José Mercé (Photo EMI Music) Estrella Morente (Photo EMI Music)

In November 2010, UNESCO decided to include flamenco on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural World Heritage, which is the greatest international distinction for any cultural expression. There have been somewhat more than 200 years of history, according to the documented information which is currently held, in which flamenco has continually grown thanks to the creativity of mighty, brilliant, courageous artists who have gone beyond the limits of diverse kinds (territorial, social, political) in order to offer a type of music too beautiful to be ignored.

‘Flamenco: Patrimonio de la Humanidad’ (‘Flamenco: World Heritage’), released by EMI Music and compiled by Jesús Sancho Montenegro, is a CD-book with four CDs (69 songs) which will be released on July 12th, 2011. It is hard to gather on a single album a lineup of flamenco artists of such distinction, range and stylistic and generational diversity. The best demonstration of the album’s enormous quality and representativeness is the list of the artists who appear on it: Enrique Morente, Paco de Lucía, Camarón, Manolo Sanlúcar, José Mercé, Miguel Poveda, Carmen Linares, Mayte Martín, Cañizares, Remedios Amaya, Estrella Morente, Diego el Cigala, Tomatito, Manolo Caracol, Arcángel, Juan Habichuela, Chano Lobato, Chano Domínguez, Sordera, Fernanda y Bernarda de Utrera, Chocolate, Porrina de Badajoz, La Paquera de Jerez, Pericón de Cádiz, Diego Carrasco, Esperanza Fernández, Rancapino, El Lebrijano, Sandra Carrasco, Ketama, Lole y Manuel, Pata Negra, Tomasito, Alba Molina, Dorantes, Antonio Rey, Juan Villar, Serranito, Juanito Valderrama, Rafael Farina, Sabicas...

Cañizares (Photo Amancio Guillén)

Cante, guitar & bands

The CD-book ‘Flamenco: Patrimonio de la Humanidad’ is to be released to celebrate this event and it contains a fundamental part of flamenco history of all times, from the oldest to the most evolved. Over 30 different styles and some of their variants together with “natural encounters” with other similar types of music for an album which gathers great figures, from the most famous ones such as Enrique Morente, Camarón, Paco de Lucía, José Mercé, Miguel Poveda, Estrella Morente or Carmen Linares, to the classical cante tradition represented by La Paquera de Jerez, Bernarda and Fernanda de Utrera, Caracol, Pericón, Chano Lobato, Chocolate, Rancapino o El Lebrijano moving on to the latest magnificent batch represented by Sandra Carrasco.

Diego el Cigala Sandra Carrasco

The same thing happens with the guitarists, and there’s everyone from old-time maestros like Sabicas to the generation of Juan Habichuela and Serranito, moving on to Manolo Sanlúcar, Tomatito and Cañizares, and finishing with newcomers such as Antonio Rey. And those who steered and steer flamenco down other roads, like Pata Negra, Ketama, Tomasito, Diego Carrasco, Lole y Manuel, y Chano Domínguez.

A complete booklet

The book-album is a complete range of yesterday’s and today’s flamenco universe, an enriching stroll through different cantes, styles, voices, quejíos, eras… And for this plunge into the flamenco world to be complete, the four CDs are accompanied by a book over 40 pages long which includes statements by artists and personalities with their impressions on flamenco being included on the list of Heritage of Humanity; a text about the history of flamenco including a very well-documented history by chapters from its origins to the present day with extensive information about the most significant artists, albums and events; a classification of styles with information about the compás and features of basic styles such as alegrías, fandangos, soleá, bulería and seguiriya; the biographies of the artists starring  in the compilation; bibliography and websites related to the subject… The book has been written by Silvia Calado, journalist, contents editor of Flamenco-world.com, the leading flamenco website since 1997 and winner of the 2010 Andalusia Journalism Prize, and author of books such as 'Por bulerías', 'Todo sobre flamenco' and 'El negocio del flamenco'.

The book-album ‘Flamenco: Patrimonio de la Humanidad’ is a journey through the history of flamenco, our most universal music, which is now at everyone’s reach because, as Camarón used to say, “flamenco has just one school: getting across or not getting across”.