Flamenco: intangible heritage
A Cultural
We find the first documentary references about flamenco as a musical genre in the Madrid press in the mid-19th century. Since then, the possibilities that the capital has offered to artists of the genre and the acceptance by the heterogeneous and multicultural Madrid public have allowed its evolution and appreciation and have generated a feeling of belonging in many of them.
In theaters, singing cafés, colmaos, peñas, tablaos or dance academies, the flamenco artist has been able to make use of his creative freedom, showing the public his creations, traditional or contemporary, from Antonio Chacón's snails from the late 90th century, to Caño Roto sound from the seventies, Camarón's voice during the Madrid scene or the young flamencos with Ketama proclaiming their famous "Vente pa' Madrid" in the 'XNUMXs.
Flamenco, therefore, has its roots in traditions and oral expressions, social practices and festive events that place it as an intangible asset of undoubted value and historical roots documented in the Community of Madrid, which has led to its declaration as an Asset of Interest. Cultural.
Historic context
Of the presence of the dance pre-flamenco In the streets of the Madrid town, the literary sources of the 17th century already speak to us, such as The little gypsy, by Cervantes, which narrated the street dance circles in the streets of the Madrid town.
The city converted into Corte was nourished by the artistic charm of all regions, especially Andalusia. Many of the mestizo sounds of the Golden Age came from there, such as the zarabanda, inseparable from the guitar and castanets. A century later, the arts and the aristocracy were still tempted by genuinely popular dances, closely linked to Madrid, Andalusian and Spanish life in general.
In the Madrid of the 18th century, populated by people coming from all parts of the Spanish territory, seguidillas, fandangos and tonadillas animated parties and meetings and the best tonadilleras and comedians of Andalusia attended the theaters, whose art quickly connected with the less favored sector. of Madrid society. The new dances also required changes in the music, which incorporated new songs, such as the cane, and guitar rhythms of a more serious and melancholic style, which were introduced into Madrid's nightlife and its program of recitals and concerts.
The first time that the term "flamenco" was used to distinguish an interpreter of this new style in the Spanish press was in Madrid, in issue 249 of El Espectador, on June 6, 1847. The chronicle, titled "A flamenco singer", refers to the "famous singer of the gypsy genre Lázaro Quintana" and his companion Dolores la gitanilla, who performed "heartfelt flamenco songs." The first reference to flamenco music is found in this case in the newspaper La Nación, in its edition of February 18, 1853.
Flamenco was performed at parties, private halls and theaters. In the second half of the 19th century, the cultural elite considered this genre unworthy of theaters, which led to its incursion into the atmosphere of singing cafés, such as the San Fernando, the Café de Marte, which proliferated in Madrid. In them, as happened in Andalusia, the prominence of flamenco increased exponentially.
In the singing cafés, the figure of the dancer was professionalized, such as the Niña de los Peines who debuted at the Café Brillante, as well as the appropriate guitar technique for her accompaniment, with notable figures such as Ramón Montoya.
Flamenco as an Asset of Intangible Cultural Interest
- Singing cafes and fillings: After the proliferation of singing cafés in the 19th century, in the first years of the 20th century the flamenco environments diversified, with the emergence of colmaos, bars with gastronomy such as Los Gabrieles or Villa Rosa in which the Jerez singer Antonio Chacón García worked. , great master of cante jondo of the moment, creator of “los caracoles”, a flamenco style linked to Madrid.
- Tablaos: In 1954, Zambra, the first flamenco tablao opened in Spain, opened. It was followed by other mythical ones such as El Corral de la Morería, Torres Bermejas or Tablao de la Villa (former Café de Chinitas), which still maintain their architectural structure and original decoration from the 50s and 60s.
- The Broken Pipe Sound: Flamenco became the trademark of the inhabitants of the Directed Villages on the outskirts of Madrid, especially for the gypsy community. One of them was Poblado Caño Roto, in Carabanchel, which gives its name to this subgenre of Madrid flamenco.
- artists: Many of them settled in Madrid, maintaining the use of flamenco in the private sphere. Flamenco was a neighborhood culture in areas such as Caño Roto, Vallecas or Pan Bendito, within families born or living in Madrid, such as the Habichuela, the Sordera, the Pelaos, Los Losada, Los Rubios or Los Montoyitas.
- Hen/Stag dance academies, such as La Quica or Amor de Dios, with 70 years of history, where the Madrid figures El Güito, La Tati and María Magdalena stood out. The flamenco clubs They became a meeting point between young and experienced flamenco in the city.
- The 80s-90s. The Young Flamencos: During the Movida Madrileña, flamenco fans found very different places in Madrid to enjoy this music. The Casa Patas and Candela tablao are the most emblematic, witness to clandestine performances, where Camarón, Paco de Lucía, Pepe Habichuela, or Enrique Morente participated on more than one occasion. In this environment, new musicians emerged, such as Ray Heredia or Ketama, who knew how to hybridize flamenco with music and instruments from other latitudes.
