The cante flamenco (), meaning "flamenco singing", is one of the three main components of

flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura an ...

, along with ''toque'' (playing the guitar) and ''baile'' (dance). 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 — 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

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The ...

n region of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. 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 Abu l-Hasan 'Ali Ibn Nafi, better known as Ziryab, Zeryab, or Zaryab ( 789– 857) ( ar, أبو الحسن علي ابن نافع, زریاب, rtl=yes) ( fa, زَریاب ''Zaryāb''), was a singer, oud and lute player, composer, poet, and teac ...

song form, the classical Andalusian orchestras of the Islamic Empire, the

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

synagogue chants,

Mozarabic Mozarabic, also called Andalusi Romance, refers to the medieval Romance varieties spoken in the Iberian Peninsula in territories controlled by the Islamic Emirate of Córdoba and its successors. They were the common tongue for the majority of ...

forms such as zarchyas and zambra,

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...

zayal (the foundation for the Fandango), and Andalusian regional folk forms, as well as

West African West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, ...

and

South American South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

influences as seen in the '' cantes de ida y vuelta''. Flamenco embodies awealth of musical cultures — Roma, Arab, Berber, Jewish, and Christian. Flamenco developed into its definitive form during its

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the Go ...

(1869-1910). 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''. In order to preserve the "authentic" ''cante jondo'' (deep song), Manuel de Falla and

Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936), known as Federico García Lorca ( ), was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblemat ...

, organized the Concurso de Cante Jondo in

Granada Granada (,, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the c ...

in 1922. Singers from all over Andalusia travelled to join in the competition. The first two prizes went to El Tenazas and El Caracol.

Types of cante

There are many variants of cantes or '' palos'' (song forms), each expressing a unique emotion (which shares noticeable resemblance to

Indian classical music Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as ''Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were not ...

). The flamenco songs of today may be classified into one of three categories: cante grande, cante intermedio or cante chico.

Cante Grande

Also known as cante jondo and sometimes referred to as cante gitano. Meaning "profound" and "deep," this intensely sad form of cante deals with themes of death, anguish, despair, or religious sentiments and may be sung a palo seco (without guitar accompaniment). Major forms are the '' tonás'', '' martinetes'', '' seguiriya'', ''

soleá ''Soleares'' (plural of ''soleá'', ) is one of the most basic forms or '' palos'' of Flamenco music, probably originating among the Calé Romani people of Cádiz or Seville in Andalusia, the most southern region of Spain. It is usually accompa ...

'', and ''carcelera''. It is said that cante jondo (deep song) is the heart and soul of flamenco: Sample Seguiria describing anguish in Caló, Spanish and English:

Cante Intermedio

Meaning "intermediate," this form is less profound but also moving, sometimes containing an oriental cast to the music. The term (between ''cante chico'' and ''cante grande'' that is) varies according to who is singing and describing the "cante intermedio".

Cante Chico

Literally meaning "little song," this form of cante sings of lighter subjects including love, bawdy humor and happiness to the accompaniment of the flamenco guitar. Festive forms of cante chico include forms such as the '' alegrías'', '' bulerías'' and ''

tangos Tangos may refer to: * "Tangos" (song), a song popularized in Spain * Tangos (district), a district or barangay in Navotas, Philippines * ''Tangos'' (album), a 1973 album by Buenos Aires 8 * ''Tangos'' (Rubén Blades album), a 2014 album by Ru ...

''.

Other classifications of cante flamenco

Cante Gitano

Cante gitano (or the "Gypsy song") refers to the original songs believed to be developed by Gypsies who immigrated in the 15th century. These include the ''toná'', ''soleá'', ''seguiriya'', ''tango'' and ''buleria''.

Cante Andaluz

Cante andaluz began to spread during the middle of the 19th century, and is a combination of other forms of folkloric music from Andalusia which demonstrate a definite influence of Gypsy flamenco music. Cante andaluz genres include the many variations of the ''fandango'' and ''cantinas''.

Cantes Folklóricos Aflamencados

The styles of cantes folklóricos aflamencados are forms of cante that are not considered to be true forms of flamenco by the purists. Examples of these styles include the '' sevillanas'', '' Farruca'', '' Garrotin'', and the ''

Cuban Rumba Rumba is a secular genre of Cuban music involving dance, percussion, and song. It originated in the northern regions of Cuba, mainly in urban Havana and Matanzas, during the late 19th century. It is based on African music and dance traditions, ...

''. These are the folk song and dances from Andalusia, other Spanish provinces including

Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...

and

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensi ...

, as well as South America which have been slightly influenced by traditional flamenco forms.

Lorqueña

Lorqueña is a "aflamencado" that has been made from certain ancient folk songs based on the poems of

. The poet himself collected these folk songs that were included gypsies and flamenco lyrics and gathered in his collection of ancient popular songs. Among these traditional songs were the tunes, bulerías, jaleos and seguidillas that Lorca himself recorded in 1931 accompanying the famous singer " La Argentinita" with the piano. The lorqueña comes from

and is based on the bulería style. The

gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with si ...

Pastora María Pavón Cruz known as "

La Niña de los Peines Pastora Pavón Cruz, known as La Niña de los Peines (10 February 1890 – 26 November 1969), is considered the most important woman flamenco singer of the 20th century. She was a sister of singers Arturo Pavón and Tomás Pavón, also an importa ...

" was a very famous cantaora flamenca from

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsul ...

. She took the poems of Federico García Lorca as lyrics of new songs and was the first person to call it Lorqueña.

Titles

*''En el café de Chinitas'' ('At Chinitas Cafe') *''Anda jaleo'' ('Come Rise Up') *''Esquilones de Plata'' ('Silver Bells')

Famous ''cantaores''

El Planeta (Antonio Fernández)

Although concrete information about El Planeta is scarce, it is thought he was born around 1770 in Cadiz. He is widely acknowledged as the first famous performer of the cante flamenco. Originally a blacksmith, El Planeta soon became a renowned leader within the Gypsy community, bearing the honorary title of "Count and Prince of the Fraternity." It is believed he usually sang unaccompanied, although he sometimes accompanied himself on the guitar. The oldest siguiriyas in recorded flamenco history are those of El Planeta. He died around 1850, most likely in or around

El Fillo (Francisco Ortega Vargas)

Born around 1820 in Villa Real, El Fillo was the chosen disciple of El Planeta. El Fillo was able to perform all forms of cante, and has thus been known as "the father of cante." His hoarse, harsh voice has become a defining characteristic of cante to this day - this style of singing is described as ''afilla'' in homage to him. It is believed that El Fillo died in 1878 in Seville.

Silverio Franconetti Aguilar

Born 1829, Silverio Franaconnetti was born in

Morón de la Frontera Morón de la Frontera () is a Spanish town in Seville province, Andalusia, South-East of Seville. Situated in the south of the province, it is the center of the region that bears the same name and is the head of one of the 85 judicial courts of ...

was expected to enter the family tailoring business, but would escape to the nearby blacksmith to hear the gypsy singers. Here he met El Fillo and was encouraged to become a singer. He later went to Argentina and Uruguay working as a '' picador'' in the

bullrings A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with the Iberian Peninsula, but they can also be found through Iberian America and in a few Spanish and Portuguese ex-colonies in Africa. Bullrings are ...

, and he also served as an officer in the Uruguay Army. Franconnetti was arguably the best non-Gypsy singer of the Nineteenth Century. He died in 1889.

La Niña De Los Peines (Pastora María Pavón Cruz)

Born in Seville in 1890, La Niña de Los Peines is regarded by some as the most exceptional and innovative female flamenco singer of all time. Affectionately called "La Niña," she was known for her interpretation of the tangos, and was often requested to sing siguiriyas at a time when women did not customarily perform it.

Manolo Caracol (Manuel Ortega Juárez)

Manolo Caracol came from an exalted Gypsy dynasty which to this day remains legendary in the arenas of both flamenco and bullfighting. Born in Seville in 1909, it is commonly believed that his ancestral lineage included both El Planeta and El Fillo. Caracol won the prestigious first prize at the Cante Jondo Competition (in 1922) at the age of only 13. During the Spanish Civil War he worked in theaters to survive. Caracol claimed his style of singing was unique. He is remembered for his capacity to evoke overwhelming passions from his listeners. Caracol frequently performed with full orchestras or pianos (much to the harsh remarks made by the purists). Caracol died at the age of sixty-four in 1973 Madrid.

Camarón de la Isla (José Monje Cruz)

Camarón de la Isla was born in San Fernando in 1950, and was the second child of eight to a Gypsy blacksmith and a basketweaver. He received his nickname Camarón (Shrimp) early on due to his thin body, light complexion and blond hair, and began performing at the age of eight. In 1969 he made his first album with Paco de Lucía. Although trained as a traditional flamenco singer, Camarón broke with convention, incorporating new musical instruments including the drums, zither, flute, moog, and keyboards to name a few. In his comparatively short career of 20 years, he and Paco de Lucía revolutionized the art of flamenco, attracting vast new audiences to the art form. Camarón met his untimely death in 1992 at the age of forty-one, in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...

Other famous singers of cante

There are many more famous and influential flamenco singers, including: * Manuel Agujetas *La Repompa de Malaga *

Rafael de Utrera Rafael Usero (born 14 July 1973) is a Spanish flamenco singer more commonly known of his stage name Rafael de Utrera. Biography Born in Utrera, Rafael de Utrera began singing flamenco at a young age with the influence of his father, who owned ...

* Potito * Remedios Amaya *Diego Carrasco *La Paquera de Jerez * Antonio Mairena * Diego El Cigala * Enrique El Mellizo *

Antonio Chacon Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular mal ...

Manuel Torre Manuel Soto Loreto, known as Manuel Torre or Manuel Torres (1878 – 1933), was a Romani (Kalo) flamenco singer. Beginning Torre was born in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, in the neighbourhood of San Miguel, which together with the neighbou ...

* Enrique El Granaino * Pepe de Lucía * Estrella Morente * Lola Flores (some do not consider her a flamenco singer, although she did sing) * Fosforito * Lebrijano *La Perla de Cadiz *Terremoto de Jerez *

El Chocolate El Chocolate (Antonio Núñez Montoya, 4 May 1931 – 19 June 2005) was a Flamenco singer from Seville. He was one of the stars of Carlos Saura's film Flamenco. Background Montoya was born in Jerez de la Frontera and was related to the Monto ...

*Manolo Leiva * Duquende * Pepe Marchena * Chano Lobato * José Mercé (who, like Camarón, started singing flamenco and then added new elements) * Antonio Molina *

Niña Pastori María Rosa García García (born 15 January 1978 in San Fernando, Cádiz), better known as Niña Pastori, is a Spanish flamenco singer ( cantaora). Biography María Rosa García was born in 1978 in the town of San Fernando in Cadiz. The yo ...

* Mayte Martín *

Juan Valderrama Juan Valderrama Blanca (24 May 1916 – 12 April 2004), better known as Juanito Valderrama, was a Spanish flamenco and folk singer. Although he was known for singing copla, he always claimed to be a flamenco singer. Born in Torredelcampo, Juani ...

Rocio Jurado ''Rocio'' is a small genus of cichlid freshwater fishes from southern Mexico and northern Central America. Species There are currently four recognized species in this genus: * ''Rocio gemmata'' Contreras-Balderas & Schmitter-Soto, 2007 – ...

References

Sources

*ALVAREZ CABALLERO, Angel: ''Historia del Cante Flamenco'', Alianza Editorial, Madrid, 1981. *GARCIA LORCA, Federico: ''In Search of Duende''. Edition by Christopher Maurer. New Direction Books, New York, 1998. *TOTTON, Robin: ''Song of the Outcast - An Introduction to Flamenco'', Amadeus Press, Oregon, 2003.