The gypsies often say with pride: "Flamenco is in our blood!" True enough, and yet not the whole truth. The word "flamenco" comes from the Arabic term for "fleeing peasants." The art form is the product of a centuries-old fusion involving the music and dance of the Arabs and Jews as well as people from Spain, India (now living as gypsies in Spain), and South America. The nomadic, carefree ways of the gypsies give flamenco its life, and its soulful ambient. The story of flamenco is inextricably linked to the gypsies. For gypsy children growing up, it is a part of everyday life. Everyone can sing it and dance it, no matter how young or old. They can hardly be blamed for feeling like "only gypsies can dance true flamenco."
Choreographers often take their inspiration for flamenco dances from the popular opera "Carmen," which tells the tale of a gypsy girl. Oddly enough, flamenco is just the opposite of Western classical music in that the dark and moody music (such as soleares) is in a major key, while bulerias and other music in minor keys is up tempo.
Did you know?
To the uninitiated, perhaps one of the most intriguing things about flamenco is the continuous rapping of the shoes on the floorboards. It looks so simple, but there's more to it than meets the eye.
Another interesting item is the castanets, which are used most often with sevillanas. Their purpose is to accentuate and complement the rhythm of the music, but if you listen carefully, you may discover that the dancer uses very different-sounding castanets in the right and left hands. The left plays bass, while the right hand warbles along at much higher pitch, symbolizing a dialog between man and woman.
When people first start studying flamenco, they invariably feel quite curious about the shoes, with their red and black colors, and the way they tap on the floor. Newbies stare at the shoes as if there were some secret ensconced there among the countless nails pounded into the sole from heel to toe. In fact, the original idea behind the nails was simply to keep the shoes from wearing out too quickly. Later, however, thanks to the clackety thunder they produced, the nails themselves became an indispensable part of flamenco.
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(Left) Two dancers in perfect synch, the product of countless hours of practice.
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(Right) Flor de Loto claps the castanets, every inch of her body expressing deep feeling.
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