Flamenco is a huge deal in Spain and this tradition began centuries ago. Flamenco is today, one of the most recognizable and beloved parts of Spanish culture.
The oldest record of flamenco music dates to 1774 in the book Las Cartas Marruecas by Jose Cadalso, however, the dance started developing between the 9th and 14th centuries.
UNESCO recognized flamenco as part of the World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. This complex art form incorporates poetry, singing (cante), guitar playing (toque), dance (baile), polyrhythmic hand-clapping (palmas), and finger-snapping (pitos).
In this article, you will learn about outstanding and prominent flamenco dancers, singers, and guitarists. We'll also tell you about the cities that offer the best flamenco shows and brief you a little on flamenco history.
If you want to learn more about the history of flamenco dance feel free to go check our other articles on the topic.
Popular flamenco dancers in history
There are plenty of popular flamenco artists and they are known all around Spain. Keep in mind that there are different categories and artists since there are different components of flamenco.
Many of the following artists started their careers in flamenco at a young age and developed their talents during their high school years. However, starting at a young age is not a requirement to become good at dancing flamenco.
Keep in mind that there are different types of styles within the dance, which means that not every popular dancer dominates one given style. Every style in flamenco has different influences and there are some flamenco dances with influences from Latin America, Europe, Asia, and more.
Below, you will find a list of some of the most popular and known flamenco dancers in history. Each of them has a great career in flamenco as a prominent dancer:
- Antonio Canales
- Cristina Hoyos
- Cecilia Gomez
- Antonio el Pipa
- Carmen Amaya
Not all of them are still dancing but you can always look up their names and discover their trajectory through the years. You can also find where they used to perform and go to the establishment to get a glimpse at their careers.
Keep in mind that dancing in flamenco wasn't as important in the past as it is today, before, the guitarists and singers were the ones who stole the show. Continue reading to learn more about these artists.
Read more about the subject on how flamenco got started?
Popular flamenco musicians in history
Guitarist
A guitarist is as important as a dancer in flamenco. They set the beat and delights the public with the beautiful sound of the guitar.
There are many different musical styles in flamenco and the guitar usually adapts to these styles. For instance, the guitar will accompany sad songs with slow and high pitch strings, and happy songs, with warm and joyful strings.
There is a traditional mode of playing the guitar in flamenco called the Phrygian mode. It consists of the notes of the A minor scale starting on E. To add tension I also play G# on the 3rd string.
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Below you will find a list of musicians who play the guitar more than well:
- Diego del Gastor
- Paco de Lucia
- Paco del Gastor
- Daniel Casares
Singers
The cante or song is a big part of flamenco. There's three types of song in flamenco, cante jondo (profound song), cante intermedio (intermediate song), and cante chico (light song).
Cante jondo is the original style of song in flamenco and it consists of communicating profound emotion by addressing topics like religious doubt, anguish, despair, and death.
Cante intermedio is a mix or hybrid of different Spanish music sounds. It is characterized as being less profound than jondo but still very moving.
Finally, cante chico has a complex rhythm as the other two forms but it has a less emotional investment than the jondo and intermedio. It usually deals with topics like love, humor, and lighter topics.
The following list is of prominent Spanish flamenco singers who have performed their songs from Sevilla to Madrid:
- Diego el Fillo
- Jose Menese
- Camaron (de la Isla)
- Diego el Cigala
Popular Flamenco spots
If you live somewhere far away from Spain (in New York for example), then you'll probably have to find a way to enjoy flamenco online. However, if you have a trip to Spain coming up, then continue reading to find out which are the places you should go to if you're searching for exceptional flamenco shows.
The prime spot you should include in your trip is the region of Andalusia since it is the place where flamenco was born. Some of the cities you can visit in Andalusia are Jerez de la Frontera (also known just as Jerez), Seville or Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, and more.
- Jerez de la Frontera - this town is popular for the traditional Fiesta de la Bulería and it's the home of two acknowledged dancers, Jose Merce and Lola Flores. Also known as Jerez, this town is probably one of the most famous for flamenco.
- Seville - home to tonás and sevillanas, this city is home to Spain’s most famous flamenco Palos (styles). In the city, you will also find the Flamenco Dance Museum, the only flamenco museum in the world and host of a famous flamenco event.
- Granada - home to the notorious Sacromonte caves, this city offers exceptional flamenco shows where you can enjoy the traditional dance forms in one single event. Make sure to check out the flamenco tour “Tras Los Pasos de Antonio Chacón”, visiting several districts of Granada where the people live and breathe flamenco.
- Madrid - since this is the capital city, there are plenty of cultural and traditional shows performed from all parts of the country.
- Barcelona - is one of the most tourist cities in the country and home to some of the best flamenco spectacles (after Madrid and Andalusia).
Overall, these Spanish cities are home to some of the best cante (songs and singing), guitar playing, and dancer expertise. Keep in mind that we refer only to flamenco, and if you're interested in other aspects of the history of the country, you should do more research.
What is Flamenco?
Flamenco is a type of dance that makes up the culture and tradition in Spain and it is an art form that combines various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain.
Flamenco was born in the southern region of the country (very far away from Madrid, the capital city) by the mixing of art from the Andalusian gypsies.
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It is believed that flamenco was brought to Spain by gypsies who migrated from India because many dance moves and styles reassembled those of the Hindu culture.
Once in Spain, the gypsy tribe mixed their dance with dances and moves famous in the land. This mix gave birth to the traditional dance we all know and love.
The cities located in the southern region of Spain are Seville (or Sevilla in Spanish), Jerez, Granada, Cordoba, Málaga, and so on. Seville and Granada are especially famous for their beautiful architecture, delicious food, and excellent flamenco shows.
Today, flamenco is a synchronized art that mixes the talent of dancers and singers. Both artists tell daily life stories and reflect on experiences related to their history. The artist dancing is the protagonist of the singer’s narrative.
Flamenco dance is characterized by its expressive use of arms and rhythmic tapping of the feet. The entire ensemble consists of movement of the arms (braceo), movement of the upper torso, footwork (zapateado), heelwork (taconeo), and hand and finger movement (florea).
In flamenco, a dancer can perform something called the duende which is an intensely focused, almost like a trance state, known also as Los Sonidos Negros (the dark sounds) which is described as an invitation of the dancer's body. This state is very popular amongst the audience and they always accompany it with rhythmic hand clapping.
The important thing to understand about flamenco is its spirituality and expression of the self through dance and music. There are many different forms, characteristics, styles, rhythms, and movements that together make up this beautiful yet intricate form of art.
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