Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
Posts: 907
Joined: Mar. 13 2006
From: Vancouver, Canada
Jaleo
Do we have a Diccionario Jaleo?
I used to like Mambo and the shouts the band leaders would let out (Prado was amazing). But there's so muc variety with jaleo.
Is all jaleo shouted? When you hear a vocalist saying "ehhhhhhh" with that voz ronca, does that count?
I've noticed that often instead of "Ole!" it comes out "ale" or maybe "uh-le" (English 'uh').
What gives? Why has no one taken the time to explain it all? What works for what? What can only performers say and what is appropriate for the participant audience?
I try not to take that too exactly. The accent/pronunciation is in my opinion less important. Being fluent English/German, I tend to go more towards a "uaaa" than an "ehhh" (like Al Pachino ). A non-Spaniard audience would also rarely do any jaleo, and most definitely not a German croud.
If there is any jaleo for when something sucks, then I wanna know it!
That's exactly the problem for me when I'm playing with other musicians. We all play flamenco, but all of us speak German, an "olé" seems so out of place, so unnatural, even when playing flamenco. What comes from the soul should be in a personal language you can identify with. I could imagine giving an "ehhh" though, kinda like the Fonz would, because that's in the German language too.
I don't know, sometimes I think doing hellos/goodbyes and jaleos with people who aren't Spanish is kinda wack. Seems to be the norm, though. It's like going to a Rammstein concert in the states and greeting people with "Guten Tag" somehow...
That's exactly the problem for me when I'm playing with other musicians. We all play flamenco, but all of us speak German, an "olé" seems so out of place, so unnatural, even when playing flamenco. ... I don't know, sometimes I think doing hellos/goodbyes and jaleos with people who aren't Spanish is kinda wack. Seems to be the norm, though.
I fell 100% the same. Its a cultural thing, and when someone tries to be something else than his culture it gets "unnatural" as you said. Why not saying "gut"?
When playing at "Kieler Woche", a summer festival, (only 3rd or 2nd guitar though) I wont pretend to be any spanish or so. Just normal in Jeans and T-shirt or so.
Jaleos in a performance have a rhythmic purpose too. You don't just yell whenever you want during say a dance number. The vocal expressions often emphasize the groove. I might blurt something out too if I feel the palmas or footwork go off time. It helps keep things grooving.
toma que toma, arsa y toma, bien, ole, eso es, ya esta, HUH, YA, etc....
Is all jaleo shouted? When you hear a vocalist saying "ehhhhhhh" with that voz ronca, does that count?
I've noticed that often instead of "Ole!" it comes out "ale" or maybe "uh-le" (English 'uh').
A couple of things to add regarding this. Besides what Ricardo said, when you hear the someone say Ole and you actually hear Ale, etc... that is all really insignificant. It just has to do w/ whatever region of Andalucia you are from. I am Spanish and can tell you that you hear differences in pronouncinations in people from Sevilla, Almeria, Jerez, etc... sometimes to a foreigner, it may not be obvious but it's there. In addition, Jaleos and or cheering someone on is very important because in Andalucia, the gypsies historically speaking, have always been persecuted and cut off from everybody else. They learned to stay in close knit communities and intrinsically understand the need to be part of a group. This cheering on is traditional has no formal rules. If during a solea verse, the singer says something that you personally feel or love the way he/she says it, then you just cheer by saying "Dale", " toque bien", etc...I've personally seen women just cry or quietly whimper during a touching phrase. It is beautiful. If some of you feel more comfortable in your own native language, do it anyway. It's all great. Ivan
If I may add my 2 cents as a dancer ... Getting jaleo from my musicians or from aficionados in the audience (who, if they know what they are doing, will refrain to the occasional "comment" at the end of a remate) gives the dancer extra energy. It sometimes even builds an almost spiritual connection when it occurs, it's a bit hard to explain: When I am for example dancing a Solea, and pouring in all my emotion, and I am SO in the music and the dance, hearing a raspy "Alé" from my singer or palmero shows me that my feelings that I try to portray through the dance have reached and touched someone, and that's such a beautiful moment. Also, in Bulerias, when the cuadro supports the dancing rhythmically by "Sa .. sa.. sa", or "Toma que toma" etc. it gives it an extra dimension - it's simply more fun that way.
As for jaleo in your native tongue - I wouldn't. Your singer doesn't sing the letra in German either, does he? Jaleo as well as the letras are indigenous to flamenco and should therefore be in Spanish, at least that is my opinion. If someone yelled a "Gut!" at me while I am dancing, it would probably throw me off, even though I am native German myself! So it's worth learning a few phrases and getting used to saying them - it gets easier as you practise.
flamencogusto, Good points and that is what I also was trying to say. As for the Jaleo in your native tongue, I just meant that in your own space or practice, if you want to cheer in your native tongue, it's fine. But in a spanish juerga or event, you are right that Spanish is the norm. Ivan
Jaleos were at the beginning names of food like "agua" or "Jamon". I heared "shugar" and "bananas", too. Thats no joke. Just research a bit, you´ll find the answere. Good luck.
Printable Version
). A non-Spaniard audience would also rarely do any jaleo, and most definitely not a German croud. 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread