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WERE THERE MINING SONGS ONCE UPON A TIME?
(An introduction to taranta, cartagenera, and minera on the occasion of the
XLIst Festival of Cante de las Minas)
Juan Vergillos
With taranta, cartagenera and minera we move away from the centers of cante generally
thought of as traditional, and enter into a new flamenco geography. According
to all indications, the taranta and the cartagenera, like the malagueña
and the granaína, in other words the so-called cantes de levante,
a name reflecting their place of origin, were the result of a process of flamencoization,
due to the enormous popularity of this music - flamenco - in the second half of
the XIXth century, from a series of local fandangos; songs which in addition influenced
each other mutually. The geographic center of these cantes is the mining area
of Murcia (Cartagena and La Unión), from whence arose, as also reflected
in the thematic content of the letras, the denomination cantes de las minas,
mining songs.
It is usually accepted
that immigrants from eastern Andalusia who sought work in the mines exerted an
influence in this process of flamencoization. What we do know for certain is that
in the mining regions of Almería, and in particular in Jaén, they
also sing taranta. Could there have been some kind of flow and feedback between
these areas? Furthermore, in Almería they sing a style called fandango
de Almería, or also taranto de Almería, which
could be considered the precursor of the taranta, since it is melodically very
similar, although the accompaniment follows a defined compás, which gives
it a more primitive feeling. Some flamenco scholars (Blas Vega for example, or
José Luis Navarro, a major specialist in this area) nevertheless consider
that the taranto is a later cante: that it is a projection of the taranta applied
to dance, since it's really the same style as the taranta, but with the guitar
accompaniment applied to compás in order to accommodate the dance. In fact,
primitive recordings of what is today considered taranto, are labeled as taranta,
or even rondeña. But in actual fact the present denomination of many styles
did not come about until well into the twentieth century (and continues to be,
at times, problematic).
As far as the taranta
goes, it is a cante with verses similar to those of the malagueña and local
fandangos: four or five octosyllabic lines. It is accompanied on the guitar in
the tone of 'mi' ("por arriba" in flamenco terminology) and its interpretation
is, as with the malagueña, free-form, that is, without strict external
rhythm or compás, which allows for a drawn-out cante that lends itself
to grandiloquent vocal exhibitions as happens with all the Levante styles, the
most elaborate in flamenco. Due to this high level of musical technique it is
supposed that such stylization of local fandangos was carried out by professional
cantaores, which is why it is difficult to imagine that these cantes de las minas,
were actually sung by miners as they came and went to work as the legend holds.
The same could be said about the lyrics which, as in the rest of the flamenco
styles, are extremely concise and reveal a sophisticated level of poetry. What
is clearly true is that the great artists who made the music and the verses of
the mining songs were largely inspired in the emotions and true life experiences
of the miners, experiences which many of these composer-interpreters had known
up close, whether indirectly in the social or family environment, or themselves
directly, before embarking on their artistic activities, or combining both facets
at once. We can therefore consider the denomination mining songs as legitimate,
at the same time that we allow for the legendary nature of the name, a mystification
that is in no way foreign to flamenco, as we all know. In any case, the level
of composition and richness of these mining songs forever removes them
from the category of work songs which in fact include agricultural labor cantes
(gañameras, temporeras, trilleras, pajaronas), much more akin to folklore
than flamenco.
Some have proposed
the hypothesis that the taranta comes from the fandango or the taranto de Almería,
which later spread and took root in the mining regions of Jaén and Murcia
where they would, in turn, become the basis for other cantes. (Others, as mentioned
before, are of the opinion that the primitive cante is the taranta).
The cartagenera
group. Coming from the taranta (or at least, according to some theories, from
the taranto) they represent a later 'plateau' of stylization and melodic melismatic
elaboration, further removed than the taranta from the 'Andalusian cadence', and,
generally from the folkloric arena. Their origin would have to be situated under
the influence of the taranta (from Almería and Jaén according to
some), in traditional songs from Murcia such as cante de la madrugá,
taranta de Cartagena, (and in fact there exists the taranta de la Unión),
which via professional singers led to a highly stylized cante: the cartagenera.
Out of the list of these interpreters who transformed the primitive cante, tradition
attributes the name of Antonio Grau Mora, better known as El Rojo el Alpargatero.
The popularization
of the taranta and the cartagenera of Murcia must have, in turn, had an influence
on the cantes of Almería and Jaén, where they sing a very elaborate
taranta, due also to the contribution of singers like El Tonto Linares or Basilio.
These cantes influenced some forms of malagueña.
We must point out
the illustrious name of Antonio Chacón, who left his indelible mark on
all of flamenco cante, particularly the Levante styles. Chacón, who had
first-hand knowledge of the cantes of Murcia due to his friendship with El Rojo
el Alpargatero, assimilated and reworked the cante of Cartagena. The influence
of the cartagenera in some malagueñas can be attributed to him, as well
as a personalized stylization of this cante which in turn shows a malagueña
influence.
The verses of cartagenera
tend to contain local references or biographical details of their creators.
There is also a
cante known as minera which is nothing more than a variety of taranta,
nearly always with a more rigid interpretation. There is a dramatic thrust to
the lyrics which center on the life of the miner, from whence the name. El Rojo
el Alpargatero is also considered the creator, although recent interpreters have
included Antonio Piñana, Pencho Cros, and Encarnación Fernández.
The great Catalonian
dancer Carmen
Amaya choreographed a taranto in the forties in New York, albeit with the
name zambra por rondeñas, thus introducing the style into the repertoire
of flamenco dance, where it is now one of the most popular. Other writers (such
as the afore-mentioned Blas Vega for example) attribute the creation of this dance
to Rosario, giving credit to what she herself declared in her autobiography.
Juan
Vergillos
Translation: Estela Zatania
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