Why go to Spain?
Flamenco guitar was born, and thrives, in Southern Spain. It
evolved as an instrument to accompany flamenco song and dance, and in the 20th
century the guitar became a solo art form in its own right. Southern Spain,
especially Jerez de la Frontera, always was and still is the place where the
world's best flamenco guitarists learn and practise their art. They learn by
watching and listening to each other, not from books or videos. That is how
the spirit and energy of flamenco is communicated from one guitarist to another
and is kept alive.
It's all about immersion. Imagine a place where flamenco music
is heard everywhere you go: on car stereos, on the radio, in the street. Even
advertising jingles on TV. A place where flamenco is a deeply ingrained part
of everyday life.
Unfortunately, a lot of "flamenco" is presented outside
Spain, which isn't the real thing. The performers might look and sound "Spanish",
but it's often watered-down flamenco, or not flamenco at all. Or they might
perform easy-listening Spanish folk music and dances which are not real flamenco.
This is pseudo-flamenco: it looks and sounds a bit like flamenco but actually
has nothing to do with the real thing. A genuine flamenco guitarist in those
surroundings would be bored out of his mind!
That's why many foreigners are surprised when they arrive in
Jerez de la Frontera and begin to discover what flamenco is all about. After
a few days of lessons,
and absorbing the atmosphere of a true flamenco town, they start to realise
there is much, much more to the art of flamenco than they had imagined.
There has been a lot of speculation and research about the
origins of flamenco. If you listen to any flamenco album you'll detect elements
of Arabic, Persian and Indian music. The Arabs occupied Southern Spain for centuries,
so it's not surprising their music has had a strong influence on flamenco. Many
also think the gypsies originally came to Spain from India and brought remnants
of Indian music with them.
Historians have claimed flamenco appeared in the tragic songs
of oppressed Arabs, Gypsies, and Jews in Spain, and flamenco is certainly a
melting pot of these cultures. But it's not all desolation and heartbreak. If
you go to any flamenco festival in Spain today, you will hear many happy, festive
forms mixed
in with the melancholy ones. These, too, are authentic flamenco. True flamenco
can express many different emotions, from the darkest to the lightest. A good
flamenco guitar
teacher will familiarize you with all these forms and after a few classes
you will be able to identify them and get into the special feel of each one.
Where
are the major centres of flamenco?
What
is compás?
What
are palos?
What
are falsetas?
What's
the difference between a flamenco guitar and a classical guitar?
Frequently
asked questions about flamenco guitar classes
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flamenco-guitar-teacher.com 2006