We’re staying in Cadiz this week, but this time we’re going to take a look at the more Gitano influenced side of things. A look at styles that have evolved from their traditions and beliefs as well as the lifestyle that was more often than not forced upon them.
TONÁS
Of all the flamenco forms that are known today, the Toná has the deepest Gitano – Andalusian roots. The origin can be traced to latter part of the eighteenth century although it is probable they had been sung for many years before this. These days there are four variants of the Toná: the Martinete, the Carcelera, the Debla and the Toná itself. They are all sung without musical accompaniment and are considered to be the first true palos of flamenco. Often referred to as “palos secos” precisely because of the lack of accompaniment.
They deal with the dark and tormented world of the Gitano, persecuted, imprisoned and humiliated by society, and are often sung in their dialect, Caló (Spanish Romani), which was outlawed for nearly three centuries.
DEBLA
Debla means Goddess in Caló. The Debla is a song dedicated to the supernatural, an invocation for fertility in the fields, for instance. The cante is based exclusively on the voice. Here is an example in which the Cantaor Matías de Paula speaks of having made a pact with death in return for certain favours.
EL MARTINETE
In the Martinete there is no instrumentation either. The rhythm of the Martinete originated in the forges in Cadiz, Jerez and Triana in Seville where the Gitanos worked. It is claimed that this style developed as they were hammering away on the anvils. This seems unlikely given the incompatibility of the enormous physical effort required to do this work and sing at the same time! It is far more likely that these songs were sung as the blacksmiths were waiting for the iron to heat up in the forges before they could work with it. In the mid-twentieth century the Bailaor Antonio Ruíz “Antonio El Bailarín” visited the forges and upon seeing the Gitanos at work and singing decided to perform dances based on these rhythms so that they would reach a wider audience.
Sara Baras has also incorporated this dance into her more recent work.
TANGO
The flamenco Tango, sometimes called Tango Gitano or simply Tango is of unclear origin. It seems to derive from an old Cadiz dance that was transformed by the Gitanos of the region and acquired an extraordinary flamenco character.
In the second half of the nineteenth century it was the most widespread and popular cantes when it came to dancing in the fiestas and its influence on other Flamenco styles that arose at this time is unquestionable.
The best known Tango variants are those from Cadiz, Jerez, Triana in Seville and Sacromonte in Granada (these last were seen in the post on Granada), although since that time they have developed and been sung and danced all over Andalusia.
Along with the Seguiriyas, Tonás and Soleares; Tangos are, for both their expressiveness and rhythm, one of the fundamental flamenco forms.
Here is a sung Tango from one of the best known Cantaoras of the last century, La Paquera de Jerez:
And here is another Tango Gitano, this time with dancing from La Chana with Juan Habichuela’s brother Luis on guitar:
TANGUILLO
The Tanguillo is a lighthearted variant of the Tango that is typical in Cadiz. The lyrics are often ironic or even sarcastic and make reference to current affairs, local gossip, politics or other issues the singer feels like bringing up. They are very popular in the Cadiz Carnival fiestas where they are sung by groups called Chirigotas. We haven’t included an example because outside of this context they don’t make a lot of sense, but here is the great Paco de Lucía playing one for your delectation.
Next week: Sierra Morena
Maki, Do you know how the name tango got to Argentina, or better yet do you know the origins of the Argentinian Tango?
It didn’t occur to me to ask Mr Wiki, but I just did and there’s the answer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Tango
The French influence in Spain was very strong from the beginning of the eighteenth century when Luis XIV’s grandson, Phillip V, became the first of the Bourbon kings of Spain. The minuet came to Spain at that time and is the most probable origin of the tango (including both the Argentinean and Flamenco styles). It’s clear that emigration and travelling in general has always included cultural transfer. The fact that many musical styles have grown up in and around port areas is not entirely coincidental. There are great similarities between the Tango Porteño in Buenos Aires and the music to be heard in Marseilles, for example.
Thanks for taking the trouble to ask and then investigate.
I liked Matias de Paula’s voice. You could really hear the Moorish influence on that song.
Antonio Martinete was fantastic. The gorge at Ronda was an amazing backdrop.
Sara Baras was spectacular. The ensemble work was excellent, too.
The tango was wonderful. And what an uproarious singer. I liked the way all the musical and rhythmic elements came together on this one.
La Chana’s dancing was intense! What skill, timing and co-ordination.
As for Paco de Lucia, he’s one of my all-time favourite guitarists. It was a marvellous piece, lyrical and dextrous; the work of a virtuoso. I got him A-listed one time.
Thanks Mr and Mrs Maki.
Thanks for following the series we always look forward to your comments. It’s clear you have a real feeling for this music.
Well I enjoyed those ( the ones that played properly any way, still having problems at my end !).
Far better listening than a bunch of birthday songs.
Glad to have partially cured your aversion to the genre! We are also becoming quite fond of the weird and wonderful….
If youtube is playing up you can reduce the resolution (bottom right hand corner – a number followed by a p) this often helps them to load quicker although the picture quality is slightly affected.
Well, I think I could identify gitano now, even if I could not the other types. I must say that Sarah Baras’ dancing and the whole of the piece – music and ensemble dancing were excellent.
Thanks SRichard. Good to see you’re spotting some of the differences – it isn’t easy. And, yes, Sara Baras is wonderful! She’s one of the best currently on the scene – as well as being a palindrome!
Maki
How careless and pretentious of me to pick up h’s where there aren’t any!
Tee hee!
Damn those h’s. Always silent in Spanish but as well as we English speakers using them when we shouldn’t – I have had students get very cross with me for getting it wrong (Helenas who are really Elenas or Esthers who are really Esters and vice versa on both counts) – they sometimes show up at the beginning of words when you least expect it! It took me ages to get used to writing “habilidad” which is the Spanish for ability. I still can’t find anyone who can convincingly explain its presence in that word!
Hi Maki!!
I found the DEBLA really interesting!!! In Japan we have a type of demon called Shinigami who is like the Reaper in Western Mythology and many folk songs have this theme.
I really like to think that even if we are so different, these themes are like universal and so we have more in common than we maybe think.
I really enjoyed this week episode of Friday Night Flamenco, I learn so much!!
Thank you Maki and Mrs Maki for doing this for us!!!
Thanks Sakura
Quite agree with you that we all have more in common than we might think. If only we’d concentrate on that instead of the differences!