Carmen Amaya |
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The caña is a flamenco style played to the compás
structure of a soleá,
of which it is said to be the predecessor. It is also said
that the caña is a pre-flamenco traditional Andalusian
style, as well as a popular Spanish folk dance which can
be traced back to the 18th century. It differs from the
soleá in one defining feature: its introduction of
repeated cries of "ay", following a fixed structure
and mimicked by the guitar, playing along in harmony. As
for the polo, it differs in the introduction itself, and
has a somewhat less dynamic air. Travel writers of bygone
days associate the caña and the polo with vocalists
belonging to the school of 'cantaores primitivos', such
as Tío Luis el de la Juliana, El
Planeta and El Fillo. In the 20th century, Pepe el de
la Matrona did much to enrich this highly structured form,
using the 'Polo de Tobalo' as a starting point. The modern-day
caña flamenca is associated with dance, specifically
with the work of Antonio de Juana Porrote and Carmen
Amaya. This style is often sung by cantaores like Enrique
Morente, and some even try to give it a makeover once in
a while.
Compás pattern:
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10
11 12 / 1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 |
Sample verse:
A la audiencia van dos pleitos
Uno verdad y otro no
La verdad salió perdiendo
Porque el dinero ganó |
Two lawsuits go to court
One true, the other not
The truth lost out
Because money came out the winner |
Guide to palos
Back to index:
fandangos, soleá, seguiriya, tangos, de ida y
vuelta, cantes de Levante... |
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