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Ritual and Geography
of Cante. Volume 2. Flamenco Special Feature
The origins
Martín Guijarro, October 2005
First thing, the origins. Once on track with the
first installment of ‘Rito
y geografía del cante’, a summary of the
collection, the second volume focuses on the oldest styles
and the theory of the derivation of the romance. With the
subheading ‘Cantos primitivos sin guitarra. Tonás.
Saetas’ (‘Guitar-less Primitive Songs. Tonás.
Saetas’), this black-and-white audiovisual displays
unusual recordings by amateur cantaores possessing genuine
cante ‘dossiers’. Moreover, it includes a duel
through tonás between Borrico and Agujetas, cantes
by the then-young Lebrijano and José Menese, by Anica
la Piriñaca and Antonio Mairena. Now then, the guitar
is vetoed in this audiovisual.
Cante at its purest, just as it was possible to appreciate
it in the seventies, is displayed in ‘Ritual and Geography
of Cante. Guitar-less Primitive Songs. Tonás. Saetas’
(Volume 2). Still alive then were custodians of old cantes
such as the amateur gypsy cantaores located in Sanlúcar
de Barrameda. Jeroma la del Planchero, Alonso el del Cepillo,
José de los Reyes ‘El Negro’ and Ramón
Medrano sing romances unaccompanied which sink their roots
in history. And in them you can make out not just the basic
rhythmic structures such as the seguiriya, soleá or
tango, but also other styles like the petenera.
The documentary veers from the amateur cantaores to the professionals
then active. Between performances, it sticks in statements
by theoreticians which reel off historic episodes that begot
flamenco, as well as pictures of sites and situations in Andalusia,
the native land of this artform. The first maestro to appear
is El Lebrijano, who sings the toná grande. But the
really overwhelming episode is the cante through martinetes
by Juan
Talega, recorded at his house three months before his
death in 1971. Antonio Mairena not only sings but is also
interviewed about his opinions on the forge cantes. Another
key moment in the film is the “spontaneous dialogue”
through tonás between Borrico and Agujetas, before
a select audience in which figures such as Manuel Morao stand
out. Although she confesses that “I've never liked singing
the martinete”, Tía
Anica la Piriñaca offers masterful cante, preceding
two other unaccompanied cantes performed by Agujetas and José
Menese.
The chapter on saetas is a nearly separate documentary. The
series' ‘scientific’ aim leads the camera to explore
saeta demonstrations like the ones in the barracks of Puente
Genil, the craftsmen's preparations that go with the Andalusian
processions, the rehearsals by young buglers and drummers...
drawing a complete popular, musical and artistic sketch of
Holy Week in Andalusia. However, the interest for flamenco
enthusiasts swings to the touching moment when La Paquera
de Jerez sings to Jerez's Christ of Expiration. La Sallago
also sings to Sanlúcar de Barrameda's Virgin of Hope.
The chapter closes with a master class by Pepe Marchena about
saeta typology.
magazine@flamenco-world.com
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