Three Voices to Define Flamenco

Those of you of you here reading these words already know that flamenco is a highly contagious cultural force that infects you almost without your noticing. A thread of song on the radio, your mother softly humming a song under her breath, a bricklayer at the construction site next door singing himself a fandango of Carbonerillo… endless pathways that open a little mental doorway at any age and in any place. There’s usually no turning back: that strumming of guitar strings, or the thread of a voice, wounds you deeply and indelibly, and from that moment on you devote yourself to following the flamenco path.

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The flamenco singer Perrate de Utrera. Video still from the documentary 'The chair where I sit'.

My flamenco world took shape in the early years of the XNUMXs, and it revolved around three particular figures. There were great cantaores everywhere – Terremoto, Pastora Pavón, Fernanda de Utrera, and so many other masters of traditional flamenco singing. But it was not the artistic greatness alone; it was a kind of sixth sense, a way of organizing the cantes and understanding the importance of each one.

Antonio Fernández Díaz (Puente Genil, 1932 – Málaga, 2025). This singer mastered every cante style and organized them in his magnificent anthology with the guitar of Paco de Lucía. He also laid out for us the branching tree of the so-called cantes abandolaos and the other styles belonging to the fandango family, both the free-rhythm forms and those bound to a steady beat. Fosforito possessed a deep knowledge of the cantiñas styles. He had a strong didactic inclination, took part in conferences and talks, and was always willing to answer the questions of aficionados. A great scholar and a great interpreter of the flamenco forms he loved so deeply. His recent passing has been very hard for the flamenco world to come to terms with.

Another great master of the modern era, beginning in the 1960s, was Antonio Mairena (Mairena del Alcor, 1909 – Seville, 1983). With his sober and profound voice, he championed the role of the gypsies in flamenco. He possessed deep knowledge of the old cantes, and his investigative spirit would give rise to the term mairenismo.

"Fosforito had a didactic inclination, participated in congresses and talks, and was always willing to answer the questions of fans. A great academic and a great interpreter of..." cante whom he loved so much. His recent passing has been very hard for the fans to accept."

<scan>Antonio Cruz García received the prestigious Llave de Oro del Cante in 1962 in recognition of his research work, although his staunch defense of the “purity” of cante earned him the reproach of certain sectors right up to the present day.</scan>

In the 1970s, I regularly attended Antonio Mairena’s radio gathering in Seville, featuring distinguished guests such as Luis Caballero, Chocolate, Naranjito de Triana, José Cala and Jesús Heredia, among others, a treasure trove of taste and knowledge.

The name of the third figure in my own circle of authorities may be unfamiliar to most people. Critic, journalist, and flamenco commentator Miguel Acal (Granada, 1945 – Bormujos, 2002) made the weight of his opinions felt, almost always along the lines of mairenismo, with conviction and wisdom. Every evening we would gather around the radio to listen to Miguel Acal’s commentaries, as he constantly surprised us with new and revealing insights.

<scan>After his death, the Asociación Nacional de Críticos e Investigadores de Flamenco kept his name alive through the “Miguel Acal” Critics’ Award, presented to outstanding flamenco artists. Last year, in 2025, Miguel Acal was posthumously awarded the Yerbabuena de Plata in recognition of his contribution to flamenco. ♦</scan>