I Love Flamenco - Part 2: Mastery of Rhythm

Contemporary flamenco is most famous for its mastery of rhythm.  Since the 1970s, rhythm in all of its variations and varieties has been intensely explored by flamenco guitarists and dancers (and, to a lesser extent, by singers).

The basic rhythm instruments of flamenco are the following:

pitos--finger snapping

taconeo--percussive footwork by the dancer

palmas--rhythmic hand clapping used as accompaniment

nudillos--knuckle rapping on a wooden table top

cañas--wooden canes tapped against the stage

cajón--wooden box played with the hands

muted guitar strings--these can be strummed in a way that is more rhythmic than melodic

The following 3 videos showcase various uses of these different methods of marking rhythm in flamenco.

First up is a group that takes its inspiration from the Gypsy flamenco of Morón de la Frontera.  The music is traditional, but the instrumentation is not.  The strong Oriental flavor to the music of Son de la Frontera comes from the steel-stringed Cuban trés that carries most of the solo lines.  This is a fine example of how rhythmically precise, complex and varied flamenco can be.  The musical style is called "bulerías" and it is regarded as one of the most rhythmic, exciting and Gypsy forms of flamenco.

Video: http://http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=T4UOHKcq2es This second video features members of the Farruco family from Seville.  They are seated around a heavy wooden table, much like you see in bars all over Andalucia.  They take turns singing, accompanying themselves with knuckle-rapping on the table top.  At the end, Farruquito jumps up on the table top to dance a patada por bulerías (a few dance steps to the rhythm of bulerías).  He takes off his shoes because the table is too slick to dance on.  This goes to show that you don't have to make a sound with your feet to dance flamenco!

Video: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kNLtNisZcMI

Finally, we see the ladies in action.  Sara Baras is not, herself, a Gypsy, but she has incorporated many elements of Gypsy-style flamenco into her technically explosive style.  Unlike the previous two numbers, which were both bulerías, she is dancing martinete.  It has a different count and different accents from bulerías, which will be obvious to those listening to the rhythm of the dancing and the singing.  Martinete is sung without guitar.  The rhythm is kept here by hand claps, finger snaps, the wooden box, footwork from the dancer, and the use of canes by the supporting dancers.  This style of flamenco is very typical of what you would see in Madrid, which is a melting pot of all the regional styles from Southern Spain.  Technical brilliance, stage craft and the finest accompanying musicians characterize dance performances in Madrid.  Sara Baras is considered one of the finest dancers of her generation and is one of the most important and influential flamenco dancers of the past 25 years.

Video: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=W414clOKWhE