Contemporary flamenco. Varieties and categories of flamenco

Flamenco harmony combines features of both modality and classical-romantic tonality. The two most recognizable modalisms in flamenco are the Phrygian turnover and the Gypsy scale (otherwise called the "Arabian scale"). Phrygian turnover, for example, is found in soleares, in most bulerias, sigiriyas, tangos And tientos, gypsy gamma - in saet.

The typical chord progression, called the Andalusian cadenza in Spain, is a local variation of the Phrygian turnover, for example, Am-G-F-E. The pitch system based on the use of such a cadence is called the "Andalusian", "Phrygian", or "Dorian" mode in flamenco literature (it should not be identified with the monodic Phrygian and Dorian modes in ancient and medieval music). According to the famous flamenist guitarist Manolo Sanlúcar, in this mode the chord E(E major) is the tonic, F(F major) has a harmonic dominant function, while Am(A minor) and G(G major) play the role of subdominant and mediant, respectively. According to another (more common) point of view, the tonic in this case is the A minor chord, and the dominant chord is the E major chord. In connection with the typical disposition of consonances in flamenco forms, the dominant chord turns out to be metrically strongest (“strong” because ends period), hence the alternative name for this type of pitch structure is the dominant mode.

Guitarists use two main fingering variations of the Andalusian cadenza - "por arriba" ("above") and "por medio" ("in the middle"). The capo is widely used for transposition. The "por arriba" variant corresponds (when played without a capo) to a chord progression Am-G-F-E, variant "por medio": Dm-C-B-A. Modern guitarists, such as Ramón Montoya, have come to use other fingering variants of the Andalusian cadence. So Montoya started using variations: Hm-A-G-F# For rams, Em-D-C-H For granadins (granaines) And C#m-H-A-G# For miners. Montoya also created new genre flamenco for guitar solo, rondenha, with cadence F#m-E-D-C#, performed with scordatura (6th string: re; 3rd: f sharp). These variants include, as additional constructive elements, the sound of open strings on non-chord steps, which became specific feature harmonies of flamenco as a whole. Later, guitarists continued to expand the range of fingerings and scordatura used.

Some styles of flamenco use major scale harmonic tonality, cantinha And alegria, guajira, some buleria And tones, and bondage(variety sigiriya). The minor scale is associated with farruka, milonga, some styles tango And buleria. In general, traditional major-minor styles are limited in harmony to the use of two-chord (root-dominant) or three-chord (root-sub-dominant-dominant) sequences. However, modern guitarists have introduced the practice of replacing chords (Eng. Chord substitution ), transitional chords, and even modulation.

Fandango and derivative styles such as malaguena, taranta and cartagenera use two modes: the guitar introduction is performed in Phrygian mode, while the introductory singing is performed in major, with a transition towards Phrygian towards the end.

Singing

Flamenco singing is characterized by the following features:

1. Vividly dramatic, often tragic character (in most styles).
2. Melodic improvisation based on a relatively small set of traditional melodic types.
3. Extremely rich ornamentation (melismatics).
4. The use of microintervals, i.e. intervals smaller in magnitude than a semitone.
5. Portamento: Often the transition from one note to the next takes place using a small smooth "approach" to the next note, i.e. the notes are not played immediately exactly (in terms of pitch).
6. Narrow tessitura: Most traditional flamenco songs are limited to a sixth (four and a half tones) range. Melodic diversity is achieved by singers through the use of various timbre and dynamic shades, micro-intervals, melismatic variation, etc.
7. Persistent repetition of one note and adjacent to it chromatic scale notes (also used in guitar playing).
8. The lack of a stable regular meter of the vocal part, especially in the genres kante jondo, such as sigiriya and others (at the same time, a non-metric vocal melody can be superimposed on a metric instrumental accompaniment).
9. Decrease in intensity from the beginning to the end of a vocal phrase.
10. In many styles, such as solea or sigiriya, the melody tends to follow nearby steps. Jumps through a step or more are much less common (however, in fandango and styles derived from it, jumps through three or four steps are often found, especially at the beginning of each line of the song, which presumably indicates more early origin songs of this style, influenced by Castilian music).

Compass

The most famous palos - tone, solea, saeta and sigiriya (toná, soleá, fandango, seguiriya) - belong to the category of cante jondo (cante jondo, or cante grande - the historical core of flamenco, the oldest musical and poetic tradition of Andalusia). Opposite category- this is [cante chico] (cante chico), or cante flamenco (cante flamenco); it includes, for example, the genres of alegria (alegría), buleria (bulería), farruca (farruca). Both categories (hondo and chico) include singing, dancing, and playing the guitar as the main trinity, however, the most ancient forms of flamenco are sung without instrumental accompaniment, and in its most modern versions, many instruments have been introduced, from violin and double bass to exotic percussion instruments East and Latin America, such as cajon, darbuka, bongo, etc.

Flamenco has had a great influence on many dance and music styles around the world. Recent decades mixed varieties of flamenco and other genres appeared: flamenco pop, flamenco jazz, flamenco rock, flamenco fusion, gypsy rumba and others.

There are adherents of flamenco who honor its traditions, which has both positive and negative sides. Strict adherence to tradition makes it impossible to deeply understand flamenco. Flamenco genres (singing, dancing, melody) are like a living organism, which requires their constant development, and without development there is no life. But along with the developing flamenco, there is also a scientific direction "flamencology"(a book under this title was written by Gonzalez Clement in 1955 and gave its name to this section of art history), flamenco scholars are studying the origin of flamenco and its “true” style, traditions, etc. Until now, on a par with supporters of the purity of the flamenco style ( purists) there are also adherents of its new forms and sounds.

Confession

Flamenco festivals

Among the most significant cities where flamenco exists today are Cadiz, Jerez, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Barcelona and Madrid. Each of these cities has its own musical specificity, its own traditions and peculiarities.

In Spain

One of the most respected, the largest flamenco festival in Spain takes place every two years in Seville under the name " ". This festival was founded in 1980 . True lovers of flamenco come here from all over the world to see the best artists: bailaors, cantaors and guitarists.

Cordoba hosts an annual International Guitar Festival " GUITARRA”, with a performance at which the glory of talented young guitarists Vicente Amigo and Paco Serrano began.

Annual cante grande festivals, cante flamenco festivals and others take place all over Spain.

In Russia

International Flamenco Festival "¡VIVA ESPAÑA!". The largest flamenco festival in Russia, held in Moscow (since 2001).

1- Russian Flamenco Festival (unavailable link since 23-05-2013 (2141 days)) "- is held for the first time in 2011. The festival will bring together only the world's outstanding flamenco stars.

Petersburg hosts an annual festival called "Northern Flamenco". In addition, the Cana Flamenca festival takes place twice a year.

In the world of modern guitar music in Kaluga, since 1997, the annual festival "Guitar World" has been operating, the participants of which are various flamenco groups from Russia and Spain, and many bright names of foreign guitarists, from world famous ones, such as Al di Meola (2004), Ivan Smirnov ("talisman" of the festival), Vicente Amigo (2006), Paco de Lucia (2007) and others.

In 2011, the Flamenqueria House of Flamenco was opened in Moscow - the first flamenco school in Russia with permanent Spanish teachers.

In other countries

Every year, since 2004, the Flamenco Festival in London has been held in February. One of biggest festivals flamenco outside of Spain has been taking place in the American city of Albuquerque, New Mexico for more than 20 years. In Ukraine, flamenco was represented by festivals in Kyiv (until 2006), Odessa (Festival of Flamenco and Latin American Culture in 2011) and Lviv (since 2010). Flamenco is widely represented at the Nelly Supure invites festivals, which have been held since 2010 in Kyiv, Sevastopol, Sauvignon.

Notable flamenco artists

• Niña de los Peines, Lola Flores , Fosforito, Niña de La Puebla,
• Ramon Montoya Sr. Ramon Montoya), Paco de Lucia ( Paco de Lucia), Vicente Amigo ( Vicente Amigo), Manolo Sanlucar ( Manolo Sanlucar), R. Rikeni ( R. Riqueni), Paco Serrano ( Paco Serrano), Rafael Cortes ( Rafael Cortes)(guitar)
• Antonio Gades and Mario Maia ( Mario Maya) (dance)
• Camaron de la Isla ( Camaron de la Isla) and Enrique Morente (singing)
• Blanca del Rey Blanca Del Rey)
• Antonio Canales ( Antonio Canales)
• Antonio el Pipa, Javier Martos (dance)
• Maria Moya (dance)
• Gipsy Kings, Manzanita (guitar, singing)
• Santa Esmeralda (disco, plus guitar)
• Eva La Yerbabuena ( Eva La Yerbabuena)
• Estrella Morente
• Marina Heredia

• Flamenco dancer Joaquín Cortés is the Roma Ambassador to the European Union.
• "Duende" - the soul of flamenco, also translated from Spanish as "fire", "magic" or "feeling". “Only one duende is not capable - to repeat. Duende does not repeat itself, like the appearance of a stormy sea.
• Up to the second half of XIX For centuries, gypsies have performed barefoot flamenco.

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An excerpt characterizing Flamenco

Any conclusion of history, without the slightest effort on the part of criticism, falls apart like dust, leaving nothing behind, only as a result of the fact that criticism chooses a larger or smaller discontinuous unit as the object of observation; to which it always has the right, since the historical unit taken is always arbitrary.
Only by allowing an infinitely small unit for observation - the differential of history, that is, the homogeneous inclinations of people, and having achieved the art of integrating (taking the sums of these infinitesimal ones), can we hope to comprehend the laws of history.
first fifteen years XIX centuries in Europe represent an extraordinary movement of millions of people. People leave their usual occupations, rush from one side of Europe to the other, rob, kill one another, triumph and despair, and the whole course of life changes for several years and represents an intensified movement, which at first goes on increasing, then weakening. What is the reason for this movement or according to what laws did it occur? asks the human mind.
Historians, answering this question, describe to us the deeds and speeches of several dozen people in one of the buildings of the city of Paris, calling these deeds and speeches the word revolution; then they give detailed biography Napoleon and some sympathetic and hostile people, talk about the influence of some of these people on others and say: this is why this movement came about, and these are its laws.
But the human mind not only refuses to believe in this explanation, but directly says that the method of explanation is not correct, because in this explanation the weakest phenomenon is taken as the cause of the strongest. The sum of human arbitrariness made both the revolution and Napoleon, and only the sum of these arbitrariness endured and destroyed them.
“But whenever there were conquests, there were conquerors; whenever there were coups in the state, there were great people,” says history. Indeed, whenever there were conquerors, there were also wars, the human mind replies, but this does not prove that the conquerors were the causes of wars and that it was possible to find the laws of war in the personal activity of one person. Whenever, looking at my watch, I see that the hand has approached ten, I hear that the evangelization is beginning in the neighboring church, but from the fact that every time the hand comes to ten o'clock when the evangelization begins, I I have no right to conclude that the position of the arrow is the cause of the movement of the bells.
Every time I see a locomotive move, I hear a whistle sound, I see a valve opening and wheels moving; but from this I have no right to conclude that the whistling and the movement of the wheels are the causes of the movement of the locomotive.
The peasants say that a cold wind blows in late spring because the oak bud unfolds, and indeed, every spring a cold wind blows when the oak unfolds. But although I do not know the cause of the cold wind blowing during the unfolding of the oak, I cannot agree with the peasants that the cause of the cold wind is the unfolding of the bud of the oak, simply because the force of the wind is beyond the influence of the bud. I see only the coincidence of those conditions that exist in every life phenomenon, and I see that, no matter how much and no matter how detailed I observe the hand of the clock, the valve and wheels of the steam locomotive and the bud of the oak, I will not recognize the cause of the blagovest, the movement of the steam locomotive and the spring wind. . To do this, I must completely change my point of observation and study the laws of motion of steam, bells and wind. History should do the same. And attempts to do so have already been made.
In order to study the laws of history, we must completely change the object of observation, leave the kings, ministers and generals alone, and study the homogeneous, infinitesimal elements that guide the masses. No one can say how far it is given to a person to achieve understanding of the laws of history by this way; but it is obvious that on this path only lies the possibility of capturing historical laws, and that on this path the human mind has not yet put one millionth of the effort that historians have put into describing the deeds of various kings, generals and ministers and to presenting their considerations on the occasion of these deeds. .

The forces of the twelve languages ​​of Europe broke into Russia. The Russian army and the population retreat, avoiding a collision, to Smolensk and from Smolensk to Borodino. The French army, with an ever-increasing strength of swiftness, rushes towards Moscow, towards the goal of its movement. The strength of its swiftness, approaching the target, increases like an increase in the speed of a falling body as it approaches the earth. Behind a thousand miles of a hungry, hostile country; dozens of miles ahead, separating from the goal. This is felt by every soldier of the Napoleonic army, and the invasion is advancing of itself, by the force of swiftness alone.
As the Russian army retreats, the spirit of anger against the enemy flares up more and more: retreating back, it concentrates and grows. A collision occurs near Borodino. Neither one nor the other army disintegrates, but Russian army immediately after the collision, it retreats just as necessarily as the ball rolls back necessarily, colliding with another ball rushing towards it with greater swiftness; and just as necessary (although having lost all its strength in the collision), the rapidly scattered ball of invasion rolls over some more space.
The Russians retreat a hundred and twenty miles - beyond Moscow, the French reach Moscow and stop there. For five weeks after that there is not a single battle. The French don't move. Like a mortally wounded animal, which licks its wounds while bleeding, they remain in Moscow for five weeks without doing anything, and suddenly, without any new reason, they run back: they rush to the Kaluga road (and after the victory, since again the battlefield was left behind them near Maloyaroslavets), without entering into a single serious battle, they run even faster back to Smolensk, beyond Smolensk, for Vilna, for the Berezina and beyond .
On the evening of August 26, both Kutuzov and the entire Russian army were sure that the Battle of Borodino had been won. Kutuzov wrote to the sovereign in this way. Kutuzov ordered to prepare for new fight to finish off the enemy, not because he wanted to deceive anyone, but because he knew that the enemy was defeated, just as each of the participants in the battle knew it.
But that same evening and the next day, news began to come, one after another, of unheard-of losses, of the loss of half of the army, and a new battle turned out to be physically impossible.
It was impossible to fight when information had not yet been collected, the wounded had not been removed, shells had not been replenished, the dead had not been counted, new commanders had not been appointed to the places of the dead, people had not eaten and had not slept.
And at the same time, immediately after the battle, on the next morning, the French army (according to that impetuous force of movement, now increased, as it were, in the inverse ratio of the squares of distances) was already advancing of itself on the Russian army. Kutuzov wanted to attack the next day, and the whole army wanted it. But in order to attack, the desire to do so is not enough; It is necessary that there was an opportunity to do this, but there was no such opportunity. It was impossible not to retreat one march, then just as it was impossible not to retreat to another and a third march, and finally on September 1, when the army approached Moscow, despite all the strength of the rising feeling in the ranks of the troops, the force of things demanded in order for these troops to go beyond Moscow. And the troops retreated one more, to the last crossing and gave Moscow to the enemy.
For those people who are used to thinking that plans for wars and battles are drawn up by generals in the same way that each of us, sitting in his office over a map, makes considerations about how and how he would dispose of such and such a battle, questions arise why Kutuzov did not do this and that during the retreat, why he did not take up positions before Filey, why he did not immediately retreat to the Kaluga road, left Moscow, etc. People who are used to thinking this way forget or do not know those inevitable conditions in which the activity of any commander-in-chief always takes place. The activities of a commander have not the slightest resemblance to those activities that we imagine sitting freely in an office, analyzing some campaign on the map with a known number of troops, on either side, and in a known area, and starting our considerations from what some famous moment. The Commander-in-Chief is never in those conditions of the beginning of some kind of event, in which we always consider the event. The Commander-in-Chief is always in the middle of a moving series of events, and in such a way that he is never, at any moment, in a position to consider the full significance of an ongoing event. The event is imperceptibly, moment by moment, cut into its meaning, and at every moment of this successive, continuous cutting out of the event, the commander-in-chief is in the center the hardest game, intrigues, worries, dependencies, power, projects, advice, threats, deceptions, is constantly in the need to answer the countless number of questions offered to him, always contradicting one another.
We are seriously told by military scientists that Kutuzov, much earlier than Filey, had to move troops to the Kaluga road, that even someone proposed such a project. But in front of the commander in chief, especially in difficult times, there is not one project, but always dozens at the same time. And each of these projects, based on strategy and tactics, contradicts one another. The business of the commander-in-chief, it would seem, is only to choose one of these projects. But he cannot do that either. Events and time do not wait. He is offered, let's say, on the 28th to go to the Kaluga road, but at that time Miloradovich's adjutant jumps up and asks whether to start a deal with the French now or retreat. He needs now, this minute, to give the order. And the order to retreat knocks us off the turn onto the Kaluga road. And following the adjutant, the quartermaster asks where to take provisions, and the head of hospitals - where to take the wounded; and a courier from St. Petersburg brings a letter from the sovereign, which does not allow the possibility of leaving Moscow, and the rival of the commander-in-chief, the one who undermines him (there are always such, and not one, but several), offers new project, diametrically opposite to the plan of access to the Kaluga road; and the forces of the commander-in-chief himself require sleep and reinforcements; and the venerable general, who has been bypassed by the award, comes to complain, and the inhabitants plead for protection; an officer sent to inspect the area arrives and reports the exact opposite of what the sent officer said before him; and the scout, the prisoner, and the reconnaissance general all describe the position of the enemy army in different ways. People who are accustomed to not understanding or forgetting these necessary conditions for the activity of any commander in chief present us, for example, the position of the troops in Fili and at the same time assume that the commander in chief could completely freely resolve the issue of abandoning or defending Moscow on September 1, while in the situation of the Russian army five versts from Moscow, this question could not have arisen. When was this issue resolved? And near Drissa, and near Smolensk, and most palpably on the 24th near Shevardin, and on the 26th near Borodino, and every day, and hour, and minute of retreat from Borodino to Fili.

Russian troops, retreating from Borodin, stood at Filey. Yermolov, who had traveled to inspect the position, drove up to the field marshal.
“There is no way to fight in this position,” he said. Kutuzov looked at him in surprise and made him repeat the words he had said. When he spoke, Kutuzov held out his hand to him.
“Give me your hand,” he said, and turning it so as to feel his pulse, he said: “You are not well, my dear. Think what you are saying.
Kutuzov on Poklonnaya Hill, six miles from the Dorogomilovskaya outpost, got out of the carriage and sat down on a bench on the edge of the road. A huge crowd of generals gathered around him. Count Rostopchin, having arrived from Moscow, joined them. All this brilliant society, divided into several circles, talked among themselves about the advantages and disadvantages of the position, about the position of the troops, about the proposed plans, about the state of Moscow, and about military questions in general. Everyone felt that although they were not called to the fact that although it was not called that, but that it was a council of war. The conversations were all kept in the area of ​​general questions. If anyone reported or learned personal news, then it was said in a whisper, and immediately turned again to general questions: no jokes, no laughter, no smiles were even noticeable between all these people. Everyone, obviously, with an effort, tried to keep to the height of the situation. And all the groups, talking among themselves, tried to keep close to the commander-in-chief (whose shop was the center of these circles) and spoke so that he could hear them. The commander-in-chief listened and sometimes asked again what was said around him, but he himself did not enter into a conversation and did not express any opinion. For the most part After listening to the conversation of some circle, he turned away with an air of disappointment—as if they were talking about something completely different from what he wanted to know. Some spoke of the chosen position, criticizing not so much the position itself as the mental faculties of those who had chosen it; others argued that the mistake had been made earlier, that it was necessary to accept the battle on the third day; still others talked about the battle of Salamanca, about which the Frenchman Crosar, who had just arrived, in a Spanish uniform, spoke about. (This Frenchman, together with one of the German princes who served in the Russian army, sorted out the siege of Saragossa, foreseeing the opportunity to defend Moscow in the same way.) In the fourth circle, Count Rostopchin said that he and the Moscow squad were ready to die under the walls of the capital, but that everything yet he cannot but regret the uncertainty in which he was left, and that if he had known it before, it would have been different ... The Fifths, showing the depth of their strategic considerations, talked about the direction that the troops would have to take. The sixth spoke complete nonsense. Kutuzov's face became more preoccupied and sadder. Of all the conversations of these Kutuzov saw one thing: there was no physical possibility to defend Moscow in the full meaning of these words, that is, to such an extent it was not possible that if some crazy commander in chief gave the order to give battle, then there would be confusion and battles all it wouldn't have happened; it would not be because all the top leaders not only recognized this position as impossible, but in their conversations discussed only what would happen after the undoubted abandonment of this position. How could the commanders lead their troops on the battlefield, which they considered impossible? The lower commanders, even the soldiers (who also reason), also recognized the position as impossible and therefore could not go to fight with the certainty of defeat. If Bennigsen insisted on defending this position and others were still discussing it, then this question no longer mattered in itself, but mattered only as a pretext for dispute and intrigue. Kutuzov understood this.
Benigsen, choosing a position, ardently exposing his Russian patriotism (which Kutuzov could not listen to without wincing), insisted on defending Moscow. Kutuzov clearly saw Benigsen's goal as clear as day: in case of failure of the defense, to shift the blame on Kutuzov, who brought the troops without a battle to Sparrow Hills, and in case of success, to attribute it to himself; in case of refusal, to purge oneself of the crime of leaving Moscow. But this question of intrigue did not occupy the old man now. One terrible question occupied him. And to this question, he did not hear an answer from anyone. The only question for him now was: “Is it possible that I allowed Napoleon to reach Moscow, and when did I do this? When was it decided? Was it really yesterday, when I sent the order to Platov to retreat, or on the evening of the third day, when I dozed off and ordered Benigsen to give orders? Or even before?.. but when, when was this terrible thing decided? Moscow must be abandoned. The troops must retreat, and this order must be given. To give this terrible order seemed to him one and the same thing as to refuse command of the army. And not only did he love power, got used to it (the honor given to Prince Prozorovsky, under whom he was in Turkey, teased him), he was convinced that the salvation of Russia was destined for him and that because only, against the will of the sovereign and according to the will of the people, he was elected commander in chief. He was convinced that he alone and under these difficult conditions could keep at the head of the army, that he alone in the whole world was able without horror to know the invincible Napoleon as his opponent; and he was horrified at the thought of the command he was to give. But it was necessary to decide something, it was necessary to stop these conversations around him, which were beginning to take on a too free character.
He called the senior generals to him.
- Ma tete fut elle bonne ou mauvaise, n "a qu" a s "aider d" elle meme, [Is my head good, bad, but there is no one else to rely on,] - he said, getting up from the bench, and went to Fili, where his crews stood.

In the spacious, best hut of the peasant Andrey Savostyanov, a council met at two o'clock. The peasants, women and children of the large peasant family crowded into the black hut across the canopy. Only Andrei's granddaughter, Malasha, a six-year-old girl, to whom the brightest, after caressing her, gave a piece of sugar for tea, remained on the stove in a large hut. Malasha timidly and joyfully looked from the stove at the faces, uniforms and crosses of the generals, one after another entering the hut and taking seats in the red corner, on the wide benches under the images. Grandfather himself, as Malasha Kutuzova internally called him, sat separately from them, in a dark corner behind the stove. He sat sank deep into a folding chair, and incessantly grunted and straightened the collar of his frock coat, which, although unbuttoned, still seemed to pinch his neck. One by one, those who entered approached the field marshal; to some he shook hands, to others he nodded his head. Adjutant Kaisarov wanted to draw back the curtain in the window against Kutuzov, but Kutuzov angrily waved his hand at him, and Kaisarov realized that his Serene Highness did not want to be seen on his face.
So many people gathered around the peasant's spruce table, on which lay maps, plans, pencils, papers, that the batmen brought another bench and put it at the table. The newcomers sat on this bench: Yermolov, Kaisarov and Tol. Under the very images, in the first place, he sat with George on his neck, with a pale sickly face and with his high forehead merging with a bare head, Barclay de Tolly. For the second day already, he was tormented by a fever, and at that very time he was shivering and breaking down. Uvarov was sitting next to him, and in a low voice (as everyone else said), he was telling Barclay something, making quick gestures. Small, round Dokhturov, raising his eyebrows and folding his hands on his stomach, listened attentively. On the other side, Count Osterman Tolstoy, leaning his broad head with bold features and sparkling eyes, leaned on his arm, seemed lost in his own thoughts. Raevsky, with an expression of impatience, curling his black hair at the temples with a habitual forward gesture, looked first at Kutuzov, then at front door. Konovnitsyn's firm, handsome and kind face shone with a gentle and sly smile. He met Malasha's gaze and made signs to her that made the girl smile.
Everyone was waiting for Bennigsen, who was finishing his delicious dinner under the pretext of a new inspection of the position. They waited for him from four to six hours, and during all this time they did not start the meeting and carried on extraneous conversations in low voices.

Andalusia - the southernmost part of the Iberian Peninsula south gate Europe, through which countless peoples have passed over three thousand years. Their traditions and culture, as if in a cauldron, were mixed here and were something new to the world, an exclusively local product. Flamenco is one of the best dishes that emerged from this cauldron and spread throughout the world.

We do not know the original meaning of this word. And why! Flamenco is a song and dance with which a person expresses his joy and sorrow. It can be frivolous, dressed in dresses with polka dots with ruffles and flounces, or it can be thoughtful, suffering, raising its hands to the sky in impotence.

Antonio Machado (1875-1939)

Kante hondo

Hushed, I unwound wearily
a tangle of thoughts, hardships and despondency,
when through the open window,
from summer night hot as the desert

came the groan of a drowsy melody -
and, telling a weeping cantilena,
broke the strings into gloomy trills
the melody of my native villages.

... There was Love, crimson, like a flame ...
And a nervous hand in response to roulades
took off with a shiver of a golden sigh,
which turned into a starfall.

... And Death was, with a scythe over his shoulders ...
- I imagined her like this as a child -
the skeleton that roamed the roads...

And, loudly echoing the peace of death,
hand on disturbed strings
dropped like a coffin lid.

And the orphan cry breathed like the wind,
sweeping up the ashes and blowing up the ashes.

In addition to the Arabic, Jewish and even African musical traditions, two facts influenced the formation of flamenco song features: the use of Greco-Byzantine in Spain in the early Middle Ages church singing and the resettlement of a large number of gypsies at once, again from Byzantine Empire, after its fall under the blows of the Ottomans in 1453.

For several centuries, the ingredients were mixed, and in the XVIII century. a new style emerged. At first it belonged to large gypsy families, played only for their own in the patio. Singing and dancing was as necessary to them as breathing. Flamenco is characterized by impulsiveness and improvisation, where the singer (kantaor) and the guitarist, the singer and the dancer (baylaor) are in dialogue. By the end of the century, flamenco took to the streets, occupied taverns and inns. Now this style has more than 50 varieties. It is performed to the guitar, to the sound of a cajon (percussion box) and castanets.

Here are some of the styles and their content:
Tientos sings of wisdom;
Sigiriya (Siguirilla) reflects on life and death;
Farruca speaks of moderation and simplicity;
Fandango sings about love and sorrow;
Solea seethes with passion;
Alegrias entertains with elegance and grace;
Tangos (Tangos) and Bulerias (Bulerias) are raging with fun and enthusiasm.

Having reached its heyday in the 1920s, flamenco experienced a crisis in subsequent years. Commercialization and professionalization led to the emasculation of his spirit. Disputes began about the purity of style, about the legitimacy of innovations. However, being the product of a fusion of many traditions, flamenco cannot help but embrace new elements. So, in 1995, the singer Enrique Morente performed the poems of Federico Garcia Lorca to the music of thrash metal.

The now living guitarist Paco de Lucia, one of the creators of the new flamenco style, combines it with contemporary music and Brazilian rhythms. It was he who first used the cajon after receiving it as a gift in Peru in the 1970s. Since then, it is difficult to imagine a flamenco concert without a cajon.

Antonio Gades, one of the most celebrated dancers in Spain, received in 1988 the National Dance Prize for "his contribution to establishing a link between the flamenco tradition and contemporary trends in Spanish dance." The writer Caballero Bonald said about him: “His dance hides the whole depth of folk custom.<>Perhaps the most important artistic merit of Antonio Gades was that he managed to introduce the tragic frenzy of flamenco into the expressive grace of academic and school dance. The sophistication of gestures, the presence of classical hand movements are combined here with the open frenzy of the Gypsy-Andalusian dance.

Joaquin Cortes, who represents the Roma in the European Union, has created his own own style which includes flamenco, classical ballet and jazz. Some may not like the glamorous look Spanish dance, but a talented dancer glorified him and made him popular all over the world.

Federico Garcia Lorca (1898 — 1936 )

Portrait of Silverio Franconetti (Gypsy Vignettes), 1921

Gypsy string copper
and the warmth of Italian wood -
that's what it was
the singing of Silverio.
Italy's honey to our lemons
went along
and gave a special taste
I cry him.
A terrible cry was torn out by the abyss
this voice.
The old people say - move
hair,
and melted mercury
mirrors.
Sliding through the tones, never
didn't break them.
Still break flower beds
master was rare
and rise from silence
gazebos.
And now his chant
melts in the last echoes,
clean and complete
melts in the last echoes.

Speaking of inspiration, Lorca distinguished three types of it: "angel", "muse" and "duende". “The angel illuminates, but he himself is high above the person, he overshadows him with grace, and the person, not knowing painful efforts, creates, loves, dances”; "The muse dictates, and sometimes it whispers." Angel and muse descend. For the third state, one must fight: "Duende is power, not labor, battle, not thought." “Duende is possible in any art, but, of course, it is more spacious in music, dance and oral poetry, which need to be embodied in a living human body because they are born and die forever, but live in the moment.”

To illustrate the duende, Lorca told the following story: “Once the Andalusian singer Pastora Pavon, the Girl with Combs, a gloomy Spanish spirit with a fantasy to match Goya or Rafael El Gallo, sang in one of the taverns of Cadiz. She played with her dark voice, mossy, shimmering, melting like pewter, wrapped him in strands of her hair, bathed him in manzanilla, led him into the distant deaf jungle. And all in vain. There was silence around.<>Only a sly little man, like those springy imps that jump out of a bottle, said in an undertone: “Long live Paris!” - and this sounded: “We do not need any inclinations or training. Something else is needed."

And then the Girl with the Combs jumped up, wild as an ancient mourner, drank a glass of fiery casaglia in one gulp and sang, with a scorched throat, without breath, without a voice, without anything, but ... with duende. She knocked out all the supports of the song in order to give way to the violent, burning duende, the brother of the Samum, and he forced the audience to tear their clothes, as the Negroes of Antilles tear them in a trance in front of the image of St. Barbara. The girl with the crests lost her voice, for she knew that these judges needed not form, but her nerve, pure music - incorporeality, born to roar. She sacrificed her gift and skill - pushing the muse away, defenseless, she waited for the duende, begging to make her happy with a duel. And how she sang! The voice no longer played - it was pouring with a stream of blood, genuine, like pain itself, it branched with a ten-fingered hand on the nailed, but not resigned feet of Christ, sculpted by Juan do Juni ”(Lectures and speeches: Duende, theme with variations (1930)).

Isn't that what delights us most about flamenco? Duende can be shown by a person who has experienced a lot, therefore, not young and flexible, but mature and wise ones become outstanding performers. They may not be able to pull off incredible shots at high speeds, but they can position their heads and swing their arms in such a way that goosebumps run all over the audience.

You should also not think that flamenco is available only to the Spaniards. At one of the festivals, the hall gave a standing ovation to a Japanese dancer who infected everyone with his emotions. In Moscow for 12 years now international festival"¡Viva España!", where Russian (and not only) performers demonstrate their technique and charisma to the jury and just connoisseurs of this culture. IN big cities there are various flamenco schools where they teach fractions, compass, castanets, and most importantly, the ability to carry oneself and hold one's head high.

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There are many dances in the world. Each nation has its own rhythms and music. But in the modern world there is hardly a person who has never heard of Spanish flamenco.

Woman dancing flamenco

Perhaps the most famous performer in the world, whose name is associated with flamenco, was the famous Carmen. A burning beauty with a bright rose in long black hair. Her image has become a symbol of dance for all time.

A woman is dancing to the enchanting sounds of a guitar, accompanied by soulful singing. Her fluffy skirts flutter in time with her movements. Her arms flail like wings fabulous bird. Her eyes are full of passion and fire. Her sexuality attracts men, like the light of a lantern of moths in night darkness. She knows how beautiful she is and is proud of it. But this woman is not cheap, she knows her worth, and only the best can win her heart.

Flamenco - passion, fire, expression of feelings and emotions. There is nothing fictional or fictional in it. He is life itself. It is impossible to perform it without inspiration. Top performers- those who put their soul, passion and awe of the body into flamenco.

Directions of dance

Since ancient times, there have been two directions of flamenco, which differ from each other in style. The ancient cante hondo (means deep) is a historically established cult dance. It expresses the sacred essence of the rushing soul.

The second direction is cante chico (lightweight). This is modern flamenco, which has lost its spiritual component and has become a dance for everyone. In both classes, more than 50 varieties are distinguished, the differences between which can only be understood by an experienced specialist.

Origins of dance

Flamenco is a dance that originated in ancient times. Its origins originate in Moorish culture. In the 15th century, refugees from Byzantium poured into Andalusia. Among them were gypsies, Jews, blacks and other peoples. They all lived as outcasts, people of the lowest class. All the pain of the people splashed out in soul-tearing music, songs and passionate dances. Each nation has contributed to flamenco a part of its cultural heritage, a part of its soul.

In the XVIII century, the situation improved, the persecution of the gypsies stopped, the dancers took to the squares and performed in taverns. Art, which had been considered sacred and forbidden for so many centuries, was released and gained popularity. Spanish flamenco became a symbol of newfound freedom.

Already in the 20th century, Cuban melodies and jazz melodies organically intertwined with traditional Spanish and gypsy elements. The dance was supplemented with elements of classical ballet.

Merging genres

Spanish flamenco dance, in fact, not only incendiary movements dancer or dancer. This is a symbiosis of the musical accompaniment of the toke, traditionally performed on the guitar, soulful singing of the cante and the actual dance of the bail.

Flamenco is bailora, cantaora and toraora. In the traditional performance, each of them can start their own part. The rest are supportive. Any of the trio can come out first and set the topic. And the rest will pick up her musical, dance or song improvisation. When one of the performers comes to the fore, the rest stay in the background to give the speaker a chance to express their emotions. But during the performance, the roles change. And only at the end they unite in the apogee of the dance, united by a common fire.

Complex rhythms

The musical rhythm of flamenco is difficult to adopt or put into notes. Each time during the performance, the same melody can be played faster and slower, transitions and modulations are added. The true art of dance (Spain) flamenco is passed down from teacher to student.

Performers

Flamenco made famous all over the world famous performers. As soon as the persecution of the gypsies was canceled and the Spaniards learned the beauty of the life-affirming dance, it became extremely popular. Already in 1842, the first flamenco school was opened in Seville. It was from that time that dance became an industry, it lost its sacredness and mystery.

At the turn of the XVIII-XIX centuries, the performer Silverio Fronconetti was known, who brought this ancient art to the masses. His performances were always full of passion and fire. But numerous followers turned flamenco from a sacred dance into a sports one, where the performance technique stood above spiritual depth. It is this option that has become generally accepted throughout the world.

But in their homeland, in Spain, they remained true connoisseurs. There, the phrase "There is no fire in him!" Said about a flamenco performer is a "death sentence" for a dancer. There is a known case when an 80-year old woman received the main prize at one of the dance competitions. She plugged the young performers into the belt with her inner fire and passion, reflected in the dance. After all, as the Spaniards say, you need to dance as if death itself is holding you by the shoulder.

Learning process

Flamenco is very popular dance. There are schools in almost every city where they teach it. The flow of those wishing to learn the secrets of mastery does not dry out. And this is not surprising, because it is flamenco that reveals the feminine essence. You can’t be modest in life and perform movements on stage with fervor. Having started training, a woman changes internally, she is freed from complexes, knows herself, opens like a bud. You can start training at least at the age of 6, at least at 86. There are no restrictions.

In Spain, everyone is invited to go basic course flamenco for beginners, consisting of 10 classes, which are held 2 times a week. You can learn the basics of dance in less than a month, but it will take years of work to become a professional.

A good teacher, first of all, will make a woman fall in love with herself. After all, only a woman who is proud of her beauty can adequately present herself in dance.

The main posture is the posture of complete self-satisfaction. The proud beauty does not know complexes, does not see flaws in herself, and certainly will not tell others about them. After that, feminine gestures, steps, turns are worked out. The dancer is a queen, and the audience, looking at her with admiration, sees in her an unearthly woman.

Why you should learn flamenco

Every girl, regardless of the date of birth, standing in the passport, should try herself in flamenco. Learning this dance reveals hidden reserves in a woman. After a few months of classes, she will understand that in life there is no place for pretense and fears. A woman is strong and beautiful, she cannot be broken by everyday difficulties. She loves and is loved.

In addition, regular training significantly improves the figure. The main requirement for all dancers is a straight back as a symbol of an unbending character. You can forget about scoliosis and stoop after the first classes.

An important element of the dance is the beating of shots with the feet. Honing these exercises makes the muscles of the legs toned and elastic, and the legs are slender and beautiful.

The dancer's arms should flutter like wings. Masters teach to bend them beautifully and gracefully.

Regular exercises will inevitably lead to an improvement in the figure, pulling up all the muscles, and improving their relief. Beautiful posture is another important plus from classes. Well, self-confidence and getting rid of an inferiority complex will be a nice bonus.

Flamenco treats problems of this kind better than any psychologists.

Dancewear

Flamenco is a dance with gypsy roots. The dress for the dancer resembles the traditional dress of the representative nomadic people. Skirt to the floor is made of multi-colored fabric. It can be layered or decorated with frills and flounces. During the movement, the dancer seems to be embraced by the waves of her own dress. An integral part of the dance is the play with the hem, which resembles that unrestrained sea ​​waves, then tongues of burning flame. This dress is necessarily bright, catchy - no pastel colors!

Shawl with long tassels - another element women's costume. It can be tied around the waist, emphasizing the slimness of the silhouette, or thrown over the shoulders. In this case, it forms the silhouette of a soaring bird in motion.

Often dancers perform with a fan, literally hypnotizing the audience and keeping them in suspense until last moment. Each attribute, while moving to the music, seems to come to life, making its own additions to the story of the performer.

An important detail of the costume is shoes with heels, with which the performer taps out the rhythm. Castanets can be in the hands, which make clicks and set the pace for movements and music.

Men performing flamenco (photo in the article) dress in dark trousers with a wide belt and a snow-white shirt. You can complement the outfit with a short vest. The image of the performer is concise and strict. This is the very embodiment of masculinity and stature.

Important elements

During the performance of flamenco, the dancer does not soar above the ground, on the contrary, he stands confidently, as if taking a firm, life-affirming position. It is a symbol of safety and security. He took his place, it belongs to him by right, at least for the duration of the dance.

In the movements of each part of the body, a story about life is revealed, a story about what excites each individually and all together. Experiences, resentment, love and sadness come from the chest. The dancer's shoulders speak of the burden of responsibility and age-old oppression. Brushes talk about feelings, this is the most expressive part of the performer's body. Widely spaced elbows seem to allow him to take a firm position in life, to free a piece under the sky for himself. The spine is the basis of the dance. It symbolizes inflexibility of character, fortitude and perseverance.

The movements in flamenco are simple, there are not so many of them. But each one is filled deep meaning, conceals the wisdom of the ages. Knowing the language dance can tell the world its story, make all spectators empathize. This is the path that leads to inner liberation and joy, although outwardly it is filled with sadness and pain.

New forms

Throughout history, flamenco has changed, experienced ups and downs. And let today connoisseurs say that this art form is dead, but interest in it has not faded. On the contrary, new types and trends appear, based on traditional performance and complemented by modern forms. This is how flamenco pop, flamenco rock, flamenco jazz and gypsy rumba appeared. Each of them has the right to life and finds fans and followers. But still a favorite!

It is difficult for a beginner to understand these currents. But everyone can find what he really likes. The main thing is to understand the spirit of the dance, comprehend the deep meaning of the movements and put feelings into the performance of each step.

When you see an ad for a flamenco school, you should not pass by. Perhaps it is fate itself that gives a sign that it is time to change your life, open up and fly. And the dance is The best way make it beautiful and worthy.

The Spaniards all love to dance. There are four styles of dance - modern, classical, flamenco and folk.

flamenco dance- a descendant of ancient Indian dances, appeared in Spain in 500-250 BC, when Indian dancers arrived in Spain through the port of Cadiz (Cádiz) to entertain the royal nobility. Almost 1000 years later, the Moors and Gypsies came to Spanish soil and brought their dance styles. The fusion of several cultures of the Iberian Peninsula (Arab, Gypsy, Jewish, Christian) improved the already existing flamenco dance. Being folk look creativity, the skill of flamenco was passed from teacher to student and was not written down on paper.

Flamenco dance in pairs

This musical genre was born in Andalusia, but throughout Spain there are flamenco performers - guitarists (guitarristas), dancers (bailarínes), singers (cantantes). Flamenco is one of the symbols of Spain, which is of paramount importance for dance culture. Flamenco is a folk single dance in which gestures are a passionate and emotional expression of feelings. This is a dance of inner liberation, a dance for women with destiny!

A rather dry and accurate description of flamenco is given in the BES: “Flamenco dances (allegrias, soleares, farukka, etc.) are common among the gypsies of southern Spain. They use complex and varied percussion or alternation of heel and toe strikes, the role of hands is significant. Castanets are rarely used and usually by women. Flamenco dances are performed accompanied by a guitar, shouting, clapping hands. Improvisation is allowed, incomparably more than in other Spanish folk dances. "

The intensity of passions is sometimes so high that it seems that a man and a woman dancing in high heels want to dance each other to exhaustion. Even in Latin America, there are genres that are a mixture of flamenco. They were brought to America by the first Spanish emigrants. An example is Cubanhabanera. Varieties flamencomany: fandango, malaguena, allegrias, soleares, farruca...

Flamenco - fire dance

Sevillana- one of the most popular dances in Andalusia. They dance in pairs. The dancers, in the rhythm set by the guitar, clap their hands and sing at the same time. During the dance, the partners are constantly either approaching each other or moving away.

Sardana- Catalan national holiday. Its name comes from the name of the island of Sardinia, in Italy. For a long time, this island was part of the Aragonese kingdom. Dancers, limited only by the size of the dance floor, join hands. Forming a circle, they make certain movements, beating the beat with their heels.

Chotis- the dance of the inhabitants of Madrid. Very slow dance. Dancing in pairs, partners are closely pressed against each other. The movement in the dance is very simple: three steps to the left, three steps to the right, turn. The whole dance the couple dances on the "patch".

Muneira- a dance common in Galicia. It is danced by a group. The dancers raise their hands and perform a variety of fast jumps.

jota is a dance popular throughout Spain. The most famous jota in Aragon. In each province, the dance has its own varieties.

Paso doble is a dance associated with bullfighting. Many famous bullfighters have their own paso doble. They dance in pairs. The dancers imitate a bullfighter and his cape, obeying the rhythm of the musical accompaniment.

Alegrias (Alegrias)- funny dance. The birthplace of the alegrias is the city of Cadiz. The appearance of this dance is associated with the victory of the Spaniards over the troops of Napoleon. Due to its geographical position, the city was under the siege of the enemy for a long time. The forces of the defenders were running out, it already seemed that defeat was about to come, but the Arragons came to the aid of the inhabitants from the north and helped them at the decisive moment. Often couplets of alegrias tell about this event. Alegrias has many movements from Aragonese jota. Alegrias is cheerful, but at the same time a little tough and victorious. Performed in a major key.

Farukka (La Farruca) - an exciting male dance that was originally a song. Gypsies from Andalusia adopted farukka and changed it in their own way. This dance is one of modern forms flamenco and is performed in a minor key. Initially, farukkah, a dance for men, but now it is increasingly performed by women dressed in men's suit. Farukka is a majestic, proud, solemn dance.

Seguidilla- dance from La Mancha. Refers to the classical dances of the XVIII century. The woman's hands weave lace patterns with her smooth movements. At men's movements are distinguished by rigor, loftiness and clear plasticity. The movements of the hands are quick and agile, they cut through the air like sword strikes, like lightning bolts.

Experts say that for any Spanish dance characterized by incredible rhythm, emotionality and a variety of movements. This is the secret of its rapid spread throughout the world. On theater scenes there were more and more productions of ballets based on dances from Spain.

Spain, Flamenco. What is this dance style, which is known far beyond the borders of its homeland and does not leave anyone indifferent ... Originating in the south of Spain, in Andalusia, combining emotional dance, guitar, percussion and singing, flamenco won the souls of many ... Read more about the history of flamenco in this article ...

Flamenco is represented by many varieties, it is a dance, musical accompaniment in the form of guitar and percussion (kihon, castanets and rhythmic clapping) and emotional singing. Since 2010 this dance has the status of a World Heritage Site (UNESCO).

The flamenco dancer is called bailaora, and the traditional dress in which she dances is bata de cola (bata de cola), the length of which reaches the floor, with frills and frills, which resembles the attire of gypsies. The hem of the dress is gracefully used during the dance, as is the shawl with long tassels, which is an important part female dance flamenco. Bailaor is a flamenco dancer wearing a white shirt with a wide belt and dark trousers.

History of flamenco

The roots of flamenco go back to the distant past - during the reign of the Moors and the appearance of gypsies in Spain, however, it is difficult to say the exact date of the emergence of flamenco. It is also believed that the emergence of flamenco in its classical form was played by Jewish and Christian cultures, gypsy and Spanish. Each culture has brought something of its own to this emotional dance. And in the 20th century, flamenco absorbed Cuban melodies, jazz motifs, and some elements of classical ballet appeared in the dance.

There are two main categories of flamenco:

1. Cante jondo (Kante hondo) is the oldest branch of flamenco. It includes the following forms of flamenco (palos) - Toná, Soleá, Seguiriya, Fandango.
2. Cante flamenco (Cante flamenco), which includes alegrías, bulerías, farruca.

In both categories, there are 3 types - singing, guitar and dance, however, in the ancient types of flamenco there is practically no musical accompaniment. In modern types of dance, one can often find a variety of musical instruments - from the violin to exotic instruments of Latin America, such as Cajon, Darbuca, Bongo.

Flamenco festivals.

Once every 2 years, in Seville, you can visit the most significant flamenco festival - Bienal de Flamenco, which began to be held in 1980. However, other flamenco and guitar festivals take place throughout Spain every year. The main host cities are Cadiz,