Flamenco music is first and foremost Andalusian in its origins. Since it began as the music of the poor, its appearance on the music scene is but a footnote in history. Any information prior to the latter half of the nineteenth century is spotty at best. The most commonly held theory is that the Gitanos were the first to sing the prototype of the Cante. Admittedly, the most important Cantes originated from the Gitano culture: Soleares, Seguiriyas, Tangos, and Bulerias. How much they actually contributed, however, remains a heated argument among some music historians.
The Gitanos, an itinerant people, arrived in Spain in the fifteenth century, ending their migration from northern India. Persecution dogged the Gitanos for centuries before they finally settled in communities which became the fertile ground out of which sprang the music which we now call Flamenco: the Triana in Sevilla, gypsy quarters in Cadiz, Jerez de la Frontera, Granada, Malaga, Ronda, and other towns and villages located in Andalusia. Close association with the Mozarabic descendants of the Moors, who were expelled from Spain in 1492, and with lower-class indigenous peoples influenced their culture. The Gitanos were well-known for their musical talent, especially for their performance in both song and dance. Their Indian background colored their musical taste as well, influencing their vocal production. The singing style called ‘voz rajada’ (cracked voice) expressed perfectly the oppression, tragedy, and persecution that the Gypsy people experienced in their daily lives. Having contributed valuable skills to the economy of their host countries, Gitanos must have felt profound grief at their hosts’ ungrateful behavior, finding musical expression through ‘el dolor en la garganta,’ (the grief in the throat) that characterized their song.
The language of the coplas also reflected the tragic reception many Gitanos experienced in their personal and professional lives. Gitanos, though, were only one ingredient in the musical environment that produced Flamenco music. Moorish, early Christian, Judaic and North African cultures also impacted life in Andalusia, and helped to give Flamenco its unique flavor. In fact, the modal scale that characterizes most Flamenco music sprang from these very sources. The Gitano culture, therefore, was only one of many sources for the Flamenco sound.
There is, in fact, a close affinity of form and phrasing between Flamenco and Islamic music. Certainly there were Arabic songs that predated the Gypsies’ arrival, such as the Fandango, as well as others which were adapted and popularized by other Andalusian residents beside the Gitanos. The most prominent regional influence on Flamenco music was within an area of Andalusia with its center in Jerez de la Frontera, extending to include Sevilla, Cadiz, Granada, Malaga and Ronda. Its northern border marked the ancient limits of the Moors’ conquest of Spain. The Persian and Byzantine cultures, as well as Greek liturgy, also made their mark on this extraordinary culture. These elements became the melting pot out of which arose the phenomenon of Flamenco music. It is no wonder that the music is so filled with such passion and conflict. The music truly reflects the region’s history of unending occupations and conquests. It is indeed a golden monument to the resiliency of the Andalusians themselves.
