The best flamenco dancer in the world. Spanish art of dancing and singing

Gypsy culture has had a huge impact on the world. Thanks to the Calais, the Spanish gypsies, one of the most famous musical genres, flamenco, arose. In this post I propose to get acquainted with some famous Spanish cultural figures of gypsy origin.

Flamenco dancers

Joaquin Cortez

Virtuoso dancer and choreographer who became one of the most popular representatives of Spanish dance due to his extraordinary dramatic talent.

Born in 1969 in Cordoba into a gypsy family. At the age of 12 he began studying dance in Madrid. He entered the National Ballet of Spain at the age of 15 and became its soloist. Together with the ballet troupe he traveled to many countries, performing in the best theaters. Then he left the ballet and began performing at gala performances with such famous dancers as Maya Plisetskaya, Peter Schaufuss, Sylvie Guillem. In 1992 he founded his own troupe Joaquín Cortés Ballet Flamenco, with whom she travels all over the world, presenting unusual, vibrant dance performances. Joaquin also collaborates with representatives of other forms of art: with Pedro Almodóvar, starring in his film “Flower of My Secret”, with Giorgio Armani, who prepared stage costumes for the play “Gypsy Passion”, which was seen by more than one and a half million spectators. Cortez also starred with French actress Laetitia Casta in the film "Gypsy", the script for which was written by the famous writer Arthur Perez-Reverte. Joaquin performs with world pop stars: Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys etc. In 1997, he recorded his first disc, “Gypsy Passion Band”: Cortez became the second Spaniard after Julio Iglesias to be successful at the international level. The same year he performed with the legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti at charity concert. A few years later, Joaquin performed at the Oscars in Los Angeles. In 2004, he became the first Spaniard to speak at the White House.

Of course, the above facts are only a small grain in the bright and fast-paced biography of this gypsy, the king of flamenco. Joaquin Cortez is repeatedly recognized as one of the best dancers XX century. His fans live on all continents, his performances invariably attract full houses and are difficult to get into because tickets sell out instantly. He changed the history of flamenco and Spanish dance, becoming the "world gypsy."

Juan Manuel Fernandez Montoya "Farruquito"

Born in Seville in 1982 into an artistic family. His grandfather Farruco, was passionate fan flamenco and is considered one of the most notable Spanish dancers of this style of the twentieth century; father Juan Fernandez Flores is a flamenco singer, and mother Rosario is a dancer. Already at the age of 4, Farruquito made his debut on the Broadway stage in the play “Pure Flamenco.” At the age of 8 he began performing in Madrid, and at the age of 12 he starred in the film “Flamenco” directed by Carlos Saura along with such famous dancers as El Farruco, Paco de Lucia, Joaquin Cortes, El Chocolate and others. In 1992, he participated in the inauguration of the Paralympic Games in Barcelona and the World Expo in Seville. At the age of 15, he presented his first performance, “The Roots of Flamenco,” in which he appeared before the public as a dancer of a new generation who combines the traditions of the copla with an unusual individual approach. His performances were successfully held in Spain, England, France and Japan. With the new show “La Len Varo” Farruquito conquers America, and the New York Times recognizes him as the best artist. In 2003, People magazine recognized the Spanish gypsy as one of the most beautiful people peace. That same year, an incident occurred that slowed down Juan’s career a little: he killed a pedestrian and fled the scene of the accident. The court sentenced him to prison, which, however, was rather indicative, since the artist enjoyed quite a lot of freedom. In 2008, Farruquito returned to the stage, performing in front of an audience of 2,000 people in Palma de Mallorca (while still facing punishment for a fatal road accident). In 2010 he prison term ended; in general, the artist spent 14 months in prison out of three years term.

Musicians: flamenco

Ramon Jimenez Salazar, Diego el Cigala

The Spanish flamenco singer was born into the artistic dynasty of the Calais gypsies. His CD "Corren Tiempos de Alegría" was nominated for a Latin Grammy for best flamenco album of the year, and his CD "Lágrimas negras" was recognized by the New York Times as album of the year. A more detailed biography of the artist can be read on hispanoculturablog, where there is also a small selection of music videos.

Jose Monge Cruz "El camarón de la Isla"

Considered one of the greatest flamenco performers of all time. His uncle gave him the nickname "Camaron", which means "shrimp", due to his white skin, blond hair and thinness. Jose will use this nickname as his stage name, adding “de la Isla”, since the city of San Fernando, where he grew up, was on the island of Leon.

In 1979, Camarón released a disc that made a real revolution in the world of flamenco: the sounds of jazz and rock began to be found in his music. In 1989, Jose recorded the disc “I am a Gypsy,” which became the best-selling album in the history of flamenco. You can read a little more about his life, family and death on hispanaculturablog.

Musicians: rumba

Antonio Gonzalez "El pescailla"

He is considered the creator of the musical genre Catalan rumba. However, El Pescaílla is more often referred to as "Lola Flores' husband". Since it can be difficult for two creative and famous personalities to get along together, he voluntarily faded into the background and became the shadow of his super-popular wife. His reward was a strong marriage that lasted almost 40 years and three children. His daughter Rosario, who became a singer, dedicated the song “ Al son del tambor". In 2003, the City Hall of Barcelona placed a memorial plaque on the street where the artist was born, in memory of the creator of the Catalan rumba. A small selection of videos of the musician’s performances can be found on hispanoculturablog.

Pedro Pubil Calaf, Peret

Sometimes it happens that several people fight for the right to be considered the creator of something. This happened with the Catalan rumba. Disputes still rage over who is considered the “father of rumba”: the musician El Pescailla, whom the Barcelona mayor’s office recognized as the creator of this musical genre, or the musician Peret, who was invariably called the “king of rumba”.

Was born future artist in 1935 in a place near Mataro (Barcelona) in a gypsy family that was engaged in a mobile textile trade. Pedro helped his parents and mastered various professions: carpenter, carpet maker... Due to constant trips to Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, the boy almost did not go to school and learned to read on his own. He was always attracted to the guitar, and at the age of 12 the boy performed at the Tivoli Theater with his cousin Pepi, after which he began to make a living from music, continuing his father’s work. Peret recorded a couple of albums that began to be heard throughout Barcelona, ​​and rumors about him began to spread throughout Spain. In the mid-60s he music career developed when he began performing in the tablao in Madrid. In 1967 he recorded the song " Una lágrima“, which became a hit: it was played on the radio, discos, festivals, and casinos. After this, many of his songs became popular. In 1971, the musician “shot” with the song “ Borriquito“, which coincided with the beginning of the tourism boom in Spain, and became known outside the country. In 1974, Peret with the song “ Canta y se feliz"participated in Eurovision and took 9th place. In 1992, the musician performed at the closing ceremony Olympic Games in Barcelona with the song " Gitana hechicera” (“Charming Gypsy”), which became the main hit of that summer.

Many of Peret's songs have become widely known and loved. They invariably sounded cheerful notes of Catalan rumba and gypsy motifs. Who created the Catalan rumba? El Pescailla may have been at the very beginning, but after his marriage to Lola Flores he moved away, giving way to the up-and-coming musician Peret, who remained faithful to the style for many years, spreading it internationally.

Writers

Jose Heredia Maya

The first Spanish gypsy to become a professor. Born in 1947 in the province of Granada into a modest gypsy family. From an early age he showed interest in poetry. He studied Romance philology at the University of Granada, where he began teaching in 1976. In 1973 he published his first collection of poems, which was very well received by critics and approved by prominent poets of the time. He also acted as a playwright and V Together with flamenco dancer Mario Maia, he staged the performance Camelamos Naquerar, which became a protest against the persecution of the Roma people for five centuries. He founded a seminary for the study of flamenco and was one of the directors of the Poetry Hall at the University of Granada. He has published four collections of poetry and staged four performances.

Joaquim Albaisin

Critic and expert of leading Spanish newspapers El País and ABC. His great-aunt was the famous dancer Maria de Albaisin, the muse of Sergei Diaghilev, artistic director troupe "Russian Ballet Diaghilev". His great-uncle and birth mother were also fans dance art. Joaquim writes books, articles, essays about gypsies and is an expert in the art of flamenco

Flamenco

Flamenco is musical genre, which originated in southern Andalusia and is a unique phenomenon unique to Spain. Despite the fact that flamenco is essentially a mixture of rhythms and melodies of Arab, Gypsy, Jewish and Christian cultures, it can rightfully be called original. The more complete name for flamenco is cante flamenco.

It's interesting that in literal translation from Spanish cante means “singing,” although this name includes singing, dancing, and playing the guitar and covers all particular manifestations of the flamenco style, the most ancient core of which is cante jondo. Translated into Russian, cante jondo means “deep singing.” Its roots go back to the ancient music systems India, the pioneers of singing. The formation of the cante jondo style was influenced by the music and singing of the Arabs (Moors) and Gypsies, which is manifested in a richly ornamented melody of a small range, a whimsical, free rhythm, a bright, emotional performance, accompanied by shouts.

Flamenco dancers

The first documentary mention of flamenco occurs in 1780 in Andalusia. By that time, the melodic structure and style of flamenco had already been formed. In the atmosphere of poverty in village houses, this art gained strength and began to gain popularity, but until the last thirds of the XIX century was not a national property and was not known outside a narrow circle of amateurs. Music was perceived as a dialogue, communication between two cantaors (singers), a cantaor and a guitarist, a song and a dance, which explains its improvisational nature.

Over time, flamenco moved beyond the family circle and onto the streets to penetrate other areas of Andalusian society. In Seville and Jerez, holidays dedicated to the patron saint of the city or region were an occasion to attend a flamenco performance. However, until 1842, flamenco lived mainly in gypsy houses, as well as behind closed doors in inns and taverns. During the feasts until dawn, it began to gain fame, attracting more and more admirers to its side, and at the same time the number of cantaors grew. Gradually, singing became for them a way to earn a living, a profession, and they strived for perfection, to which they were also pushed by ever-increasing competition.

The majority of Spaniards learn about flamenco only with the advent of special artistic cafes, cafe cantante, in which flamenco performers performed. Visitors to such establishments appreciated the depth of feeling with which the songs were performed, thanks to which flamenco music found a path to the hearts of people.

Competition between singers, dancers and guitarists contributed to the development of various performance styles, genres and forms within flamenco. The term “hondo” began to denote especially emotionally expressive, dramatic, expressive songs. At the same time, the names “cante grande” (“big singing”) arose to designate songs of great length, with melodies of a wide range, and “cante chico” (“small singing”), applied to songs that do not have such qualities.

Gradually, dance begins to play an increasingly larger role in flamenco cante, with the result that songs over time are divided according to their function into “alanta”, intended only for listening, and “atras”, which accompany the dance.

The creative activity of the famous cantaor Silverio Franco-netti (1829 - 1889) marked the flowering of the art of flamenco, when the most best samples this genre.

However, by end of the 19th century Centuries of cantante cafés are falling into disrepair. There is a narrowing of the theme of flamenco to the two closest and most understandable themes to cafe visitors: love and death. At the same time, the aesthetic side of the songs noticeably fades: they no longer convey the subtlest shades of feelings and moods, and their content begins to directly depend on the taste of those who commission such works.

Still, flamenco does not disappear as a species musical art, but simply reborn, leaving the cafe onto the stages of theaters, improvised venues, bullfighting arenas, and thereby marking the beginning of a new period in its history.

In the early years of the 20th century, flamenco took shape on theater stages in the form of performances called flamenco opera, which included singing, dancing and guitar playing. Based on similar productions, arose new genre- flamenco ballet, which soon reached the heights of its development thanks to such outstanding dancers as La Argentinita, La Argentina, Pilar Lopez, Antonio, Rosario and others.

The first attempts to revive flamenco were made in 1922. Then, thanks to the combined efforts of the composer Manuel de Falla and the poet Frederico García Lorca, the Cante Jondo Festival was held in Granada, the purpose of which was to discover new talents and revive the interest of the general public in this ancient art.

Paco de Lucia - contemporary performer flamenco

It should be noted that this festival fully met the expectations of the organizers and was a huge success. Subsequently, similar celebrations began to be held in the large Spanish cities of Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Madrid, etc.

Currently, the centers of flamenco are Cadiz, Jerez, Seville, Granada, Barcelona and Madrid. All these cities are famous for their musical traditions, which have different characteristics.

It should be noted that for the Spaniards flamenco is a broader concept than just music. It implies a whole worldview, an attitude towards life, moreover, colored by strong emotions and emotional experiences. Singing, dancing, playing instruments - all these are means to create an image: love passion, grief, separation, loneliness. Thus, professional dancer or a cantaor can express any human feeling through flamenco.

1. Paco de Lucia is one of the most famous flamenco guitarists in the world.

Real name is Francisco Sanchez Gomez. The musician used a synthesis of modern music with the flamenco style of playing and Brazilian rhythms. The artist chose his stage name - Paco de Lucia - in honor of his mother Lucia Homer.

2. Vicente Amigo Girol- Flamenco guitarist, Grammy Award winner. Began solo career in 1988.
3. Paco Serrano, born in 1964, composer and guitarist from Cordoba.

4. Diego El Cigala, real name Diego Ramón Jiménez Salazar, is a Spanish flamenco singer. Diego Jimenez was born into the artistic dynasty of the Kalé gypsies; his uncle - famous singer Rafael Farina. Studied singing with four years. In 1980, he won the Getafe Flamenco Youth Contest, where he was noticed by the famous flamenco singer Camaron de la Isla.

5. Joaquin Cortez, real name Joaquin Pedraja Reyes, is a flamenco dancer, choreographer, actor, and since February 2007, Roma Ambassador to the European Union. He is also known for opposing the ban on the word Gypsy to refer to gypsies; instead of this measure, he proposes to work on improving the image of the term itself. Founder of the Gypsy Foundation in Spain.

6. Sarah Pereira Baras- one of the most famous flamenco dancers in the world, as well as a choreographer and director of her own flamenco dance group. "El Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras".

7. Rafael Cortes, born in 1973, is one of the few guitarists who combine tradition and modern style.

8. Niña Pastori(Niña Pastori) is a Spanish flamenco performer (cantaora). Real name - Maria Rosa Garcia (Maria Rosa Garcia).

She was born on the island of San Fernando (Cadiz) on January 15, 1978. She began on her birthday because her parents (Pastora and Jose) had four sons, and the birth of a daughter became a holiday in the Boquete area where they lived. The future artist began singing at the age of four, accompanying her mother, known as Pastori de la Isla, and her grandmother taught Maria to dance well. When Maria came out to sing, the audience said “va a cantar la niña de la Pastori” (Pastori’s daughter will sing). Hence the pseudonym - Niña Pastori.

At the age of 8, Niña took part in the El Chato competition in San Fernando, where she took first place. At the age of 17, she had her first opportunity to record her own album. Today Niña Pastori is a real figure in the world of music.

9. Great young voice of flamenco, so they say about Marine Heredia(Heredia). She is the bearer of the old traditions of flamenco singing and at the same time finds a connection with the present time, like a tree, while remaining connected to the sky with its roots.

Marina Heredia was born in Granada, in the Albaicin area, one of the cradles of flamenco. Marina belongs to a flamenco family of old traditions: she is the daughter of one of the great singers, Jaime Heredia “El Parrón”.

10. Estrella Morente- flamenco singer, Spanish, daughter of the Spanish flamenco singer Enrique Morente and dancer Aurora Carbonell, wife of the Spanish bullfighter Javier Conde.

She played herself in the 2011 animated film “Chico and Rita”, and gained wide fame after the 2006 film “Volver” (“Return”), in which she was the voice-over of Penelope Cruz.

Ramon Montoya Salazar

Ramón Montoya Salazar (Spanish: Ramón Montoya Salazar, November 2, 1880, Spain - July 20, 1949) was a Spanish flamenco guitarist and composer of Romani origin. He is known for his special style of playing, which gives a “velvet sound”, and for the founding of the tradition of solo concerts with guitar among flamenco performers. Ramon was born into a family of Madrid Calais gypsies, cattle traders. Salazar's father was also an amateur tokaor. For unknown reasons, his father categorically refused to teach his son to play the guitar and locked himself in the bedroom to practice. Little Ramon would sneak up to the door and listen to music for hours. However, it was unrealistic to protect the boy from performing flamenco in a courtyard full of gypsy teenagers with guitars on their shoulders. In the end, it became obvious that Ramon was growing up to be a guitarist, and a good guitarist at that. He bought his first guitar with his share of the family profits as a teenager. At the age of 14, the young man was apprenticed to tokaor El Cañito, and Ramon began performing with his mentor in a cafe. Thanks to the skill of Ramon Montoya, guitar playing, previously considered only as an addition to vocal or flamenco dance performance, began to be recognized as an independent and self-sufficient art. By 1910, this idea had become so strong that Montoya decided to write down solo album. This act increased his popularity, which now spread far beyond the borders of Madrid and even Spain. Thanks to this, Ramon Montoya became in great demand both as an accompanist (he recorded with such famous cantaors of his time as Chacon, Juan Breva, Pastora, Aurelio, Cepero, etc.) and as a soloist. Until the Second World War, after the fateful recording, he toured Europe and the United States.

Ramon Montoya Salazar is considered the founder of the Salazar musical dynasty.

Paco de Lucia

Paco de Lucía (Spanish: Paco de Lucía, real name - Francisco Sánchez Gómez, Spanish: Francisco Sánchez Gómez, * December 21, 1947, Algeciras, province of Cadiz, Spain) is one of the most famous Spanish flamenco guitarists in the world. The artist chose the stage name Paco de Lucía in honor of his mother Lucía Gómez.

Paco de Lucia was the youngest of 5 children in the family; at the age of 11 he performed publicly for the first time for the radio station of his city and a year later won special prize at a flamenco competition. Study musical notation started only at the age of 44.

Many critics and fans consider Paco de Lucia to be the greatest flamenco artist of all time; he has both musical taste and undeniable talent as a flamenco interpreter, and virtuoso technique. Performances with his participation are always memorable, and always sold out. Paco de Lucia has recorded dozens of music albums and discs and often gives concerts in Spain and different countries peace. He plays both classical and modern flamenco, and is considered one of the pioneers of the new flamenco style. Since the early 1980s, he has been a member of a trio of guitarists, which also included John McLaughlin and Al di Meola. Paco de Lucia's niece, Maria Lucia Sanchez (Malú) is a popular Spanish singer.

Manolo Sanlúcar

Manolo Sanlúcar (Spanish Manolo Sanlúcar, real name - Manuel Muñoz Alcón, (Spanish Manuel Muñoz Alcón; born November 24, 1943, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, province of Cadiz, Spain) is a Spanish flamenco guitarist and composer.

He began playing guitar at the age of 7 under the guidance of his father, Isidro Muñoz. At the age of 14 he began his professional career, accompanying such famous performers as Pepe Marchena (Spanish: Pepe Marchena). In 1972 he received first place at the World Guitarist Festival in Italy. In 1994, Guitar Player magazine (USA) named him the best flamenco guitarist.

In addition to flamenco, he writes symphonic music and music for ballets, where he combines classics and flamenco.

Gipsy Kings

Gipsy Kings is a musical group playing in the flamenco style. The name of the group plays on the nationality and surname of the founders, gypsies from the Reyes dynasty (the literal translation of the surname is “kings”).

In the late 1970s, in the town of Arles in the south of France, the famous flamenco performer José Reyes, his two sons Nicolas and Andre Reyes, and his brother-in-law Chico Buchichi created music group. Then, in 1979, the group received the name “Los Reyes” (literal translation from Spanish - “kings”, a play on the meaning of the surname) and played on local stages for some time. Fans loved their style spanish guitar, romantic and fiery. After the death of Jose Reyes, the virtuoso toca player Tony Ballardo joined the team with his brothers Maurice and Paco Ballardo. Soon the group's lineup expanded further with the addition of guitarists Diego Ballardo, Pablo and Pachai Reyes, as well as Kanu Reyes, who replaced Bouchikhi (who had left for new group"Chico & the Gipsy")

Inspired by their success, Los Reyes released two albums, but they went unnoticed and the team returned to the stage. They successfully performed at city celebrations, weddings, in bars and simply in public. The group, meanwhile, was renamed “Gipsy Kings” (literal translation from English - “gypsy kings”). The brothers remained faithful to gypsy flamenco, with virtuoso guitar accompaniment from all members of the group, among which two stars especially stood out - the guitar of Tony Ballardo and the voice of Nicholas Reyes. Even then, their music was striking in its richness of instruments, their beauty and rhythm.

In 1986, fate brought the musicians together with Claude Martinez, who produced young groups, and life for them began to flow in a new direction. The creativity of "Gipsy Kings" was based on traditional music gypsy-kale, modernized by talented singers and guitarists and achieved worldwide popularity thanks to the efforts of producer Martinez. By that time, their performance style had become more interesting, rhythmic, fiery compositions, elements of pop music, Latin American motifs appeared, and the compositions of the “Gipsy Kings” began to conquer the masses. Masterly performance of his own guitar compositions, interweaving light hints of Latin American jazz and samba, interspersed with romantic compositions, African melodies and even Arabic motifs, increasingly won the hearts of fans.

In 1987, two of the most famous songs“Gipsy Kings” - “Djobi Djoba” and “Bamboleo”, hits for many years. The result was a contract with Sony Music Group, and the first album was named, just like the group - “Gipsy Kings”. The album, which brought the group resounding success and fame, entered the charts of twelve European countries, and in England stayed on the charts for 40 weeks. In the late 80s, the Gipsy Kings were introduced to the New World. The New York New Music Seminar in the USA was the first milestone taken, and, having achieved recognition on the American continent, the group consolidated its worldwide success. In 1989, the Gipsy Kings were even invited to the inaugural ball in honor of President George H. W. Bush, but instead they returned home to their families for vacation. A year later they performed at the Royal Albert Hall

Among the most famous hits“Gipsy Kings” can also be noted such as “Inspiration” (“Inspiration”), “Volare”, “Vamos A Bailar” (“Let’s go dance”), “Soy” (“I”), “Baila Me” (“Dance”) me"), "Campesino", "Escucha Me" ("Listen"), "Caminando Por La Calle", "Magia Del Ritmo" ("Magic of Rhythm"), "Salsa de Noche" ("Night Salsa"), " Aven Aven" and many others. "Gipsy Kings" perform their songs in the gypsy dialect "Gitan".

Later, the Gipsy Kings tried their talent in compositions in the style of rumba, salsa and samba, soul and Rn’B. The rather exotic and very attractive style of rumba-flamenco for listeners was formed mainly under the influence of the work of the Gipsy Kings, and in Spain the style of their music is sometimes called “Sevillana”. The Gipsy Kings are renowned for their expressive, passionate songs and world-renowned guitar mastery. Currently, the Gipsy Kings are actively touring the United States and visiting other countries. So, on February 18 and 19, 2003, the Gipsy Kings gave a grand concert on the stage of the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow.

José Monje Cruz

A legend, a genius who opened flamenco to the general public, Camarón is undoubtedly one of the most iconic figures in Spanish music of the 20th century. A flamenco atmosphere always reigned in his family; everyone sang and danced, although they were not artists. Famous artists The house was well known and spontaneous flamenco parties were often held there. Having already achieved a certain fame, Camaron began to add something new to traditional singing, modifying existing styles. He was convinced that by introducing elements of modern music into flamenco, he could open it up to skeptical youth. Without betraying traditions and without losing the depth of performance, he enriched flamenco with new colors and intonations. Camarón has become a cult figure not only for old flamenco followers, but also for young people who, thanks to him, became familiar with this music. Thousands of people who had never gone to listen to flamenco before did not miss a single concert where Camarón sang. It was said that his voice turned a song into gold. His singing style, recognizable from the first notes, gave rise to a whole galaxy of followers, some of whom (Duquende, El Potito) were the discovery of a new flamenco in recent years. On almost all of Camarón's albums you can hear the guitar of Paco de Lucia; this duet, without a doubt, was one of the most brilliant in the history of flamenco in Spain.

Pastora María Pavón Cruz.

One of the most outstanding female voices in flamenco. Pastora Pavon, nicknamed Niña de los Peines (Girl with Combs), began singing in public at age eight. In her youth she had already become famous for her magnificent performances and ability to sing in any style of flamenco, and soon she was performing alongside the greatest artists. She was and remains an unsurpassed performer of the peteneras style, which at the beginning of the twentieth century was almost forgotten and thanks to her was brought back former glory. The Spanish poet Federico García Lorca admired Pastora and spoke of her as a person endowed with extraordinary duende magic.

Dolores Flores Ruiz.

A legendary figure in the history of Spanish music. Dancer, singer, actress, TV presenter, she was born to be on stage. Greatest success She was given performances in tandem with Manolo Caracol; the artistry of this duet captivated the Spanish public. In singing, Lola Flores mainly focused on light styles: tanguillos, sevillanas, zambras, rumbas, as well as songs in Latin American rhythms, but Andalusian copla always remained her strong point.

Antonio Fernandez Diaz.

This performer's talent was discovered at the Cante Hondo Competition in Cordoba, where Fosforito made his debut in 1956 at the age of 24. His performance was a real sensation, and all first prizes were awarded to him. Fosforito sang with early childhood, earning a living by performing at fairs and festivals. The competition in Cordoba was the beginning of one of the most brilliant careers of the twentieth century in Spain, now Fosforito is the owner of all the greatest awards that are awarded for the performance of flamenco.

Dolores Jimenez Alcantara.

She began her career by performing her own versions of songs in the campanilleros style, which the Spanish public liked, and soon Dolores’s performances already attracted full houses of ardent fans. Blind in early age and believes that singing has become her salvation. Now, despite her 90 years of age, she sings even better than before, with greater depth and knowledge of styles, and her voice is as youthful as it was many years ago.

Flamenco

Flamenco (Spanish flamenco) is a traditional music and dance style originating from Spain; it is a fusion of musical accompaniment (toke), singing (kante) and dance (baile). The style is represented by several dozen varieties (more than 50). Flamenco dances and songs are usually accompanied by guitar and percussion: rhythmic clapping (palmas), playing a percussion box (cajon); sometimes - castanets. Flamenco performers are called "bailaor" (dancer) and "cantaor" (singer), "tocaor" (guitarist).

Origin

The origins of flamenco should be sought in the Moorish musical culture. Gypsy music also significantly influenced this style - many consider the Spanish gypsies to be the main, true carriers of the style. In the 15th century, gypsies arrived in Spain from the collapsing Byzantium and settled along the southern coast of the country in the province of Andalusia; according to their custom, they began to adopt and reinterpret local musical traditions, such as Moorish, Jewish and Spanish proper; and from this fusion of musical traditions, reinterpreted first by the gypsies and then by the Spaniards, flamenco was born.

For a long time flamenco was considered a “closed art” since the gypsies lived as an isolated group; flamenco was formed in narrow circles. But at the end of the 18th century, the persecution of gypsies stopped, and flamenco entered the stage of taverns and cantante cafes and gained freedom.

At the end of the 20th century, flamenco began to absorb Cuban melodies and jazz motifs; and, in addition, elements of classical ballet acquired their permanent place. The most famous flamenco dancer is Joaquin Cortez, who updated the concept of flamenco dance, freed it from the “canonical standard” and introduced a new liveliness and expressiveness into it.

The improvisational nature of flamenco, complex rhythm and specific performance techniques often prevent accurate musical notation of flamenco melodies. Therefore, the art of both the guitarist and the dancer and the singer is usually passed on from master to student.

Today flamenco is of particular interest modern choreographers, because they see in this art great opportunities for creativity, for introducing innovations into choreography.

Flamenco rendered big influence for many dance and musical styles all over the world. Recent decades mixed varieties of flamenco and other styles appeared: flamenco-pop, flamenco-jazz, flamenco-rock, gypsy rumba and others.

There are adherents of flamenco who honor its traditions, which has both positive and negative sides. Strict adherence to tradition makes it impossible to deeply understand flamenco. Flamenco styles (singing, dancing, melody) are like a living organism, which requires their constant development, and without development there is no life. But along with the developing flamenco, there is also “flamencology” (a book with that title was written by Gonzalez Clement in 1955 and gave the name to this section of art criticism); scientists in this direction are studying the origins of flamenco and its “true” style, traditions, etc. Until now, along with supporters of the purity of the flamenco style, there are also adherents of its new forms and sounds.

Flamenco festivals

Among the most significant cities where flamenco exists today are Cadiz, Jerez, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Barcelona and Madrid. Each of these cities has its own musical specificity, its traditions and characteristics.

In Spain

One of the most authoritative, the largest flamenco festival in Spain takes place once every two years in Seville under the name “Bienal de Flamenco”. This festival was founded in 1980. True flamenco lovers come here from all over the world to see best artists: bailaors, cantaors and guitarists.

The International Guitar Festival “GUITARRA” is held annually in Cordoba, where the fame of talented young guitarists Vicente Amigo and Paco Serrano began.

Annual cante grande festivals, cante flamenco festivals and others take place throughout Spain. More information about festivals in Spain and beyond can be found on the special news site www.flamencofestival.info.

In Russia

Flamenco Festival “VIVA ESPANA!” in Moscow - an annual event in the world of Spanish musical culture(since 2001).

An annual festival called “Northern Flamenco” takes place in St. Petersburg.

In the world of modern guitar music, the annual festival “World of Guitar” has been running in Kaluga since 1997, the participants of which are various flamenco groups from Russia and Spain, and many bright names of foreign guitarists, from the world famous, such as Al di Meola (2004), Ivan Smirnov (“mascot” of the festival), Vicente Amigo (2006), Paco de Lucia (2007), etc.

In other countries

Every year since 2004, the Flamenco Festival takes place in London in February. One of largest festivals flamenco outside Spain has been taking place in the American city of Albuquerque, New Mexico for more than 20 years.

Famous artists flamenco

Nina de los Peines, Lola Flores, Fosforito, Nina de La Puebla

Ramon Montoya Sr.

Paco de Lucia,

Vicente Amigo,

Manolo Sanlúcar,

R. Riqueni,

Paco Serrano,

Rafael Cortes (guitar)

Antonio Gades and Mario Maya (dance)

Camaron de la Isla and Enrique Morente (singing)

Blanca Del Rey

Antonio Canales

Antonio el Pipa, Javier Martos (dance)

Jose Reyes (guitar, singing)