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=El Flamenco y el Hip Hop= los ORÍGENES del flamenco ** Between 800 and 900 A.D., a large exodus of people occurred from the Punjabi region of India. These people are believed to be members of the Untouchables, a group within the Indian caste system comprised of animal traders and trainers, acrobats, dancers, musicians, palmists and metalworkers. These nomadic groups, generally referred to as Roman and/or gypsies, divided into two major migratory routes, the most traceable moving west across Asia and the European continent, including Spain. The first recorded account of Spanish Gitanos "Beticos" dates from 1447 in Barcelona.
 * La HISTORIA y

It is also believed that a second migratory route took them down to and across North Africa (including Egypt) and up into Southern Spain "Andalusia" via the Straits of Gibraltar. This faction, known as Cale (black), has been far more difficult to verify and trace due to the great similarity of appearance and lifestyle to the indigenous peoples along the route. We should not forget that Southern Spain was part of the Islamic Empire for a period of 800 years.

During the Inquisition of the Reconquista*, the Spanish tolerance for the lower social classes ended and gypsies from all over Spain were herded into "gitanerías" or ghettos. However unjust and cruel, this persecution and isolation was the very influence that safeguarded the purity of their music and dance within the family group. Finally, in 1782, the Leniency Edict of Charles III restored some measure of freedom to the Spanish gypsy and allowed this music and dance to be presented to and adopted by the general population of Spain. This resulted in a period of great exploration and evolution within the art form, which continues to this day.


 * //"Reconquista" is the name of the action that the Spanish royalty took to reclaim Spain from the Moors (people of Arab and Berber descent from North Africa living in Spain before the 15th century). The Spanish literally had to re-conquer the territory of Spain, and they ultimately succeeded - at the expense of a lot of people.//

__Gypsies and their music__: []

Flamenco was born towards the end of the 800-year Arab rule in Spain and during the Spanish inquisition, serving as a voice of protest and hope for the populations that were being subjugated at the time, including Christians, Arabs, Jews and the Gypsies. Flamenco thrived as a cultural and emotional expression, traditionally harnessing the deep sadness and suffering of a people who had been repressed for centuries. Many of the earliest flamenco songs are said to have been dark and profound in nature, concentrating on events such as bloody encounters, violent death, love and love betrayed, displacement, incarceration, sickness and loss. The cantaores (singers) would voice these experiences through cante, concentrating on communicating and evoking the same experiences and emotions within the listener.
 * LA EXPRESIÓN y la influencia de la CULTURA **

Flamenco Dance is basically a physical expression of the emotions meted out in the song. It basically tries to convey the meaning of words through dance. Flamenco Dance depends on the personal expression of the performer, improving at each instance of the performance. Duet is the most popular form of Flamenco Dance. The dancers look at each other passionately, emoting passion, sexual tension and emotions. The three main categories of Flamenco music and dance are:
 * Jondo or the grande, which depicts the lament and the grief of the people. It centers on themes of death, anguish, despair or religious sentiment.
 * Intermedio (intermediate), which is of a lesser intensity, but is reflective in nature. It is often accompanied with an oriental cast to the music.
 * Chico (small or light), which depict the feelings of love, ribald humor and happiness.

__Watch the expression in this woman's face:__ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRYQXSVw2lA __Improvised Spanish Gypsy flamenco__: [] (start watching at 1:00) __Gypsy dance circle__: [] (Notice that many different women get up to dance during the song.)

The **cante flamenco** (flamenco song) is one of the three main components within the expression of flamenco, along with //toque// (playing the flamenco guitar) and //baile// (dance). Foreigners generally mistake the flamenco dance as being the essence of flamenco, however it is the //cante// which actuates the soul of this complex musical and cultural tradition. Originally flamenco was composed purely of cante with the accompaniment of //palmas// (hand clapping) and knuckle-rapping percussion, and it was not until the 19th century that the toque had been gradually added to the cante. The guitar, a variation of the Arabic Oud, was also gradually incorporated in the 19th century.
 * El CANTE y la MÚSICA **

The cante flamenco is part of the musical tradition in the Andalusian region of Spain, and traces its roots back to east Indian, Arabic and European Gypsy music. The strongest influences that are widely viewed as being most evident within the evolution of the cante flamenco include: the Punjabi singing of northern India, the Persian Zyriab song form, the Classical Andalusian Orchestras of the Islamic Empire, the Jewish Synagogue Chants, Mozarabic forms such as Zarchyas and Zambra, Arabic zayal (the foundation for the Fandango), Andalusian regional folk forms, as well as West African influences as seen in the cantes de ida y vuelta (songs that were brought back from Latin America) which include the Rumbas, Garotin and Colombianas.

__Prayers__: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKJ3skGZpuI&feature=related (listen at 1:12 - the way that these Muslim prayers are sung influenced flamenco singers.) __Arabic Oud__: []

Flamenco Dance is a Spanish dance practiced in the Andalusia, the southern region of Spain. The dance reflects the passion, romance and fervor of people and is beautifully crafted with grace and dignity. The dancers of the Flamenco Dance are required to stand still for a few moments after the start of the music in order to get a feel for the song. The entire performance is essentially a conversation between the //cantaor(a)// the //guitarrista// and the //bailaor(a//). They all respond to one another, inspired by one performer's intensity or calmness and adjusting accordingly.
 * El BAILE **

Although much less research has been conducted in the field of flamenco dance than music, it has been documented that during the Phoenician empire, in the city of Cadiz, Hindu dancers were hired as entertainers for the festivals. Local people incorporated elements of these Hindu dances, such as the arm movements, head turns, and foot stomping,in dance performances of their own during local processions and festivals.

This very strong resemblance to East Indian dance is seen in the Katak, NianiPuri, Kathakal and Bharatanatyam forms. Elements such as the deep-seated plie, outturned leg position, sharp angles of the body and arms, splayed fingers, rapid barrel turns and, most certainly, the percussive foot movements are all evident in flamenco dance.

The first flamenco dancers were gypsies without any formal training. The combined their own folk dances, influenced by all of the cultures they had encountered during their travels, with elements of Indian dance. They danced in front of family and friends, and during parties and weddings as a form of entertainment and personal expression. The "rules" of the dance continued to evolve as it became more popularized and professionalized.

__Video of an Indian Dancer__: []


 * La HISTORIA del HIP HOP **
 * Hip hop music** is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of looping, rapping, freestyling, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues.

Modern day rap music finds its immediate roots in the “toasting” and “dub talk over” elements of reggae music. In the early 70's, a Jamaican DJ known as **Kool Herc** moved from Kingston to NY's West Bronx. At his new home, he attempted to use his Jamaican style of DJing at parties, reciting improvised rhymes over his reggae records. Unfortunately, reggae wasn’t very popular in New York at the time. Thus Kool Herc adapted his style by chanting over the instrumental or percussion sections of popular songs. Because these breaks were relatively short, he learned to extend them indefinitely by using an audio mixer and two identical records in which he continuously replaced the desired segment.

At a typical block party in the Bronx, it was fashionable for DJ to acknowledge people who were in attendance by speaking over the instrumental break; 'Yo this is Kool Herc in the joint-ski saying my mellow-ski Marky D is in the house'. This would usually evoke a response from the crowd, who began to call out their own names and slogans.

At that time rap, was not yet known as 'rap' but called 'emceeing'. As the new musical performance evolved, the party shouts became more elaborate and the DJ, in an effort to be different, began to incorporate little rhymes-'Davey D is in the house/An he'll turn it out without a doubt.' It wasn't long before people would add a little twist and customize rhymes to make them suitable for the party environment.

Rap caught on because it offered young urban New Yorkers: 1) A chance to freely express themselves. 2) Unlimited challenges. There were no real set rules, except to be original and to rhyme in rhythm. One could make up a rap about the man in the moon or how good his DJ was. 3) An opportunity to accurately and efficiently express one’s personality. A laid-back person could rap at a slow pace. A hyperactive person could rap at a fast pace. Rap continues to be popular among today's urban youth for the same reasons it was a draw in the early days: it is still an accessible form of self expression capable of eliciting positive affirmation from one's peers.

[|video][| (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZPw-N-gzgU)]
 * Letras de:**
 * Tangos de Fondo Flamenco**

Se apareció como en un sueño describiendo mi alegría. Dios mío como me acuerdo yo me acuerdo de aquel día, si grande fue mi tormento más grande fue mi alegría, cuando desperté del sueño y vi que todo era mentira.

Y miro el firmamento y me dicen las estrellas ay como leer el pensamiento y chanelar viendo una pena cuando me acuerdo de ti que bonito amor se lleva cuando me acuerdo de ti y del embrujo de tus ojos que no me dejan vivir como los niños yo lloro lloro acordándome de ti tú no te vayas, tú no te vayas tú no me dejes solo. Tú no te vayas de mi y dime gitanaina cuando tú te marches tú no me abandones