in flamenco. They are the song (cante), the dance (baile), the guitar (toque) and extra elements of rhythmic accompaniment, such as hand clapping (palmas), finger snapping (pitos), tongue clicking and even knuckle bashing on a tabletop. Out of the three instruments the song “el cante” is the most important as it is considered to be the source which gives inspiration to the guitar playing “el toque” and the dance “el baile”. The purest and the original form of flamenco is the unaccompanied voice. It was the folk music of the poor and dispossessed. The source of flamenco lies in its singing tradition, as the flamenco guitar was used originally as an instrument of accompaniment. However; today solo flamenco guitar has developed as a separate art. The flamenco guitar functions as both a solo and accompanying instrument featuring lively melodic passages, percussive strumming, and improvised breaks. The techniques in flamenco guitar have been evolving since then and the skill and virtuosity developed by most of the flamenco artists takes them to one of the highest standards in the world of guitar. Originally flamenco was not performed to a paying public. At some point during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century cante began to be performed at local taverns, accompanied by guitar and dance. By the mid nineteenth century a new class of taverns opened the doors to the spread and commercialization of flamenco.
Flamenco dance is the most fascinating instrument of flamenco to watch. It is a fiery and emotional dance that can almost be described “spiritual.” Arguably one of the most skilled dance styles performed today, flamenco dance incorporates elegant arm and hand movements with complex rhythmic patterns that are created by a sophisticated foot work technique and heel work called (taconeo.), The purpose of the foot and heel work are to add a special percussion to the music, and are so important to the dance that the flamenco dancer has to wear special shoes or boots with dozens of nails driven to the soles and heels. In flamenco it is the dancers job to project the mood of the song within the strict time signature. The dance can become quite dramatic. The foot, hand, and arm work are very precise, but the dancer must be able to improvise within that structure. Although Flamenco can be performed by a group, it is also danced solo.
Flamenco differs from other music forms in the way the rhythm is felt and done. Western music is often felt from beat to beat, with usually two, three or four counts and one beat per measure. Flamenco is felt from measure to measure, with up to twelve counts and several beats in a measure. In flamenco each measure is a rhythmical phrase with specific accents and sometimes with a “question-answer” structure, with surprising and challenging exchanges between the performers. The musician and dance work the song to a climatic ending full of emotion. The feeling of resolution at the end can be very strong.
Today flamenco thrives and is practiced internationally. The dance is taught in the Royal Ballet of Spain as part of their “escuela bolera,” and many groups and soloists have emerged to record albums and perform concerts around the world. Most recently flamenco dancer Maria Selles, performed the classic dance in the “fire” portion on the hit production “River Dance”. However as popular as flamenco has become in the different international markets, the main flamenco centers and families are still found today in towns of gypsy and refugee origin, such as Utrera, Jerez, Cadiz, and the Triana barrio of Sevilla.