Beyond the classroom: Native Americans

 Flamenco

Flamenco music is defined as a style of spirited, rhythmical dance performed to flamenco music, often with castanets.  This style of music originally comes from the music of the gypsies… both originating from Roma, Andalucia, and Castile and then from the Moors and later Jews of Spain.
Before we discuss the music itself, I think we should cover the instruments….
No. 1: The Flamenco or more commonly known as the Spanish guitar
No. 2: The Cajon
No. 3: Castanets
No. 4: Hands
No. 5: Vocals

Interestingly enough this music is named after the guitar itself, that they call “the flamenco.” This guitar is slightly different than a traditional guitar, uses nylon strings, and your right hand is used to play rhythms specific to the style. These styles are:

- Bulerías

- Alegrías

-Fandango

-Petenera

-Rondeña

-Soleá

-Tango -etc...

Now lets watch a pro play some flamenco...

The Cajon: The Cajon actually gets its roots from the slaves that were moved to Peru during colonization. It was a way for them to continue playing the music and in a sense ends up making Flamenco music syncretic. They use the Cajon because it resembles the sounds of the dancer's feet and some Cajon players will even add bells and other metallic instruments.

Castanets: This is the oldest of all of the Flamenco instruments, it is 3,000 years old and comes from the Phoenicians. This instrument can be found in both the music of Wagner and Boccherini, and plays a critical role in the culture, dance, and rhythmic aspects of Flamenco.

This video shows you how castanets are made and also how they fit in to Flamenco music. Hands: The "palmeros" provide a critical role in Flamenco, to keep the beat and style of the Flamenco. They are played with two different styles... both muted and strong. With the way rhythm functions in Flamenco (which will be covered later) palmas are a key element.

Vocals: To cover this instrument there is a video of a beautiful flamenco that has all of these elements and even more!

Flamenco is an all encompassing name for many different styles that we know: tango, fandango, and even bulería. But with these styles is an all encompassing form of rhythm that varies slightly based on which style it is. 

To first understand Flamenco we need to understand a term: compás. This term is the rhythmic structure of each style... an easy way to think of their rhythms is to put it on a clock which is divided into twelve. They then place different accents in-between and on specific beats in order to create a specific style. So for the Solea the strong beats are on 3, 6, 8, 10, and 12. This strong beat pattern is similar for almost all of the Flamenco patterns, but tangos and rumbas are the exception. These are thought of in 4, with beats 1 and 3 being emphasized. The palma patterns all vary, and on this website you can hear and see where they align. http://www.compas-flamenco.com/en/palos.html
Though I am terrible at explaining this, I do know someone that can, Nahre Sol. She is a classically trained pianist and composer and she took time to really go in depth and study this music. In this video she covers her studies of Flamenco and even tries to write her own Flamenco music 

I really love this video because she finds a percussionist who is able to explain it well and then she begins to go more in depth herself with what she researched and learned.

“5 Flamenco Musical Instruments You Should Know | Hello Music Theory.” Hello Music Theory: Learn Music Theory Online, 8 Dec. 2021, hellomusictheory.com/learn/flamenco-instruments.

Admin-Daniela. “CASTANETS HISTORY.” Barcelona y Flamenco, 12 July 2021, barcelonayflamenco.com/en/historia-de-las-castanuelas.

“Compas Flamenco - The Flamenco Metronome.” An Introduction to Flamenco, www.compas-flamenco.com/en/palos.html. Accessed 29 Jan. 2022.

Dalmases, FlamencoBarroc-Palau. “Discover the Origin of the Flamenco Box Drum.” Nuevos Proyectos, 26 Apr. 2019, palaudalmases.com/en/origin-of-the-flamenco-box-drum/#:%7E:text=The%20caj%C3%B3n%20is%20a%20musical,sits%20on%20it%20while%20playing.

L., Megan. “What Is Flamenco Guitar? Terms and Techniques You Need to Know.” TakeLessons Blog, 21 May 2015, takelessons.com/blog/flamenco-guitar-terms-and-techniques-z01.

MasterClass. “Learn About Flamenco Music: History, Dance, and Flamenco Guitar.” MasterClass, 5 Aug. 2021, www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-about-flamenco-music-history-dance-and-guitar#what-is-flamenco.

“Naranjita - About Flamenco.” Naranjita Flamenco, www.naranjitaflamenco.com/about-flamenco.html. Accessed 29 Jan. 2022.

Ymartinmendieta. “What Is Flamenco? A Brief Introduction.” The Flamenco Guide, 28 Jan. 2020, theflamencoguide.com/what-is-flamenco.

Zanbaka. “Palmas in Brief.” Ravenna Flamenco, 26 Sept. 2018, ravennaflamenco.com/fundamentals/palmas-in-brief.