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Posts: 2876
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England
Flamenco standards!?
are there any? (informally) What are they?
Although I've played for many many years, Im not a pro and have rarely had musician pals to play with. (biggest regret so far) have never had a circle!
Been playing for dance clases again recently and theres another guitarist. Its been great fun playing together ...playing the trad palos, but even more fun improvising some rumba etc together. He's also had the cajon which is great too. its very motivating and inspiring and brings me back to a question ive had in my head for many years.
What are essential pieces that flamenco guitarists, singers, flamenco crowds know/should know? stuff that two or more musicians can play together on the first day they meet kinda material.
I guess I can fill in one or two entre dos aguas? and soy gitano? ....any other "standards" that are "must know"
I realize it is a short thread and I did not contribute, and felt pretty much like Morante that the palos ARE the standards. However, the palos are easy to "improvise" with cantaores, but there are in fact some set cantes that need to be on the ready (aka, not easy to learn in the traditional format of a juerga or whatever) that are fairly ubiquitous. Things like Tangos de Malaga, the Camaron "huapangos", La Perla "cuple" (and a big etc., there for bulerias), Tanguillo de Cadiz, Colombianas of marchena, Garrotin, Alegrias de Cordoba, Zambras of Caracol....I don't know man, it is a huge subject.
For instrumentals, I have played Vicente's tres notas, Spain (as mentioned in the thread), PDL rumbas, etc., with strangers on stage, no rehearsal. Ketama seems very popular amongst gen X Spaniards, I know this because I never really got into them but have been on stage and expected to just know that (Vente pa Madrid at least). There are also the old boleros and coplas like Paco recorded on his final album that seem to be known by ALL flamencos, and I never got into that at all, being a foreigner I guess. I still don't get why every flamenco artist knows those. There are also a lot of standard Sevillanas.
There are also many standardized letras for baile, the macho letras, estribillos for fandangos, many libre introductions etc. As I said, a huge subject.
For some reason Arrinconamela and Verde que te quiero verde were very popular when I was regularly performing. Much depends on the setting, what your audience is like, whether you're playing alone or if not, what's available to you. Do you have a singer? Do you have someone to play percussion? Dancers? Yeah, a few light rumbas and Vicente pieces will always be a hit, as well as improvised tangos and bulerías with the better known letras. Alegrías they always seem to like. Brrr, sevillanas too :D
If you play for an audience that understands flamenco you can get into the depths - soleares, seguiriyas, tarantos, but for a "lighter" audience I wouldn't risk it with more than two pieces like that.
It's really difficult to pinpoint certain pieces because it's not in the nature of the genre to know songs like Wonderwall. But you should definitely be able to accompany Triana, Triana!
El Torta's fandango "Malvaloca," some of his bulerías and Luis de la Pica's bulería-cuplé "Abrázame" are examples around here. The Utrera-Morón based aficionados have other "standards," and their sources of inspiration (Perrate, Fernanda, etc.) drew heavily on Mairena and Talega. It mostly boils down to classic letras in seminal recordings. Camarón’s version of the “tartaneros” cartagenera, for example. It was recorded long before him, but he’s the reason they sing it today. Other “standard” cantes mineros: Manuel Torre’s “muchacho,” Pastora’s “la Gabriela” and Chacón's recordings, of course. Por alegrías/cantiñas, I hear a lot singers doing Pastora’s “mandilón.”
Editing this to add:
I forgot that the “Malvaloca” fandango was first recorded by Caracol, although el Torta re-popularized it among some young artists. Por bulería, there’s the “Ahora me voy con mi madre” ending attributed to el Chalao, and el Torta’s “Lo monta un buen jinete.” Manuel Agujetas sang and recorded several of the cantes I’ve mentioned.
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