Passion Made Music: Flamenco Festival 2011

Posted on Wednesday, February 2

Passion made music: Flamenco Festival 2011
By Catalina María Johnson, Ph.D.

The art form of flamenco, declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO in 2010, was first documented in literature in 1774. However, most of the details of its development were lost in the turbulent times over five hundred years ago in Spain, when its musical roots were brought to the country by Gypsies (perhaps originally traveling from India) and combined with the musical cultures of the Moors and Jews.

Originally, this iconic Spanish art form was only voice or chant, accompanied by a rhythm marked on the floor with a wooden staff or cane. Later these vocals, or  “cante”, came to be accompanied by the flamenco guitar, or “toque” as well as the rhythmic hand clapping, the “palmas”, and the percussive dance, or “baile”. The fourth official element of flamenco is the “jaleo”, which roughly translated, means ‘seriously happy, noisy partying’! More recently, other instruments have been added, like the castanets and the cajón (a wooden box used as a percussion instrument), and varying flamenco musical hybrids have evolved in fusions with other genres, such as jazz, ska and reggae.

Chicago´s Flamenco Festival 2011 will give us a chance to experience the musical element of flamenco in all its forms – from traditional roots exemplars to the most avant-garde, radical fusions. JOSE MORENO “ EL CANO”, from Badajoz, began singing at 13. El Cano will share with us the song element of flamenco, which remains at the heart of the tradition and is known as “cante jondo” – the deepest of songs. These austere, nearly primal vocals express intense, passionate and emotions. We’ll enjoy the delicate and intricate beauty of melodies on the flamenco guitar as played by Iranian-born virtuoso MEHRAN JALILI, who moved away from blues and rock to study flamenco and classical guitar. Jalili will also be celebrating the release of his CD, “Angels of Persepolis” in conjunction with the Flamenco Fest. Jazz great and pianist CHANO DOMINGUEZ from Cadiz, was one of the major forces in the musical movement known as “rock andaluz” before switching to jazz in the eighties. The world-renowned Dominguez is admired for vibrant, daring inter-weaving of jazz lines and harmonies with flamenco´s varied rhythms. The GYPSY KINGS, from southern France, are of Gitano or Spanish Romani descent, whose ancestors fled Cataluña during the Spanish Civil War in the thirties. The Gypsy Kings are known for bringing the rumba catalana to the world’s attention in the eighties. The origins of this pop-oriented music that is historically derived from traditional flamenco music are hotly contested. What appears certain is that by the forties, this genre along with using the guitar to provide rhythm, melody and percussion by strumming the instrument and simultaneously tapping on the soundboard – was being played by gypsies on the streets of Barcelona. CAIBANA, an ensemble based in New York City, was created by flamenco guitarist and composer Roberto Castellon, and takes its name from combining Cai (Cadiz), the oldest city in Spain, and La Habana, Cuba. Caibana’s music fuses flamenco and Afro-Cuban rhythms, choruses, and songs. CANTECA DE MACAO, formed by nine musicians (including a juggler!)  from Spain, Venezuela and Chile, will present their unique and energetic hybrid of Flamenco Mestizo. Canteca´s multi-culti mix with its socially-conscious lyrics is a rhythmic brew where rumba, ska, reggae and flamenco coexist happily. Finally, in addition to these performances, musician/composer and professor WANEES ZAROUR will share the classical musiqa andalusi of the Spanish medieval courts in a free musically illustrated lecture.

Flamenco Fest 2011 promises to bring us all this amazing music! To sample some of the beautiful sounds in store for, check:

Chano Domínguez´s take on the flamenco rhythm which is named for the word “solitude” or “soleá”

Solea Blues

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Mehran Jalili´s “Ahriman”, a “bulería” – one of flamenco´s most joyful and rapid rhythms.

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