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The Origins of Flamenco

Flamenco will never leave the shadow of Spain. This song-dance-and-guitar art is a significant part of the Spanish culture. With its uniqueness, color, and passion, Flamenco is now a loved ‘music and dance’ around the world. No wonder why many people of different cultures are interested to learn how this lovely dance started and what phases it underwent over the years.

The Birth of Flamenco

Even now, the origin of Flamenco is still vague. But there are some suggestions as to where it came from: the Flamenco we know today has originated in the southern part of Spain, most especially in the Seville province. However, Andalusia is pointed out to be its real birthplace.

Meanwhile, places like Murcia and Extremadura have contributed in shaping the modern Flamenco. That’s why many famous Flamenco artists today were born in these regions.

To date, Flamenco is generally accepted as a combination of Gypsy, Sephardic, Andalusian, and Arabic cultures.

Flamenco’s Etymology

Not just its place of origin, but even the origin of the word “flamenco” is still on debate. Flamenco is believed to have originated from the word “flemenc,” which means “gypsy” and was supposedly coined by the 18th century author George Borrow. At that time, Flamenco was known simply as the “dance of gypsies.”

There is another theory of the word’s origin by Blas Infante. According to him, the word “flamenco” has originated from the word “fillahmengu,” a Hispano-Arabic word, which means “expelled peasant.” The term was coined for the Andalusian Muslims who liked to mix themselves with gypsies so they can avoid religious persecutions.

Flamenco: Music or Dance?

Most people define Flamenco as a dance but it’s not. It’s not even music. It is a combination of cante (song), baile (dance), and guitara (guitar). Flamenco, therefore, is a total performance with complete dance and music.

During the 17th up to the middle of the 18th century, Flamenco was solely a vocal recital. When the recital was accompanied by guitar from 1890 to 1910, it became famous as “Opera Flamenca” because of its courtship-like dance similar to cantes de ida y vuelta and fandangos. It was during this era that Flamenco became widely known at cafes.

In 1955, Antonio Mairena and other Flamenco artists helped in the boom of the art. Instead of performing in cafes, they started to move to concert houses and theatres. It was from them that various styles and sub-genres of Flamenco started.

Modern Developments of Flamenco

The modern-day Flamenco is known as a song-and-dance art accompanied by guitar. The inclusion of song is the most important development in modern Flamenco.

There is no limitation as to what the artist can sing in Flamenco. The song can be about love, celebration, death, birth, or an ordinary day.

Flamenco has amazed millions of people because of its rapid but elegant moves and lively melody. Today, it is one of the most famous arts of Spain. It is loved and continuously developed by every Flamencologist in the whole world.