One of the most deeply passionate of all Flamenco toques, the Seguiriyas probably began, like the toque called Soleares, with the Gitanos of Andalusia. In fact, the name itself probably comes from a Gitano corruption of the word ‘seguidillas,’ the name of a Spanish dance deriving its name from the Spanish word ‘seguir’ (meaning ‘to follow’). Only the origin of the word, however, shares any similarity with the Castillian Seguidillas.
During the last half of the nineteenth century, Seguiriyas became widely popular, developing into many individual styles. Seguiriyas probably descended from types of songs such as the Tonas, originally played without guitar accompaniment. Although a dance version of Seguiriyas has been used for performances in the theater, the Seguiriyas are more correctly classified as belonging to the Cante.
Seguiriyas express all of the most forlorn and anguished emotions of the Cante Jondo. For example, in the Cante por Seguiriyas, a man struggles against his own mortality, crying out for relief of his woes. Rarely has music portrayed the agony of the human soul as movingly as Seguiriyas. A performance of Seguiriyas, therefore, is an occasion of tremendous significance. The guitarist who plays Seguiriyas, then, will play with tragic intensity, with his affection inspiring the singer to give his all to the Cante.