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Palo (flamenco)
Encyclopedia
A 'palo' is the name traditionally given in the flamenco
environment for the different musical form
s that constitute the traditional musical heritage of flamenco. Each palo is characterized by a variety of musical features such as its rhythmic pattern
, its mode
, its characteristic motifs
, or the type of stanza
used for the lyrics
, and comprises a series of tradition
al melodies
or song
s, generally called estilos (style
s) in the flamenco jargon
. The meaning of estilo here has nothing to do with the general meaning of "style" as a series of characteristics that define a musical period
, a trend, a genre
, or the particular manner of an artist
: it refers to a particular composition
or song which was created in the past, either anonymously or attributed to a particular singer, and was developed by generations of singers. Any newly composed, non-traditional songs or compositions following the general form of the palo are also usually called by the name palo.
The word palo, in Spanish, has several meanings, the main one being "stick", "bar", "pole" or "rod", but in this case it has the sense of "suit of cards
". Therefore, it has a metaphorical use meaning category or classification
.
The concept of palo must not be understood as a rigorous musicological category. It is rather a popular, sometimes inconsistent way of classifying songs according to similar characteristics. For example, to determine that a song belongs to the palo called Bulerías
, only the rhythm is taken into consideration, no matter its mode or stanza. Fandangos, on the other hand, include a variety of forms in 3/4 or 6/8, but later it developed "free" forms (that is, with no determined rhythm). Most palos include dozens of traditional songs, while others like the serrana include only one song. Another interesting example is that of the polo
and the caña: they are almost identical and should in fact be classified as variations of the same song, but tradition has classified them as different palos.
, mode
, and origin. This choice of characteristics is not necessarily consistent. According to their traditionally attributed origin, they are often classified in the shape of a tree, usually in a rather unscientific way http://www.tristeyazul.com/histpal/arbol00.htm.
(a cappella
) are regarded by some theorists like Demófilo
or Molina and Mairena
as the origin of the rest of flamenco songs, they are certainly among the oldest documented music forms of flamenco. They include palos like the tonás
and martinetes
. The debla and the carceleras, also classified as palos are in fact varieties of the Martinetes. They are traditionally considered to be of Gypsy origin. The trilla
is another form of cante a palo seco, originated in the songs traditionally sung by peasants during their work (trilla means threshing). Another important palo of this type is the saetas
, reserved to Holy Week procession
s. Some modern flamenco artists have also performed these styles with instrumental accompaniment, a practice that is spurned by purist audiences. However, it has been frequently stated that some other palos that are now played with accompaniment were also played a cappella in the past. When martinetes
are sung as musical support for dance, they are normally accompanied by a siguiriya type percussion, often using a hammer and anvil to evocate their hypothetical origin as cantes de fragua (songs from the smiths).
The group normally includes the following palos: soleá, bulerías por soleá (also called Soleá por bulería), the cantiñas
group (including alegrías
, romeras, caracoles
, mirabrás and other cantiñas), bulerías
, caña
and polo
. Most of them have traditionally been considered of Gypsy origin.
The bulerías
is a special case in this group, as it is not constrained to the typical 12-beat scheme of soleá, but can also incorporate 6-beat and 3-beat sections. The palos caña
and polo
comprehend only one song each, which is in fact very similar. They are classified in this group owing to their accompaniment, but the melody of the songs is not really related to the soleá songs.
The consideration of bulerías por soleá is problematic. It can be considered as just a way of playing soleá with a regular rhythm (instead of the usual rubato often heard in soleá). For this reason, it is often called "soleá al golpe" (literally, "soleá to the beat"). At other times, it is used to classify a subset of traditional songs in soleá rhythm.
The so-called fandango por soleá is just a regular fandango in which the traditional fandango guitar
accompaniment
has been replaced by the one typical of soleá (with the necessary adjustments to the rhythm of the song). It is normally classified under the fandangos group.
and other tonás
are sometimes played with a seguiriya percussion, they are not included in this group. The only palo in this group to have a wide variety of estilos is the seguiriya. The livianas palo comprises only two songs, and the serrana and tona liviana only one song. All these palos follow a 12-beat pattern, with a different distribution of strong beats
. However, we could also argue that it is the same rhythm as soléa, starting in a different beat:
In fact, if you start counting the soléa on the eighth beat, you will obtain a seguiriya rhythm.
al varieties, were immensely popular folkloric
dances in large areas of Spain
and Ibero-America
during the 18th century. They were adopted by several classical musicians like Antonio Soler
or Boccherini
as a basis for their own compositions. Although they are nowadays often sung as cantes libres
, they were originally sung and played to support the dance of the same name. When played with a regular rhythm, they follow a 3/4 or 6/8 time signature
. At the end of the 19th century they transcended the folkloric environment and became a flamenco palo in their own right. The fandangos group is normally subclassified as follows:
group comprises most of the flamenco forms in a 4/4 beat. It comprises tangos
, tientos, farruca
, garrotín and rumba and tanguillos, plus other rare palos such as marianas. The tientos are a slower, more syncopated form of the tangos which recall the rhythm of the habaneras
. Many traditional melodies can be sung both in tango
and tiento
rhythm and, quite often, singers start with a suite of tientos and complete it with one or more stanzas in tango rhythm. The farruca and the garrotín were folkloric songs originated probably in Asturias
and Catalonia
and brought to Andalusia, where they acquired flamenco characteristics.
and especially Cuba
, where they would have acquired Indian
and Negro
influences, to be reimported again in Andalusia by returned emigrants. These palos include guajiras, vidalitas, milongas, and colombianas.
, nanas
("lullabies"), bambera
, zambra
s, zorongo or campanilleros
.
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
environment for the different musical form
Musical form
The term musical form refers to the overall structure or plan of a piece of music, and it describes the layout of a composition as divided into sections...
s that constitute the traditional musical heritage of flamenco. Each palo is characterized by a variety of musical features such as its rhythmic pattern
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
, its mode
Musical mode
In the theory of Western music since the ninth century, mode generally refers to a type of scale. This usage, still the most common in recent years, reflects a tradition dating to the middle ages, itself inspired by the theory of ancient Greek music.The word encompasses several additional...
, its characteristic motifs
Motif (music)
In music, a motif or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition....
, or the type of stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
used for the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
, and comprises a series of tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
al melodies
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
or song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s, generally called estilos (style
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
s) in the flamenco jargon
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
. The meaning of estilo here has nothing to do with the general meaning of "style" as a series of characteristics that define a musical period
Period (music)
In music, a period is a group of phrases consisting usually of at least one antecedent phrase and one consequent phrase totaling about 8 measures in length . Generally, the antecedent ends in a weaker and the consequent in a stronger cadence; often, the antecedent ends in a half cadence while the...
, a trend, a genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
, or the particular manner of an artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
: it refers to a particular composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
or song which was created in the past, either anonymously or attributed to a particular singer, and was developed by generations of singers. Any newly composed, non-traditional songs or compositions following the general form of the palo are also usually called by the name palo.
The word palo, in Spanish, has several meanings, the main one being "stick", "bar", "pole" or "rod", but in this case it has the sense of "suit of cards
Playing card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
". Therefore, it has a metaphorical use meaning category or classification
Categorization
Categorization is the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood. Categorization implies that objects are grouped into categories, usually for some specific purpose. Ideally, a category illuminates a relationship between the subjects and objects of knowledge...
.
The concept of palo must not be understood as a rigorous musicological category. It is rather a popular, sometimes inconsistent way of classifying songs according to similar characteristics. For example, to determine that a song belongs to the palo called Bulerías
Bulerias
Bulería is a fast flamenco rhythm in 12 beats with emphasis in two general forms as follows:1 2 [3] 4 5 [6] 7 [8] 9 [10] 11 [12]or...
, only the rhythm is taken into consideration, no matter its mode or stanza. Fandangos, on the other hand, include a variety of forms in 3/4 or 6/8, but later it developed "free" forms (that is, with no determined rhythm). Most palos include dozens of traditional songs, while others like the serrana include only one song. Another interesting example is that of the polo
Polo (flamenco palo)
Polo is the name of a flamenco palo or musical form. There is only one known song in this palo, which is extremely similar to another palo called caña, and its guitar accompaniment, like the caña, shares its rhythm and motifs with soleá. Both the caña and polo share the same musical mode. In fact,...
and the caña: they are almost identical and should in fact be classified as variations of the same song, but tradition has classified them as different palos.
Classification of palos
Palos have been categorized in different ways, but the most usual one takes into account a variety of characteristics like rhythmRhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
, mode
Musical mode
In the theory of Western music since the ninth century, mode generally refers to a type of scale. This usage, still the most common in recent years, reflects a tradition dating to the middle ages, itself inspired by the theory of ancient Greek music.The word encompasses several additional...
, and origin. This choice of characteristics is not necessarily consistent. According to their traditionally attributed origin, they are often classified in the shape of a tree, usually in a rather unscientific way http://www.tristeyazul.com/histpal/arbol00.htm.
Cantes a palo seco (a cappella)
Cantes a palo secoCantes a palo seco
The Spanish term Cantes a palo seco refers to a category of flamenco palos traditionally sung a cappella or, in some cases, with some sort of percussion...
(a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
) are regarded by some theorists like Demófilo
Demófilo
Antonio Machado , better known by his pseudonym Demófilo , was a writer, anthropologist, and Spanish folklorist.- Biography :...
or Molina and Mairena
Antonio Mairena
Antonio Cruz García, known as Antonio Mairena was a famous flamenco singer. He led the movement towards the revival of traditional flamenco in the fifties and subsequent decades....
as the origin of the rest of flamenco songs, they are certainly among the oldest documented music forms of flamenco. They include palos like the tonás
Tonás
Tonás is the name given to a palo or type of flamenco songs. It belongs to the wider category of Cantes a palo seco, that is, palos which are sung without accompaniment or a cappella. Owing to this feature, they are considered by traditional flamencology to be the oldest surviving musical form of...
and martinetes
Martinetes
Martinetes are a flamenco palo belonging to the group of the tonás or cantes a palo seco. As the rest of the songs in this group, it is sung with no accompaniment. In some dance shows for the stage, though, it is accompanied by percussion played with the compás of siguiriya...
. The debla and the carceleras, also classified as palos are in fact varieties of the Martinetes. They are traditionally considered to be of Gypsy origin. The trilla
Trilla
Notes*"All I Have in this World" excepts from the film Scarface and contains a samples of "Scarface" by Geto Boys*"The Boss" contains a samples of "Broken Wings" by Mr...
is another form of cante a palo seco, originated in the songs traditionally sung by peasants during their work (trilla means threshing). Another important palo of this type is the saetas
Saeta (flamenco)
The Saeta is a revered Spanish religious song, whose form and style have evolved over many centuries. They evoke strong emotion and are sung most often during public processions.-Performance:...
, reserved to Holy Week procession
Holy Week procession
A Holy Week procession is an event taking place in Holy Week, most often in a country with traditional Roman Catholic culture.*Palm Sunday: The day when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem....
s. Some modern flamenco artists have also performed these styles with instrumental accompaniment, a practice that is spurned by purist audiences. However, it has been frequently stated that some other palos that are now played with accompaniment were also played a cappella in the past. When martinetes
Martinetes
Martinetes are a flamenco palo belonging to the group of the tonás or cantes a palo seco. As the rest of the songs in this group, it is sung with no accompaniment. In some dance shows for the stage, though, it is accompanied by percussion played with the compás of siguiriya...
are sung as musical support for dance, they are normally accompanied by a siguiriya type percussion, often using a hammer and anvil to evocate their hypothetical origin as cantes de fragua (songs from the smiths).
Cantes related to soleá
This group comprises all songs played with the soleá rhythm, that is, following this rhythmic pattern:The group normally includes the following palos: soleá, bulerías por soleá (also called Soleá por bulería), the cantiñas
Cantiñas
The Cantiñas is a group of flamenco palos , originated in the area of Cádiz in Andalusia . They share the same compás or rhythmic pattern with the soleá and are usually sung in a lively rhythm...
group (including alegrías
Alegrías
Alegrías is a flamenco palo or musical form, which has a rhythm consisting of 12 beats. It is similar to Soleares. Its beat emphasis is as follows: 1 2 [3] 4 5 [6] 7 [8] 9 [10] 11 [12]. Alegrías originated in Cádiz. Alegrías belongs to the group of palos called Cantiñas and it is usually played in...
, romeras, caracoles
Caracoles
The Caracol people are an English-based creole speaking people who have been established in Northern Honduras since the early 19th century and are mainly of European British-Caribbean descent...
, mirabrás and other cantiñas), bulerías
Bulerias
Bulería is a fast flamenco rhythm in 12 beats with emphasis in two general forms as follows:1 2 [3] 4 5 [6] 7 [8] 9 [10] 11 [12]or...
, caña
Cana
In the Christian New Testament, the Gospel of John refers a number of times to a town called Cana of Galilee.-The marriage at Cana:Among Christians and other students of the New Testament, Cana is best known as the place where, according to the Fourth Gospel, Jesus performed his first public...
and polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
. Most of them have traditionally been considered of Gypsy origin.
The bulerías
Bulerias
Bulería is a fast flamenco rhythm in 12 beats with emphasis in two general forms as follows:1 2 [3] 4 5 [6] 7 [8] 9 [10] 11 [12]or...
is a special case in this group, as it is not constrained to the typical 12-beat scheme of soleá, but can also incorporate 6-beat and 3-beat sections. The palos caña
Cana
In the Christian New Testament, the Gospel of John refers a number of times to a town called Cana of Galilee.-The marriage at Cana:Among Christians and other students of the New Testament, Cana is best known as the place where, according to the Fourth Gospel, Jesus performed his first public...
and polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
comprehend only one song each, which is in fact very similar. They are classified in this group owing to their accompaniment, but the melody of the songs is not really related to the soleá songs.
The consideration of bulerías por soleá is problematic. It can be considered as just a way of playing soleá with a regular rhythm (instead of the usual rubato often heard in soleá). For this reason, it is often called "soleá al golpe" (literally, "soleá to the beat"). At other times, it is used to classify a subset of traditional songs in soleá rhythm.
The so-called fandango por soleá is just a regular fandango in which the traditional fandango guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
accompaniment
Accompaniment
In music, accompaniment is the art of playing along with an instrumental or vocal soloist or ensemble, often known as the lead, in a supporting manner...
has been replaced by the one typical of soleá (with the necessary adjustments to the rhythm of the song). It is normally classified under the fandangos group.
Cantes related to seguiriya
The palos under this classification are: seguiriya, cabales, serrana, livianas, and toná liviana. Although martinetesMartinetes
Martinetes are a flamenco palo belonging to the group of the tonás or cantes a palo seco. As the rest of the songs in this group, it is sung with no accompaniment. In some dance shows for the stage, though, it is accompanied by percussion played with the compás of siguiriya...
and other tonás
Tonás
Tonás is the name given to a palo or type of flamenco songs. It belongs to the wider category of Cantes a palo seco, that is, palos which are sung without accompaniment or a cappella. Owing to this feature, they are considered by traditional flamencology to be the oldest surviving musical form of...
are sometimes played with a seguiriya percussion, they are not included in this group. The only palo in this group to have a wide variety of estilos is the seguiriya. The livianas palo comprises only two songs, and the serrana and tona liviana only one song. All these palos follow a 12-beat pattern, with a different distribution of strong beats
Accent (music)
In music, an accent is an emphasis placed on a particular note,either as a result of its context or specifically indicated by an accent mark.Accents contribute to the articulation and prosody of a performance of a musical phrase....
. However, we could also argue that it is the same rhythm as soléa, starting in a different beat:
In fact, if you start counting the soléa on the eighth beat, you will obtain a seguiriya rhythm.
Cantes derived from fandangos
The fandangos, with many different regionRegion
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
al varieties, were immensely popular folkloric
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
dances in large areas of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Ibero-America
Ibero-America
Ibero-America is a term used since the second half of the 19th century to refer collectively to the countries in the Americas that were formerly colonies of Spain or Portugal. Spain and Portugal are themselves included in some definitions, such as that of the Ibero-American Summit and the...
during the 18th century. They were adopted by several classical musicians like Antonio Soler
Antonio Soler
Antonio Francisco Javier José Soler Ramos, usually known as Padre Antonio Soler, known in Catalan as Antoni Soler i Ramos was a Spanish Catalan composer whose works span the late Baroque and early Classical music eras...
or Boccherini
Luigi Boccherini
Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini was an Italian classical era composer and cellist whose music retained a courtly and galante style while he matured somewhat apart from the major European musical centers. Boccherini is most widely known for one particular minuet from his String Quintet in E, Op. 11, No...
as a basis for their own compositions. Although they are nowadays often sung as cantes libres
Cantes libres
Cantes libres is a Spanish expression that literally means free songs. It is applied any flamenco palos in which there is no recognisable metre or rhythmic pattern...
, they were originally sung and played to support the dance of the same name. When played with a regular rhythm, they follow a 3/4 or 6/8 time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
. At the end of the 19th century they transcended the folkloric environment and became a flamenco palo in their own right. The fandangos group is normally subclassified as follows:
- Fandangos from HuelvaHuelva (province)Huelva is a province of southern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is bordered by Portugal, the provinces of Badajoz, Seville, and Cádiz, and the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Huelva....
. The more traditional styles are rhythmic, but since the beginning of the 20th century they have also been interpreted as cantes libresCantes libresCantes libres is a Spanish expression that literally means free songs. It is applied any flamenco palos in which there is no recognisable metre or rhythmic pattern...
. Most personal creations by singers, called Fandangos personales, are based on these varieties of fandango. The variety of traditional local fandangos in the province of Huelva is enormous, but Huelva city and the town of Alosno have been especially prolific. - Fandangos orientales (eastern fandangos). Originated in the eastern part of AndalusiaAndalusiaAndalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
and Murcia. This subgroup is further classified as:- Fandangos abandolaos. They are played in regular 3/4 time signature. They include verdialesVerdialesVerdiales are a Flamenco music style, and song form belonging to Canté Chico.Originating in Almogia, near the Spanish port of Málaga in Andalucia, it is based upon the fandango...
, jaberas, rondeñas, fandangos de lucena, old malagueñasMalagueñas (flamenco style)Malagueñas is one of the traditional styles of Andalusian music , derived from earlier types of fandango from the area of Málaga, classified among the Cantes de Levante. Originally a folk-song type, it became a flamenco style in the 19th century. It is not normally used for dance, as it is...
and other palos. - Cantes libresCantes libresCantes libres is a Spanish expression that literally means free songs. It is applied any flamenco palos in which there is no recognisable metre or rhythmic pattern...
(with no regular rhythmic pattern). This category includes modern malagueñasMalagueñas (flamenco style)Malagueñas is one of the traditional styles of Andalusian music , derived from earlier types of fandango from the area of Málaga, classified among the Cantes de Levante. Originally a folk-song type, it became a flamenco style in the 19th century. It is not normally used for dance, as it is...
, tarantasTarantasTarantas may refer to* Tarantas , a style of flamenco from Almería, derived from the Andalusian fandango* Tarantella, a traditional Italian dance or song* Tarantass, a horse-drawn Russian carriage...
, cartagenerasCartagenerasCartageneras are a flamenco palo belonging to the category of the Cantes de las minas or cantes minero-levantinos . As the rest of the songs in this category, it derives from older folkloric fandango styles...
, cantes de madrugá, minera, murciana, levantica, granaínaGranaínaGRANAÍNA is a flamenco style of singing and guitar playing from Granada.Belonging to the fandango family of cantes, it was originally danceable, but now has lost its rhythm, is much slower, and is usually only sung or played as a guitar solo.The famous singer Don Antonio Chacón is attributed with...
and "media granaína".
- Fandangos abandolaos. They are played in regular 3/4 time signature. They include verdiales
- Fandangos personales. Any fandango which is not traditional by a creation of a more recent singer. Fandangos personales were the predominant flamenco song between the 30s and 50s of the 20th century, and were later deprecated by purists.
Cantes related to tangos
The tangosTangos
Tangos is a flamenco palo closely related in form and feeling to the Rumba. It is often performed as a finale to a Tientos. Its compas and llamada are the same as that of the Farruca and share the Farruca's lively nature. However, Tangos is normally performed in the A Phrygian mode.Tangos is...
group comprises most of the flamenco forms in a 4/4 beat. It comprises tangos
Tangos
Tangos is a flamenco palo closely related in form and feeling to the Rumba. It is often performed as a finale to a Tientos. Its compas and llamada are the same as that of the Farruca and share the Farruca's lively nature. However, Tangos is normally performed in the A Phrygian mode.Tangos is...
, tientos, farruca
Farruca
Farruca is a form of Flamenco music, probably originating in the Galicia region of north-western Spain. It is a light form typical of cante chico, and is traditionally danced only by men...
, garrotín and rumba and tanguillos, plus other rare palos such as marianas. The tientos are a slower, more syncopated form of the tangos which recall the rhythm of the habaneras
Habanera (music)
The habanera is a genre of Cuban popular dance music of the 19th century. It is a creolized form which developed from the contradanza. It has a characteristic "Habanera rhythm", and is performed with sung lyrics...
. Many traditional melodies can be sung both in tango
Tango music
Tango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
and tiento
Tiento
Tiento is a musical genre originating in Spain in the mid-15th century. It is formally analogous to the fantasia , found in England, Germany, and the Low Countries, and also the ricercare, first found in Italy. The word derives from the Spanish verb tentar , and was originally applied to music...
rhythm and, quite often, singers start with a suite of tientos and complete it with one or more stanzas in tango rhythm. The farruca and the garrotín were folkloric songs originated probably in Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
and Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
and brought to Andalusia, where they acquired flamenco characteristics.
Cantes de ida y vuelta (related to Ibero-America)
The Spanish expression ida y vuelta ("departure and return") is used to refer to a "round trip". The palos classified under this group are supposed to have been exported from Spain to the New WorldNew World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
and especially Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, where they would have acquired Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
and Negro
Negro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...
influences, to be reimported again in Andalusia by returned emigrants. These palos include guajiras, vidalitas, milongas, and colombianas.
Other palos
Flamenco singers often sing several types of folkloric songs, lending them flamenco musical features. Most of these songs are often not considered, properly speaking, as flamenco, although they have long been incorporated to the repertoire of flamenco artists. They include palos such as sevillanasSevillanas
Sevillanas are a type of folk music, sung and written in Seville in Spain. Historically, they are a derivative of Castilian folk music . They have a relatively limited musical pattern, but rich lyrics, based on country side life, virgins, towns, neighborhoods, pilgrimage, and love themes...
, nanas
Nanas
Nanas may refer to:* Nanas, Iran, a place in West Azarbaijan Province of north-western Iran* Les Nanas, a 1985 French comedy with an entirely female ensemble* a type of palo in flamenco* Bukit Nanas, a landmark of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
("lullabies"), bambera
Bambera
Bambera is a cante, one of many traditional song forms associated with flamenco.-Definition:The bambera or bamba derives from the cante de columpio, meaning "song of the swing", which is one of the traditional Andalusian song forms associated with flamenco...
, zambra
Zambra
The Zambra, also known as the Zambra Mora is a flamenco dance performed by the Romani people of Granada which is believed to have evolved from earlier Moorish dances and has some similarities to belly dancing. In Maghrebi Arabic spoken in Morocco, zambra means "party"...
s, zorongo or campanilleros
Campanilleros
A Campanillero is a flamenco cante or song form. It is in couplets of six verses. It has its origin in sacred songs of Andalusia which were chanted during the early morning procession known as Rosario de la Aurora.- History :...
.