Guajira from Merche Esmeralda
on 'Flamenco'
by Carlos Saura
One of the styles denominated 'ida y vuelta' that made
the round trip to the Caribbean and back, blending Cuban
folk music with flamenco. It takes its name and musical
texture from the farm laborers' songs on the Caribbean isle.
These songs were fruit of the migratory flows to the then
Spanish colony in the 19th Century, and indeed many of the
rural workers had Andalusian roots. In fact, it shares its
rhythmical and melodic qualities with the Cuban punto. The
rhythmical structure is that of a soleá, but with
the accentuated notes distributed differently, an amalgam
of 6/8 and 3/4 time signatures similar to the petenera.
They became a popular part of flamenco in the twenties and
thirties, with Manuel Escacena's formula, although there
are indications that Silverio Franconetti, Juan Breva and
El Mochuelo sang them earlier. And they reached their moment
of glory, like other light-hearted 'acancionado' styles,
in the golden age of flamenco operetta. Pepe
Marchena was one of the cantaores who gave greatest
melodic breadth to this palo that spanned an ocean. As Merche
Esmeralda demonstrates with skill in the Carlos Saura film
‘Flamenco’, guajiras are also highly danceable.
In a more experimental vein was Israel Galván's choreography
and dance to guajiras in his show ‘Galvánicas’
(2002), with a composition by guitarist Gerardo Núñez.
As for vocalists, this is one of the staple forms used by
Chano Lobato, who conserves its classical form.
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Sample verse:
Me gusta por la mañana
Después del café bebío
Pasearme por La Habana
Con mi tabaco encedío
Y sentarme muy tranquilo
En mi silla o mi sillón
Y comprarme un papelón
De esos que llaman diario
Y parezco un millonario
Rico de la población |
I like, in the morning
After the coffee is drunk
To walk around Havana
With my tobacco burning
And to sit down very calmly
In my seat or armchair
And to buy a pile of waste paper
One of those they call a newspaper
And I look like a millionaire
The richest in town |
Guide to palos
Back to index:
fandangos, soleá, seguiriya, tangos, de ida y
vuelta, cantes de Levante... |
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