The ''cantiñas'' () is a group of

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

''palos'' ( musical forms), originated in the area of

Cádiz Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

(although some styles of cantiña have developed in the province of

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

). They share the same '' compás'' or

rhythmic pattern Rhythm (from Ancient Greek, Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular repetition (music), recurring motion, symmetry#Symmetry in music, symmetry") generally means a "motion, movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of ...

with the ''

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 acc ...

'' and are usually sung in a lively rhythm (between 120 and 160 beats per minute). They are normally sung in a major mode and have a festive mood. The usual chord positions for the tonic chord in the guitar are those of E major, C major and, occasionally, A major, the latter usually reserved for solo guitar pieces. The

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural, or simply changes) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from ...

is normally of the simple tonic-dominant type, although modern guitar players introduce other transitional chords. The ''palos'' classified under this group are: * '' Alegrías'' * '' Romeras'' * '' Caracoles'' * '' Mirabrás'' * Other ''cantiñas'', including the ''"cantiñas de Pinini"'' (or ''"cantiñas de Utrera''), ''"cantiña del contrabandista"'', ''"cantes de las Mirris"'' or "'' alegrías de Córdoba''". The main verse has four eight-syllable lines. They frequently also include a small

refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the Line (poetry)">line or lines that are repeated in poetry or in music">poetry.html" ;"title="Line (poetry)">line or lines that are repeat ...

with three five-syllable lines. Their popularity increased at the time of the flamenco '' cafés cantante'' that became the centre of professional flamenco performances from the mid 19th century to the 1920s. Originally, this songs were intended as support for dance. Reference recordings for this ''palos'' are those by Chano Lobato, Aurelio Sellé,

Manolo Vargas Manolo, a form of Manuel (name), is a male given name which may refer to: People: * Manolo el del Bombo (1949–2025), Spanish football fan * Manolo Álvarez Mera (1923–1986), Cuban-born bel canto tenor * Manolo Badrena (born 1952), Puerto Rican ...

and La Perla de Cádiz for the Cádiz styles; Bernarda de Utrera and Fernanda de Utrera for the Pinini styles; Curro de Utrera for the "''alegrías de Córdoba''" or Antonio Chacón for the "''caracoles''". La Niña de los Peines is also an important reference for all these styles. Some modern singers who have recorded excellent versions of this styles are Camarón de la Isla, Carmen Linares or Mayte Martín.

External links

Sources

MARTÍN SALAZAR, Jorge: ''Los cantes flamencos'', Diputación Provincial de Granada ÁLVAREZ CABALLERO, Ángel: ''La discoteca ideal del flamenco'', Planeta, 1995 Flamenco styles Music of Spain Music of Andalusia Vocal music {{music-genre-stub