What does the flamenco dance represent?

Flamenco is a difficult form of art which transmits passion in each of its three components: song, dance and music. It is also a living art which represents a way of perceiving and interpreting life.

What does the word flamenco mean in English?

The Spanish word flamenco means “Flemish,” and its later usage in the sense “Gypsy-like,” especially in reference to a song, dance, and guitar-music style, has inspired a number of hypotheses about why the word flamenco came to be associated with Gypsies; however, all of these theories seem implausible.

What does el toque mean in flamenco dancing?

to touch
One of the more important terms in Flamenco music is the word ‘toque. ‘ ‘Toque’ comes from the Spanish word ‘tocar,’ meaning ‘to touch, to hit. ‘ In this sense, it refers to the touch of the guitarist’s hand on his instrument. Similarly, ‘El Cante’ refers to Flamenco singing, while ‘El Baile’ speaks of Flamenco dance.

What is a cantaor?

A cante singer is a cantaor or cantaora. The cante flamenco is part of musical tradition in the Andalusian region of Spain. 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.

What are the 3 forms of flamenco?

Flamenco songs fall into three categories: cante jondo (“profound song,” or “deep song”), cante intermedio (“intermediate song,” also called cante flamenco), and cante chico (“light song”). The cante jondo, whose structure usually is based on a complex 12-beat rhythm, is thought to be the oldest form.

Does flamenco tell a story?

The Paradores of Andalusia recognize flamenco as a form of story-telling. These stories are not written down – they are not tangible. Instead, they are told through song and dance to express intense emotion and relationship.

Does flamenco mean fire?

‘Flama’ also means flame or fire in Spanish, which leads to another potential explanation of the etymology. One fact that is certain is that the center of flamenco is in Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, which is also the sherry capital of the world.

Why is it called flamenco dancing?

The word Flamenco in Spanish originally meant Flemish. It is supposed that during the Flemish kingdom of Karel V (Carlos I in Spain) some kind of popular confusion between flemish and gypsy culture led the people to use that word for the gypsy music.

What is a female flamenco dancer called?

bailaora
Flamenco dance is called baile, while a flamenco dancer is known as a bailaor (male) or bailaora (female).

Do flamenco dancers use castanets?

Castanets are commonly used in the flamenco dance. In fact, Spanish folk dance “Sevillanas” is the style typically performed using castanet. Escuela bolera, a balletic dance form, is also accompanied by castanets.

What language is flamenco?

Spanish
Flamenco is a Spanish art form that has 3 main elements; singing, dancing and guitar playing, and is commonly associated with Gypsy communities of southern Spain.

What do flamenco singers sing about?

If you look at the lyrics of flamenco, most refer to themes of love, life and death. This art, of Andalusian origin, was born from the popular expression, fruit of the persecution suffered by Gypsies, Jews and Muslims in Spain on the part of the Catholic Kings.

Where did the cante flamenco music come from?

The cante flamenco is part of musical tradition in the Andalusian region of Spain. Its origins are uncertain but scholars see many influences in the cante flamenco including: The traditional song of the gitanos (Spanish Gypsies), the Perso-Arab Zyriab song form, the Classical Andalusian Orchestras of the Islamic Empire,…

Which is the most important aspect of flamenco?

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. A cante singer is a cantaor or cantaora. The cante flamenco is part of musical tradition in the Andalusian region of Spain.

Who are some famous people in flamenco music?

Over the years, the flamenco genre has continued to evolve as it has been exposed to all sorts of different influences. Flamenco fusion began in the ‘70s with its own mythical artists, such as the guitarist Paco de Lucía and the cantaores (Flamenco singers) Camarón de la Isla, Enrique Morente, El Lebrijano, and Remedios Amaya.

What was the Golden Age of flamenco music?

In its golden age (1869-1910), flamenco evolved into its definitive form in the numerous cafés cantantes (music cafés) of the era, where singers and dancers worked together, influencing each other and adapting to the audience’s tastes. This was the first step toward the professionalization of flamenco and it being established as a musical genre.