I'm reading the posthumous book of the great Antonio Escohotado Philosophy for non-philosophers And, after much thought, the topic of this article has come to me: how the flamenco It went from being studied based on a mythology created over a century to being analyzed by patient researchers who preferred to strain their eyes poring over archives, libraries, and newspaper collections, both physical and digital, searching for any data that might shed light on the darkness of history. The mythology of the ancient world had constructed an idyllic scenario that had to be worshipped as if it were a lodge, a full-fledged religion, complete with its catechism and messiah.
Blas Vega He spearheaded the new movement, based on logos, on the study of history. flamenco with research methods in accordance with the times. Luis Lavaur and his romantic theory of flamenco The 1969 works contributed to a new perspective, the classic Do you know anything? of the poet José Luis Ortiz Nuevo from 1990, or the studies of the Austrian sociologist Gerhard Steingress that They marked a turning point. That's how they defined it. flamencologia in the Pepe Blas dictionary and Manolo Ríos: «A set of knowledge, techniques, theories, historical data, etc., about the cantethe dance and the playing flamencos." This "deep science" was christened by the Argentinian Anselmo Gonzalez Climent with that word in his 1955 book, aiming for a systematic approach to the genre flamenco and outlining its origin and social function, as well as an analysis of the main styles and artists. Three years earlier, the film Goblin and mystery of the flamenco de Edgar neville It set a new standard for how the genre was viewed. Meanwhile, in 1954, the impeccable Hispavox Anthology directed by the Jerez guitarist Perico the one with the molewhich led to the discovery of the classical repertoire for many. This initiative—French!—recognizing the richness of flamenco music, commissioned the guitarist Perico del Lunar Sr., who had accompanied all the greats of the golden age, Chacon, Pastoraetc., the creation of an anthology of canteThey were arranged by style families. For this, he relied on those who, in his opinion, best knew how to recreate those styles. canteYes, without distinction, of course, between non-Roma and Roma (that came shortly after). Another event that revealed this discreet revolution was the Cordoba Competition from 1956, inspired by the one from Granada in 1922. A young flamenco singer from Puente Genil was a sensation in that first edition; the cante The vigor of this Cordoban dazzled everyone. Our Phosphorite Thus began his brilliant career, though the media have barely mentioned him now that he's gone. In 1958, the Jerez ChairIn 1957, the Gypsy stew from Utrerainaugurating a golden age for artists and fans. The terrible years of war and postwar life were behind them.
The 1950s gave new impetus to the study of flamencoAlthough many years passed before Blas Vega published The tonas (1966) and his ineffable Life and cante by Mr. Antonio Chacón (1986). In general, the most seasoned scholars were well-intentioned poets and writers, although still tied to the flamenco mythology inherited from the scattered studies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, generally with little scientific rigor, based on an ideology shared by a large part of the flamenco community at the time. I remember the day, after a lecture at the University of Granada in the late 1990s, when I was called stubborn and told: Why are you...peñas in studying the past of flamencoIf everything is already known? I was speechless.
The main myth was that the flamenco It originated in the Gypsy home, and non-Gypsies have molded it to their liking, creating a new genre, commercial and lacking in purity. That was the magic word: purity. cante naked man who emerges at the foot of a forge, in the mine or in the farmhouses. In the heat of that mythology, broken voices emerge, adored by many who identify them with the authentic and with the supposedly archaic.In contrast to the contrived genre practiced by the great performers of previous eras, aesthetically this meant that the purest and most virtuosic voices were the antithesis of that purity, and almost overnight, countless names were consigned to oblivion or, at the very least, unfairly ignored. Specifically, so-called flamenco opera was demonized, and singers like... Child of Marchena o Vallejo They will be condemned to an oblivion that will help impose the preconceived ideas of those champions of purity. Even Gypsy singers like Thomas Pavon o Sernita from Jerez They will be branded as cowards. Pepe Marchena, who until 1936 lived, like all the greats, through the golden age of flamenco He projected his art in the post-war period, being admired throughout Spain. With the renaissance brought about by new movements, he became the bête noire of the defenders of purity. For them, Marchena represented the past; he didn't have the DNA flamenco that the intellectuals of those years were designing to suit their needs.The most ardent defenders of the Gypsy cause failed to realize that until then, and after a century of existence of the flamencoSuch a dilemma had never been considered before. cante He was a Gypsy, but the performer doesn't necessarily have to be. That's an indisputable fact. Personal tastes are another matter.
"The main myth was that the flamenco It originated in the Gypsy home, and non-Gypsies have molded it to their liking, creating a new genre, commercial and lacking in purity. That was the magic word: purity. cante naked man who emerges at the foot of a forge, in the mine or in the farmhouses"
That pseudo-religion needed a leader; it was essential to have a figure at the top. cante whose profile perfectly matched his idea of what that “new” was flamencoThe chosen one was a flamenco singer from Mairena who not only possessed a privileged instrument, but also defended the cause more than anyone. His innate passion, his messianic feeling of having been born to save the repertoire from oblivion, and the blessed fortune of having won the Fat Kid led her to dedicate her life to the recovery of canteIt is on the verge of disappearing. An unpayable debt that it has flamenco with the brilliant artist from Los Alcores.
For its part, flamencoMore traditional lore was building a narrative, which remains active primarily among foreign fans, who prefer this fictionalized history, emphasizing that the flamenco He belongs to a race that alone possesses the secrets of this music. Naked lament is his trademark, and it comes to to reinforce the image of the authentic flamenco singer as opposed to the artist in a tuxedo, leaving aside the natural evolution of Andalusian music with all its ethnic richness and appreciating it for what it is, the quintessential mestizo music.
The invaluable interest of Antonio Mairena The repertoire brought with it a revival in the classification of the canteThe aim was to organize the contributions of the different schools. However, this work overlooked non-Gypsy singers, relegating classics such as Silverio o Chacon when granting the powers of the canteyes, while with the gypsy singers no expense was spared in the "distribution".
In recent years, the study of gender from a scientific perspective has been gaining ground, based on the review of data and repertoire without so much ideological bias. Pure and simple analysis of the facts, because that's what love is, not good reasons. ♦
Excellent article, Faustino, and good analysis. I'd like to add two things, which you undoubtedly know, but haven't mentioned:
1) The romantic and mythological version of the story of flamenco It didn't begin with the restoration of the 50s and 60s. We already find it in the introduction that Demophilus wrote in 1881 for his famous compilation of cantes flamencos. It is also present in Lorca's texts around the 1922 Competition.
2) It is true that «the flamencoThe more traditional lore (…) remains active primarily among foreign enthusiasts.” The culprit, in my humble opinion, is the American Donn Pohren, who in the 60s dedicated three books in English to his homes with the flamenco...showing himself to be just another romantic traveler. The simple fact that most foreign fans don't read Spanish limits their access to the flamencomodern lore. They copy the information from Pohren. The same can be seen in tourist guides, almost all of which repeat Gypsy mythology or declare the flamenco a very ancient art (or worse: folklore).