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Flamenco is the bold and elegant fusion of singing, dancing, and music, an emotionally-charged art form that has its roots in southern Spanish culture. Based on the various folkloric music traditions of Andalusia, flamenco is one of the many symbols of Spanish national identity. But the history of flamenco is a fraught one, associated as it is with social injustice and despair as much as happiness and joy. Indeed, it's as complicated as it is compelling.
Intrigued? Click through and find out how flamenco has been played out over the centuries.
Flamenco originated in Andalusia during the early part of the 18th century, developing within the gitano (Spanish Romani) subculture.
A complex musical form incorporating singing, dancing, guitar playing, rhythmic hand-clapping, and finger snapping, flamenco is unequivocally associated with the territory of southern Spain.
It's not clear exactly where the word "flamenco" comes from. One theory suggests it was derived from the Arabic term felah-mengus, which together means "wandering country person."
The Romani collective had gathered on the Iberian Peninsula as early the 15th century, arriving from France and coexisting with Arab and Jewish communities.
Over the centuries, this sharing of traditions and cultures saw the exchange and mixing of musical forms and customs.
The earliest written record of Flamenco dates back to 1774 and a book titled Cartas marruecas ('Moroccan Letters') by Spanish army officer and essayist José Cadalso.
Flamenco as an art form developed slowly. It was largely performed in private circles, played out at work gatherings or family ceremonies.
After the Spanish War of Independence (1808–1812), a new sense of racial pride developed in the Spanish conscience. Whereas before many Spaniards had been influenced by French culture, they now turned towards their own kind, and in particular the gitano, who in their minds represented the ideal embodiment of Spanish culture.
The taste for Andalusian romantic culture triumphed in the Madrid court, and during the mid-19th century the first public performances of flamenco began to appear.
Ironically, perhaps, the first performance of Georges Bizet's 'Carmen' premiered not in Madrid but in Paris, at the Opera Comique Theater on March 3, 1875. Pictured is a sketch of one of the costumes for the flamenco dancers in the production.
Meanwhile, grassroots flamenco continued to be performed by Romani people, those who worked the land, toiled away in the forge, or grafted underground in the mine.
Theirs, however, was often a musical expression of social injustice and despair as much as pride and elation. Flamenco served as an opportunity for gitanos to liberate themselves through singing and dancing, expressing sorrow and joy in equal measure.
In 1881, Silverio Franconetti opened the first flamenco café cantante ("singer café") in Seville. Franconetti, a leading figure in the development of the art form, helped professionalize flamenco, but in doing so distanced the association with the gitano so that the songs became more 'Andalusian.'
From then on, flamenco entertainment spread quickly from southern Spain to Madrid and onward to other Spanish urban centers.
In time, flamenco morphed into a mixed genre, a combination of heterogeneous elements. Men increasingly joined women on the flamenco stage. Purists, however, bemoaned the loss of the flamenco character and essence.
Flamenco's golden age is generally regarded as falling between 1869 and 1910. It was during this period that the art form began to be embraced beyond Europe in countries like Argentina.
Around 1920, flamenco shows began to be held in bullrings and theaters, under the name "flamenco opera." These were festive occasions, as much about socializing as enjoying a performance of song and dance.
The flamenco opera made stars out of many singers, dancers, and musicians. The shows were vibrant and colorful and well received.
Flamenco became one of the symbols of Spanish national identity during the Franco regime. But not everyone was happy to promote the conservatism associated with the Nationalist movement.
Franco had effectively appropriated a folklore traditionally associated with Andalusia to promote national unity and attract tourism. In reply, cantaores who opposed the regime began to incorporate protest lyrics in their songs at great risk to themselves.
Abroad, meanwhile, flamenco was further popularized at world fairs, where Spanish gitano performers were all the rage.
One such individual was the Spanish Romani flamenco dancer and singer Carmen Amaya, often hailed as the greatest flamenco dancer ever.
Another renowned dancer is "La Chunga" (Micaela Flores Amaya), a cousin of Carmen Amaya, who started dancing at the age of six.
Flamenco arrived in the United States by way of the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair. The Pavilion of Spain attracted visitors with dance shows staged in front of the Unisphere steel globe.
In November 1964, flamenco maestra Raquel Peña performed at an exhibition of Spanish culture at Bamberger's department store in Newark, New Jersey. Accompanying her on guitar was Fernando Sirvent, himself a virtuoso of his art.
Arguably the greatest exponent of the flamenco guitar was Carlos Montoya. A nephew of renowned flamenco guitarist Ramón Montoya, he was also a founder of the modern-day popular flamenco style of music.
Among the best flamenco dancers today is Rafael Amargo. Applauded for his peerless combination of traditional and modern dance techniques, Armargo has in the past interpreted the work of such celebrated wordsmiths as Manuel de Falla and Federico García Lorca.
Known as "La Lupi," Susana Lupiañez Pinto began dancing at the age of 12 and later studied Spanish classical dance.
World famous for his energetic and sensual blend of flamenco and Arab and Latin music, Joaquin Cortés continues to draw huge audiences to his unique reinvention of the art form.
Cadiz-born Sara Baras is acclaimed for promoting female empowerment through art and has previously performed flamenco backed entirely by a female corps de ballet.
Sources: (Smithsonian Magazine) (Tablao de Carmen) (Flamenco Granada) (This is Spain)
See also: Traditional dances from around the world
The passionate dance that is flamenco
One of the world's most emotionally-charged art forms
LIFESTYLE Performing arts
Flamenco is the bold and elegant fusion of singing, dancing, and music, an emotionally-charged art form that has its roots in southern Spanish culture. Based on the various folkloric music traditions of Andalusia, flamenco is one of the many symbols of Spanish national identity. But the history of flamenco is a fraught one, associated as it is with social injustice and despair as much as happiness and joy. Indeed, it's as complicated as it is compelling.
Intrigued? Click through and find out how flamenco has been played out over the centuries.