Flamenco art- Hand claps, foot stomps, guitars and so much more | Explainer

Like spices in a meal, evolution and fusion has created a new flamenco with flavours that go beyond the traditional.

Antonio Gades, a ground-breaking Spanish dancer of the twentieth century once described flamenco as “an extract of poison and fire.” Often accentuated by the flamenco moaning (quejíos) and lyrics which represent this genre, flamenco artists tend to pour emotions of love, anger, life, death and betrayal more intensely, often in a way which seems painful, like a deep heartache. “Flamenco is always sorrow; love is also sorrow. At the end, everything is sorrow and joy.”, said another iconic flamenco star Camarón De La Isla.

It is the strength in sentiment represented through the crying guitars and passion and fury expressed by those who sing and dance to it that has many adding “go to a flamenco performance” on their bucket lists for whenever they visit Spain. Flamenco is much more than a simple performance; you can feel its anguishing flame inside of you.

Interestingly, it has been said that the way this Andalusian art is transmitted was the fruit of the prosecution which many Gypsies, Jews and Muslims in Spain had suffered from the merciless Catholic Kings. It was due to the pain and rejection of these groups that this sensational and exceptional genre was born.

Diverse cultures expressing pain through music gave birth to Spain’s most precious gem (15th century)

Most people associate flamenco’s origins and history with Romany Gypsies, but while they’ve been one of the principal originators of flamenco music, its roots are more diverse. Although Gypsies were said to first land in Andalusia during the 15th century, in 1425, some historians believe that they came from the territories of India and Pakistan. In contrast, others are convinced they arrived from Egypt. This uncertainty only makes the genre itself even more mysterious and seductive.

When Gypsies first touched down, the Moors were in control of the Kingdom of Granada, but this eventually came to an end, and they were defeated and excluded by the Christians. Once they were in power, the Christians ruthlessly prosecuted the Gypsies no longer allowing them to express their culture and forcing many to convert religions.

It is believed numerous Gypsies, Jews and Moors ran to the mountains. The fusion of music from these different cultures formed the bases of flamenco. Its creation was indeed a blessing in disguise. As publications like Smithsonian magazinedescribe, this multifaceted art merges poetry, singing (cante), guitar playing (toque), dance (baile), polyrhythmic hand-clapping (palmas), finger snapping (pitos) and foot stomping.

Fusion as the trigger for the revolution of new flamenco (20th century)

Over the years, flamenco has evolved to be modernised and fused, and this traditional art has hugely diverted from what it once was. As sites such as flamenco.one say, there are key periods, such as the 70s, in which political and social changes were happening in Spain. It was also during this time that society became highly influenced by different musical styles from both the US and Europe.

The blend of political factors with flamenco led to flamenco fusion. It was remarkable geniuses such as singers Camarón De La Isla and Enrique Morente, and guitarist Paco de Lucía who began drawing on elements of genres including jazz, Latin, rock and pop and fusing it with classical flamenco, truly reviving the genre in Spain. By 1980, new flamenco and flamenco fusion started truly kicking off. These remarkable artists were part of the source which inspired a new generation of artists to explode their creativity and continue fusing the genre. Like 21st-century flamenco-pop artist Rosalía stated in her lyrics for the song ‘Con Altura’, “llevo a Camarón en la guantera” (translation: I have Camarón in the glove compartment”), implying that wherever she goes, she takes De La Isla as her inspiration.

Though flamenco is highly valued today as one of Spain’s best national treasures, with UNESCO recently identifying it as part of the World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, it was highly misrepresented for years. Many Spaniards rejected this art and once considered it a vulgar show that went against Spain’s modernisation. Well-known musicians like Ketama member José Soto said taking flamenco abroad was what made it gain its value, as people from diverse countries appreciated the genre more than the Spanish themselves.

1988’s ‘Songhai’ album by Ketama, featuring skilful Malian kora player Toumani Diabate and English multi-instrumentalist Danny Thompson, was recognised as the best album of ethnic music in that year. So much so, that prominent newspapers including the Herald Tribune wrote reviews expressing their shock over Spaniards not appreciating this exquisite work of art recognised as the first and most fulfilling world collaborations.

It was once flamenco was praised by those abroad, that a revolution started, in which Spaniards themselves began valuing it and recognising those skilled artists that were once undervalued. As stated by guitarist and legend Juan Habichuela, “they came from England to tell us what we had, and there is no right. They (the Spaniards) now realise what we truly have here (in Spain), that is flamenco.”

Source: SnappyGoat.com

Is there such thing as too much fusion? (21st century)

So, where do we currently stand with modern flamenco? Like the Paella dish, people have often tweaked its original recipe to add their own flavours. This is similar to flamenco and some of its new artists. With internationally recognised artists such as Rosalía emerging, this is only helping to preserve the genre, and by fusing it with other diverse and trending styles of music such as hip-hop and pop, it is allowing more people to get into it.

Multiple contemporary artists fusing flamenco seem to be using the genre as a source of inspiration and storytelling for a sound which only contains hints of it, but which transmits heavy themes of love and betrayal. This is shown in tracks including Rosalía’s ‘Malamente’ (translation: Badly), incorporating hand-clapping to a trap beat, or C. Tangana’s latest work ‘Tú Me Dejaste de Querer’ (translation: You Stopped Loving Me) featuring musicians La Hungara and Niño de Elche, which integrates traditional flamenco notes and hand-clapping to a beat fusing pop, rap and Latin sounds.

Despite criticism by flamenco purists expressing that some of today’s most famous flamenco stars are perhaps “not flamenco enough”, and hitting back at those fusing the genre as “culturally appropriating” it, new flamenco artists such as Rosalía hit back by telling Billboard that “today, musical barriers, like genres, are so diluted that they don’t really exist.”