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granjuanillo -> RE: seguirilla? (Dec. 13 2009 8:46:14)
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As Ricardo posted, 'seguidillas' is related to a class of Spanish dances/songs, which include Sevillanas and Panaderos; the latter is very similar to Seguidillas Manchegas - i.e. the variety of seguidillas from La Mancha, in central Spain (while Sevillanas would be the variety from Sevilla).
The word comes from 'seguir' 'continue', so these are songs that continue (perhaps that is why they have that repetitive structure). 'seguidilla' is the diminutive of the past participle of 'seguir.
During the 18th century, perhaps earlier, one saw references to 'seguidillas gitanas' to refer to Gitano interpretations of seguidillas. However, these were very different from the folk dance seguidillas, but the verses have similar metrical structure. The 'seguidillas gitanas' are what we now know as 'siguiriyas'.
You get 'siguiriyas' from 'seguidillas' by dropping the 'd' (which you'd do in Andalucian Spanish) and pronouncing the 'll' like a 'y' (which is now almost universal in Spanish, but began in Andalucia). You also have to change the first vowel, but that may be influenced by the following 'g', for phonetic reasons I won't bore you with.
I think you tend to see 'seguidillas' labeled on older recordings, often 'seguidillas gitanas'.
One usually reads that 'solea' comes from an Andalucian pronunciation of 'soledad' - it is true that's what you'd get, by dropping both d's. However, the plural, 'soleares' is a bit more mysterious - where does the 'r' come from? Manuel Rios Ruiz proposes an alternative hypothesis that it comes from the verb 'solear' (which means to put something in the sun, e.g. when drying olives). Andalucian pronunciation would also produce 'solea', dropping the 'r', and it provides an immediate account for the plural (the 'r' is only dropped at the end of a word; in the plural the 'r' is no longer at the end).
Rios Ruiz suggests that solea has its origin in the countryside, sung by Gitano agricultural workers - we know that Gitano agricultural work played an important role in the development and transmission of flamenco. I find this interesting, as I have always thought there is a clear similarity in the melodies of some soleares apolaos and bamberas, which is a country cante.
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