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Flamenco
rhythms for all styles. Soleá Soleá is a rich musical style that is a fundamental element of flamenco. The earliest forms apparently used a lighter, more danceable rhythm. The first known singer of soleás was la Andonda, a gitana from the Triana neighborhood and the lover of Francisco Ortega "El Fillo". There are a large number of styles within this form. There are local styles of soleás such as those of Alcalá de Guadaira, Utrera, and Triana. There are personal styles accredited to singers from other areas that are also referred to by local names: soleás de Jerez de la Frontera (José Yllanda and Curro Frigones), soleás de Cádiz (those of los Mellizos and those of Paquirri el Guanté), and soleás de Córdoba (Onofre). Antonio Mairena and Ricardo Molina classified forty different styles of soleares, leaving out another forty that are not easily labeled. Today it is a style that singers are practically obliged to include in their repertoire, and there are many good exponents: José Mercé, José Menese, Paco Taranto... The following styles derive from soleá: - The polo is a song form related to the caña that appeared in the nineteenth century. This style is thought to have been created by a singer called "Tobalo de Ronda," although this does not seem to be solidly established. Nothing is known about this singer except for his name. The polo begins with prolonged vocalization, followed by the verse. It is nearly identical to soleá in verse and rhythm, and is concluded with a style of soleá known as soleá apolá. The best known singers of the polo were Tobalo de Ronda, El Planeta, El Fillo, Silverio and Antonio Chacón. - The caña is very similar to the polo. It uses the soleá rhythm and begins with vocalization that is repeated four or six times. This style was sung in the extreme southern areas of Andalusia. The most important singers of this style lived in the areas of Seville and Cádiz during the nineteenth century. El Fillo, Silverio, La Parrala, Curro Durse, Loco Mateo y Antonio Chacón were some of the best known. - The alboreá is a song form that is reserved exclusively for the weddings of Andalusian gitanos (although there is a variety from the Extremadura region known as "el cante del Yeli"). It is normally sung by families at private parties, and is not often heard in public performances. - Romances were developed from old Castillan romances and are characterized by a long series of verses that tell a story. In the past this song form was rarely heard outside of the parties of gitano families, and was not normally accompanied by guitar. Antonio Mairena recovered and developed this style. - Cantiñas are composed of several styles characterized by a lively and happy air set to the soleá rhythm. They are closely associated with bulerías. Two well-known singers of cantiñas were Pinini de Utrera and Juaniquí de Lebrija. Although there are cantiñas from other areas, the best known are those of Cádiz, which form the styles of romeras, alegrías de Cádiz, alegrías de Córdoba, the mirabrás, and caracoles. - Romeras takes its name from the verses used to sing this style from Cádiz, which is inspired in country life and uses some elements of alegrías de Cádiz or the mirabrás. It had fallen into disuse until 1958, when the Hispavox Antología Flamenca was published. - Alegrías de Cádiz is a style that is associated with the primitive jota de Cádiz, which, in turn, appears to have been a form of the jota aragonesa during the Napoleonic Wars. This singing style is rhythmically similar to soleá, but uses different chords and a livelier air, making it suitable for dancing. The most important singers from the past who sang this style were Ignacio Espeleta and Aurelio Sellés. Today’s best known performers of this style are Chano Lobato and Alonso Nuñez "Rancapino". - Alegrías de Córdoba were originally from Cádiz and were developed in Córdoba in the nineteenth century. This style sounds like an Andalusian folk song taken into the flamenco repertoire. It uses the alegrías rhythm. The Cádiz native Paquirri el Guanté is accredited as the creator of this style. Ricardo Moreno Mondéjar "Onofre" is thought to have taken it to the Córdoba area, where his children carried on with this style, inspiring all the singers from the city. - The mirabrás takes its name from the refrain used to finish the main verse and the final verse. It may have been adapted from folk songs that were popular in Cádiz during the first Spanish legislative assemblies. Historical singers of the mirabrás were Antonio Chacón, Paco el Gandul, El Negro de Rota, and el Tiznao. - The caracoles song form is thought to be recent, although research indicates that Tío José el Granaíno from Sanlúcar de Barrameda added certain modifications around the middle of the nineteenth century that helped to characterize this style. It shares musical elements with the mirabrás and alegrías, one such element being the rhythm. The best known singers of this style were Tío José el Granaíno, Paco el Gandul, and Antonio Chacón. The latter made them popular in Madrid; so much so in fact, that some people believe that this style was created in Madrid. - The bulerías rhythm is a lighter and bouncier version of the soleá rhythm, and is the greatest singing style for dancing. Its many variations and nuances make it one of the most fertile and popular styles in flamenco. It is held in special consideration in flamenco due to its preeminence among the happy "festero" styles. On occasions it has been underrated because nearly everything can be sung "por bulería," from boleros, to cuplé singing, or any other type of melody or influence. Its origins are found in the verse normally used to finish a series of soleás. The verse can use two or three lines, and with its accelerated rhythm it announces that the cantaor is going to finish singing. There have been many maestros and creators within this style, particularly gitanos from Jerez and Seville. The most important singers from more modern times were Niño Gloria and Pastora Pavón "La Niña de los Peines." In recent years there have been great singers of bulerías such as Camarón de la Isla or José Mercé, as well as many of the members of gitano families in Jerez, Utrera, and Lebrija. Due to its adaptable nature, this style is being used for all types of experiments in modern flamenco. - Bulerías por soleá is a style between soleá and bulerías. It is also referred to as bulerías para escuchar (for listening) or soleá por bulerías. The greatest singers of this style have come from Jerez, as is the case of La Moreno, who created a style that is sung today. - Jaleos are a style or form of bulerías with certain characteristic nuances, and were created by the gitanos of the Plaza Alta de Badajoz. This song form was developed in the parties and celebrations of gitano families. Soleá, the rhythm Styles related to or influenced by soleá are: - The polo - The caña - The alboreá - The romance - All forms of cantiñas: - Romeras - Alegrías de Cádiz and Córdoba - The mirabrás - Caracoles - Bulerías - Bulerías por soleá - Jaleos One of the main characteristics of soleá and its derivatives is the perfectly regular symmetry of the measures within the rhythm: four measures of 3/4 time forming a twelve-beat structure.
These measures receive increasing accentuation, starting with little stress on the first beat, and finishing on the twelfth beat, which is heavily stressed.
As seen in the diagram, the rhythm may also be represented with mixed meters, using two measures of 3/4 and three measures of 2/4.
From this basic rhythm variations may be created by accenting other beats. Examples:
Translation : Norman Paul Kliman.
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