flamenco Info
- Flamenco is performed in three forms: guitar, singing, and dancing. Its origins lie with the gypsies, and many of the best cantaores (flamenco singers), bailaores (dancers), and guitarists are gypsies. There are also Arabic and North African influences.
Modern flamenco blends traditional forms with rock, jazz, and salsa. Guitarists are soloists in their own right, not just accompanists. Most flamenco songs are folk songs, modified by oral tradition, on a wide range of subjects. The music and lyrics are improvised and never written down.
An integral part of traditional flamenco is the duende, the idea that the performer becomes inspired by the emotion of the music or dance. But as flamenco becomes commercialized, rehearsed performances are more likely than spontaneous music and dancing.