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Andalucia Tourist Board

Andalucia: Birthplace of Flamenco

Flamenco is as diverse as the cultures that settled in Andalucía over the centuries: Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, as well as Arabs, Jews, Christians, and the nomadic Gypsies from India who made this their land, a place of rich cultural synergy.
        Flamenco singing evolved from fusion of legacies: Jewish psalmodic melodies of the ninth through fifteenth centuries,  Hindu music, as well as Byzantine, Muslim and Mozarabic chants. The six-string flamenco guitar evolved from Eastern instruments.
         These elements, assimilated by the Andalusian people and enhanced by their innate musicality, and talent for spontaneous interactive improvisation, gave birth to flamenco, a folk genre of complex  rhythms, modulations and tonalities. An amazing variety of styles evolved -- flamenco scholars count 73 -- each unique to one of Andalucía’s eight provinces: Almería, Cádiz, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Sevilla. The earliest written reference to flamenco was by Cervantes in the early 17th century, describing a preciosa gypsy dancer.
Some flamenco styles, or art forms, are onomatopoeic: the sound of the blacksmith’s anvil created martinete; rhythms of different gaits of horse hoof-beats inspired the intricate footwork of zapateado. Songs evolved while picking olives, or during long hauls on horseback while humming to the beats of the horses.
It is not necessary to study flamenco in order to enjoy it; however it is rewarding to understand some of the many rhythmic forms. For example, the solemn soleares as well as lively alegrías and bulerías are based on a series of 12 beats accented as follows: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12.  Try it, first by counting, then with precision clapping (palmas), foot tapping, finger snapping, and/or tongue clicking on the accented beat. Then, with one or two other people, try the downbeat together with counterpoint, then in syncopation, then all three simultaneously.
           The feet are percussion instruments with infinitely complex combinations of heel, toe, ball, and flat. Flamenco’s unique dance aesthetics of bodyline, movement and stunning poses must be perfect, in fact they seem to transcend human anatomy. Intense interaction between singer, dancer, palmas and guitarist seems telepathic, and artists encourage each other with jaleo, spontaneous exclamations of enthusiasm and admiration such as olé…así se baila.
           Intrinsic in Andalusian lifestyle, flamenco is enjoyed in tablaos (flamenco nightclubs with shows), congenial bars with spontaneous flamenco, peñas (flamenco aficionado clubs and get-togethers), and traditional Gypsy fiestas.

Flamenco flourishes today in Andalusian cities and rural villages known for their immortal geniuses as well as contemporary living maestros. The Andalucía Tourist Board has developed an appealing cultural tourism program called  Routes through Flamenco Territories. Seven distinct four- or five-day themed itineraries tour provinces where specific flamenco styles originated, continue today as a vital element of local life, and are performed and explained in situ by local masters. Tour participants enjoy special interactive presentations.  www.andaluciaflamenco.org

The ingeniously designed Museo del Baile Flamenco (Museum of Flamenco Dance) in Seville, housed in an 18th-century Andalusian mansion, exhibits the history and art of flamenco and its immortals. Master dance classes inspire future talents, and introductory classes are offered for beginners.  There are modern faculties for workshops, seminars, art exhibits, a research library, and life-size audio-visual projections. The museum is promoted by dancer/choreographer Christina Hoyos, famed for her co-starring roles with the late Antonio Gades in the flamenco film trilogy by Carlos Saura: Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla; Blood Wedding (based on Federico Garcia Lorca’s play), and Carmen (the flamenco version of Bizet’s opera. www.museoflamenco.com

Andalucía’s supreme flamenco festival held every two years, La Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla(Sep 10-Oct 11, 2008) is an extraordinary showcase with an array of daily performances, exhibits and activities in exciting venues throughout Seville www.bienal-flamenco.org  Coinciding with the Bienal (biennial), the International Marketplace of Flamenco Tourism  is an important trade show attended by major travel agents, tour operators and specialized journalists.

Press Contact: Frank Shiell / Shiell Communications, New York
                         (212) 242-2204  fshiell@verizon.net