It is always said that the flamenco It has three legs, three sides: the canteThe touch and the dance. A fourth element, beautiful and generally essential, is often forgotten, just like the others. There is touch without canteOf course, and dancing with a touch and, more rarely, without canteBut, in any case, the lyrics, the flamenco song, the literary, lyrical support, are fundamental, does anyone doubt it?
Many artists from canteMen and women dedicated to this art sometimes complain that they don't sing new lyrics because there aren't any, or, in any case, there aren't any of quality or to their liking.
To maintain this is simply untenable, because in my library, for example, there are a great many books on flamenco lyrics—more than seventy—by individual authors or collectives, by both male and female authors. I'm referring to poets and lyricists from the 20th century onward, some of whom are still alive, thankfully, and some whose books are quite recent. The list would be very long, fortunately, and some would inevitably be left out due to lack of space or unintentional oversight.
In my article on new flamenco lyrics, entitled Are there new, high-quality flamenco songs? An approach to the current state of poetic creation for the flamenco, included in the magazine Demophilus of the Machado FoundationHe was already talking about all this and giving some names, with some of their lyrics as examples. A fragment recalled them, with that etcetera that would still be long: «Luis Rosales, big felix, Caballero Bonald, Fernando Quiñones, Manuel Rios Ruiz, Antonio Murcianoetc. They are joined by highly qualified poets and/or lyricists such as Manuel Benítez Carrasco, José Prada, Elena Bermudez –linked to cante of the Goatherd–, Onofre Lopez –joined to cante de Paco Toronjo–, Antonio Sanchez -to the cante de Camarón–, Antonio Rincón, Emilio Jimenez Diaz, Francisco Díaz Velázquez, Manolo Bohorquez, Carmen Aguirre, Máximo López Jiménez, Daniel Pineda Novo, John Velasco, Francisco Moreno Galvan y Jose L. Rodriguez Ojeda –already mentioned–, etc. As you can see, some form a kind of shining partnership with the singers, in the same way that guitarists do with them –as Ramon Montoya Pepe Marchena o Antonio Mairena Melchor de Marchena–».
Let's listen to an example, the cante from Lebrijano, with lyrics by Félix Grande, in this song titled My sentence, from the album Persecution of 1976:
But there could be many more new lyrics, each with its own quality and variety, like any other poetry or poem—which is also what flamenco lyrics or songs are. But, as we say in the title, how do you write flamenco lyrics and not die trying? Not die because they're pelted with tomatoes for not being well-received, but rather not suffer so much from ignorance, helplessness, or discouragement that you abandon the task almost as soon as you begin.
For guidance or remedy, I hope, I published a book in October 2025 entitled Poet flamencoHow to make letters for the cante, Edited by Hummingbird Editions, with a prologue by the master of flamenco literature and also a teacher Jose L. Rodriguez OjedaIt was a commission from the editor, writer, and fan of flamenco Manuel Ramos Ramos, a task I accepted with enthusiasm, but also with some concern about how I myself would fare in the challenge, which was not small, believe me, and therefore not die trying, and, of course, what use and reception it could have among the readers.
"I focus on eleven palos From the flamenco deck, representative of different musical and literary characters. I have chosen alegrías, bulerías, fandangos, guajiras, malagueñas, seguiriyas, serranas, sevillanas, soleares, tarantas, tientos-tangos.
It certainly helped that I myself had already written some lyrics, published in In short, from Signatura Ediciones, in 2007, and sung by artists such as Calixto Sanchez, José Parrondo o José Manuel Castillo, among others, as well as the one that had already dealt with a similar subject, more broadly and with a different focus and diversity, in another book, Poetics and didactics of flamenco –Signatura, Sevilla, 2009–, which is revised and updated and published again by Renacimiento.
We listened to this cante by José Manuel Castillo from the album In shortwhich he kindly dedicated to me, with lyrics of my own and some of his. We recorded it live at the 55th Festival of Cante Jondo from Mairena del Alcor, by farruca, in 2026, with the guitars of Sergio Fernández and Liborio Sosa, the violin of Elisa Prenda, and the rhythm of Carlos Guillén:
I have to say that This work has an informative and educational purpose, and is not academic or exhaustive in nature.The goal is to bring people closer in a profound yet enjoyable way.docere et delectare—the classic saying— to all those interested in the characteristics of the letters of cante, to flamenco songs –we can call them both and we will call them that–, with the ultimate goal of teaching how to create new lyrics for the flamencoWhether they are very traditional or more innovative, always within the necessary adjustment to cante and of the quality that every artistic work requires.
One clarification: this book is basically intended for students at different stages of educationBut that does not mean, in any way, that its recipient can also be any person, of any age and background.
Regarding its structure, after some necessary introductory chapters on general aspects of flamenco —historical, social and musical— and of those that concern us more, the literary and linguistic ones—metrics, literary resources, themes, etc.—, I focus on eleven palos From the flamenco deck, representative of different musical and literary styles. I have chosen, in collaboration with the editor, the following: alegrías, bulerías, fandangos, guajiras, malagueñas, seguiriyas, serranas, sevillanas, soleares, tarantas, tientos-tangos.
Decade paloWith its varieties and styles, a good sample of lyrics is given, with an introduction of its general characteristics –etymology, musical origin, types, historical journey, fundamental interpreters–, the linguistic and literary aspects –metric, thematic, expressive–, a final evaluation, several activities and a bibliographic recommendation.
Following the conclusions, a useful bibliography and glossary/dictionary are provided. flamenco—, directory and webliography, plus the answer key. I have been guided by the intention of not forgetting some aspects such as the flamenco youth, the role of women or the areas of cante along with playing and dancing.
It ends with some QR codes with the eleven canteThe selected ones. I thank all those who participated for their dedication and skill. Let's look at one of them, La Guajira. cante which I particularly like for its musicality, in this case in the voice of Rubito with the guitar of Manolo Franco and lyrics by José L. Rodríguez Ojeda, from the CD Putting my soul into it, of 2015, three flamencoThose I admire very much:
We'll say goodbye with some of the soleá lyrics I've collected from female lyricists. Just look at the quality:
This little water Calaera
it goes deeper into the earth
like the sorrows in the soul.
(Carmen Aguirre Requena)
Look what I've brought here:
one afternoon we lost
and a kiss I didn't give you.
(María Victoria Verdú)
From your last slammed door
He still trembles
the water in my glass.
(Carmen Camacho)
I wish I had two lives.
a pa learn it to
and another, only pa live it.
(Soledad Fernández)
I will come out drop by drop,
I will come out word by word
even if my mouth gets dry.
(Rocío Márquez)
Don't give me any more excuses,
nor deny me the I want,
looking pa another part
There are more than ten like you.
(Carmen Arjona)
Well, if they're up for writing lyrics, which are sorely needed, with or without Poet flamencoYou know you shouldn't die trying. They have over 140 activities to learn with delight and more than 300 lyrics—a whole anthology of different themes and styles. Good luck. ♦
→ Poet flamencoHow to make letters for the cante. Colibrí Ediciones, Seville, 2025. editorial@colibriediciones.es
→ Link to the interview on Espacio Expoflamenco Jerez with the colleague and prestigious popularizer Jose Maria CastanoThank you very much.
https://expoflamenco.com/espacio/jose-cenizo-nos-presenta-poeta-flamenco/
