Flamenco Styles

Sevillanas

Sevillanas are an Andalusian regional folk song and dance.

It is typical of popular festivals. The main one is the Seville April Fair and others such as romerías (pilgrimages).

It is danced in pairs and consists of four coplas with a 3/4 time signature.

It is said to have been incorporated into the dance in the 18th century.

The main steps are popularly called: paseillo or cinquillo, las pasadas and los careos.

It is a dance from Seville as the name indicates, but it is so popular that it spreads throughout Spain and internationally.

It is accompanied by guitar, palmas (handclapping), castanets, flutes and the rociero drum.

The lyrics talk about love, the sea, the countryside, the Sevillian city, El Rocío, Holy Week…

Rumbas

Flamenco rumba is a palo known as ida y vuelta. It originated, as its name indicates, in Cuba and that whole region.

The Catalan rumba is a derivative that adds more Afro-Cuban instruments. It was created at the end of the 19th century.

It is a festive song and its lyrics are usually joyful and lively.

Its time signature is 4/4.

There are two main rumbas: the Catalan and the Andalusian flamenco rumbas.

Bulerías

The bulería is a flamenco palo that originated in Andalusia. It emerged, according to historians, in the 19th century in Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Lebrija and Utrera.

They say it was born from parties and family gatherings, neighbors’ courtyards and corrals where music was the protagonist.

The bulería has a 12-beat compás. It is a palo with a cheerful, fast and festive rhythm.

Normally it is danced solo.

It is the palo that students most request in academies today to learn.

The bulería choreography is not difficult. The complicated part here is the compás.

Once the choreography is learned, it must be fitted to the rhythm of the cante and the toque. As flamencos say, “hay que meterla a compás.”

This is where the struggle between teacher and student begins to give it all the technique and knowledge necessary so that they can enjoy the dance to the rhythm and feel that duende that is flamenco.

Soleá

The Soleá is a flamenco palo that is believed to have originated in Cádiz, although some say it was in the Triana neighborhood of Seville where it was born and became known.

It is a slow, majestic and serene song, in which themes of death, tragedy, melancholy, solitude are sung about…

The guitar, in turn, is played with great feeling.

Within Soleá there are several styles such as Soleá de Triana, Soleá de Alcalá or Soleá de Cádiz.

Its rhythm, like bulerías, is 12 beats, with the characteristic that it is played and danced more slowly.

Soleá is a palo that is performed in flamenco tablaos and shows in general, since it is profound, serious and slow. It is there that the artist demonstrates the deepest part of their being.

Alegrías

Alegrías are one of the most festive and ancient palos. They were founded in Cádiz.

The lyrics, as their name indicates, are joyful.

It is a flamenco palo that, like bulerías and soleá, has 12 beats.

The tempo at which it is played is intermediate between bulería, which is fast, and soleá, which is slow.

Its lyrics usually talk about the sea, beaches, boats, etc.

The dance is elegant and can include bata de cola, zorongo and the mantón.

It is also associated with flamenco tablaos and shows, being a palo that is normally presented in them.

Alegrías have a notable characteristic: they usually begin with: “Tiriti, tran, tran, tran…”.

Tangos

The tango has its origin in the 19th century.

It is said to be a combination of Afro-Cuban rhythms, such as habaneras, and the tradition of Andalusian songs among Seville, Cádiz, Málaga and Granada.

Its compás is four beats, popularly a 4/4.

It is a very festive dance and is characterized by having great energy and versatility.

It is joyful and lively.

Seguiriya

Seguiriya or siguirilla is a deep, sad and solemn flamenco palo.

It is characterized by its sober lyrics and rhythm. It always speaks of sorrow, melancholy, pain, death, anguish, sadness…

It is one of the oldest palos.

The compás is 12 beats, but alternated in measures of 3/4 and 6/8.

Its origin is in Jerez, Cádiz and in Triana, Seville, in the 18th century as cante jondo.

When it is sung and danced, it conveys a feeling of sadness and pain that reaches the spectator with great depth and intensity.

Farruca

Farruca is a flamenco palo whose origin is found in northern Spain, specifically in Galicia and Asturias.

It came to Andalusia in the mid-19th century with the seasonal workers who went down to Andalusia.

It has a binary compás. The rhythm is 4/4.

Three claps and a silence are played.

In this dance it is typical to wear trousers, a short waistcoat and a shirt, with a more masculine style.

Much emphasis is placed on the strength of the zapateado (footwork) and stamina.

Tientos

Tientos are a flamenco palo from Andalusia.

They come from tangos and, like other palos, also have a 4/4 compás.

Their rhythm is slow and their singing is powerful, full of sober lyrics.

They usually end with tangos.

The dance is very mournful and slow.

Fandangos

The fandango is a musical genre with roots in Spanish folklore, especially in Andalusia.

It also has connections with Latin American countries such as Mexico and Brazil.

It has a ternary rhythm of 3/4 or 6/8.

When a fandango is danced, castanets or palillos (sticks) can be played.

The Huelva fandango stands out for being the most heard and danced.

It has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. The fandangos of Alosno are noteworthy.

The cante alante fandangos are usually considered pure. The lyrics tend to be personal in nature and are sung to be listened to.

Caracoles

Caracoles are a flamenco palo derived from the cantiñas.

It has a 12-beat compás, similar to that of Alegrías.

Its roots are Madrilenian, since they appeared in the old cafés cantantes of Madrid.

The dance and the lyrics are joyful.

As a complement to the dance the fan called pericón is used, which is a large fan.

The bata de cola is also used and, on some occasions, the Manila shawl.

Granaína

The granaína is a flamenco palo that is born from one of the derivations of the Granada fandango.

Its cradle is in the Albaicín, at the end of the 19th century, in the Zambras of Granada.

There are two cantes for granaínas: medias granaínas and granaína.

They have key changes and their lyrics are sung with changes of a single profound line.

Granaínas are not usually performed with dance.

The difference between the two would be:

Granaína: the lyrics are from Granada and the tercios are lengthened.

Medias granaínas: the lyrics are of a personal theme and the tercios are shortened.

Taranto

The taranto is a flamenco palo that developed in the mining areas of Almería in the 19th and 20th centuries.

It is a derivative of the taranta.

It is a Levantine cante in which the harsh moments of the mines and miners’ suffering are reflected.

The compás is 4/4, very similar to tango, tiento and rumba.

Taranto is a danceable palo, slow and sober, with lyrics that address varied themes.

Taranta

The Taranta is a flamenco palo from Jaén.

It is a mining and Levantine cante that was born in Linares.

It has very peculiar measures and resting chords that mean the use of a capo (cejilla) must be dispensed within the same cante.

Saeta

The saeta is a flamenco palo that consists of dedicating a copla to a processional image.

It is born from the palo of seguiriya and the martinete.

The most common saetas are sung in this time signature.

It emerged in the early 20th century, when the saeta was flamenco-ized, and thus the great masters sang it conveying great feeling.

This palo is sung without any musical instrument, conveying a deep quejío (lament) or the beauty of that Christ or Virgin to which it is dedicated.

It is the sacred cante of flamenco.

Polo

The polo is a flamenco style that was assigned in the 18th century.

It is believed that its origin comes from a salon polo.

Flamenco polo is differentiated between the polo tóvalo, for low voices, and the polo natural, for high voices.

It is said that the polo is a variant of the caña, which is another type of flamenco palo.

The polo is the little brother of the caña.

It is usually danced with a bata de cola and a Cordoban hat.

Guajiras

Flamenco guajira is an adaptation of the Cuban dance, since it is an ida y vuelta dance originating from the Americas.

It originated at the end of the 19th century.

It has a 12-beat compás, like Alegrías.

The fundamental accessory to dance the guajira is the fan, which gives it a sensual and playful touch.

Its lyrics speak of love and, above all, of the Cuban region and its customs.

Garrotín

The garrotín is a cheerful and lively flamenco palo.

Its compás is 4/4, similar to that of the tango.

It became popular in the 20th century.

As attire, a Cordoban hat is required.

Its origin is Catalan.

In 1930 this dance disappeared completely and it was Carmen Amaya who revived it in the 1970s.

Verdiales

Verdiales are a fandango and their origin is ancient.

It is typical of Málaga.

Its rhythm is fast and cheerful.

There are instruments such as violin, cymbals, guitars and tambourines.

There are three styles: Montés, Almogía and Comares.

Their attire includes straw hats covered with flowers and colored ribbons.

Its compás is a ternary rhythm or abandolao.

It is danced in pairs, with jumps and many arm movements.

Rondeñas

Rondeñas are a flamenco palo whose birth was in Málaga in the 19th century.

Its origin is in the Malagueño fandango, more precisely in the bandolás.

It is taken from the nocturnal rounds that suitors used to sing to their sweethearts through the city of Ronda.

Its compás is abandolao and it has a similarity with the rhythm of taranto.

Malagueñas

The malagueña is a variety of Andalusian popular song that was established at the end of the 18th century through an evolution of the fandango.

It originated in Málaga.

Typical attire includes a luxurious malagueña dress, a bolero and the verdiales costume.

Tanguillos de Cádiz

The tanguillo is a popular song from the entire province of Cádiz.

Its origin dates from the mid-19th century and it is closely linked to the carnivals.

Its lyrics are cheerful and festive.

It is characterized by criticizing topics of current social and political affairs.

It has a polyrhythmic rhythm, with variants of time.