This is a glossary of terms that relate to flamenco arts.Sources: The Bibliography contains eight books. Two (by Batista, and Pemartin) are entirely arranged alphabetically, and five other books contain alphabetic glossaries. Otherwise, individual references sometimes are given in footnotes to the text, usually when the source information is not presented alphabetically. In addition, the External links give two alphabetic websites.
A aficionado one interested in flamenco ('afición' a liking for) aflamencado flamencoized a golpe A tap, it can refer to a particular footstep by the dancer or a tap on the guitar, but it can also just refer to any tap (i.e. tapping the table in compás) alboreá the Gypsy wedding song sung in the soleá compás alegrías festive compás of the cantiñas group; one of the cantes chicos alzapúa guitar-playing technique that uses solely the thumb ángel see duende a palo seco without accompaniment apodo nickname, which Gypsies receive for life arranque spontaneous outbursts of uncontrolled emotion that a performer may emit a seco playing the guitar rasgueado, with the fingers of the left hand damping the strings atravesarse for the guitarist - cutting corners and rhythm during a falseta, making the dancer's job difficult
B babeio repeated meaningless sounds such as 'bababa' in the middle of words bailaor, bailaora flamenco dancer (male, female), as opposed to 'bailarin', which is any other dancer. baile flamenco dance; other (non-flamenco) types are referred to as 'danza' baile de mantón a dance with a shawl balanceo y vaivén swaying of the body and hips. Balanceo is gentle; vaiven is violent bamberas song form for swings bata de cola dress with a train (literally: "gown [of/with] a tail") bonito "pretty"; in other words, not good flamenco braceo a dancer's use of the arms bulerías song form; an evolving rhythm that started about a century ago bullanguero festive; adjectival form of bulerias
C cabal final version of the siguiriya; literally, honest, exact, complete. café cantante prime venue for flamenco in the 19th century cambio change of key and lightening of tone to end a song campanilleras songs that originally came from a religious brotherhood who would go to prayers to the sound of handbells - hence the name, which means "bellringers" cantaor, cantaora flamenco singer (male, female); other singers are often called a 'cantantes' cante flamenco song; other (non-flamenco) songs are cantos cante pa'adelante literally, "singing from in front"; singing not done for dancers, often with the singer seated [pa = "por"] cante pa'atras literally, "singing from behind"; singing for dancers, often with the singer standing [pa = "por"] cantes de ida y vuelta songs brought back from Latin America cantes de levante songs from the eastern province of Grandada, Jaen, Almeria, and Murcia caracoles a song form which started as a street snail-vendor's song in Zarzuela (a popular Spanish form of operetta) cartageneras song form derived from the taranta, with a florid vocal line, more "artistic" and decorative than forceful and rough castañuelas castanets cejilla capotasto or capo, used by guitarists to raise tone of all strings; a mechanical 'barré' chufla any festive and frivolous song cierre close of a series of steps or a line of song coba flattery, often with something false in it coletilla a short form of estribillo compás a measure or bar; flamencos use the word to mean both (a) the name of the type of twelve-count and (b) the rhythmic skill of a performer contratiempo cross-rhythms; including syncopation and rubato copla verse of cante flamenco, as against the cuple of a (non-flamenco) canto coraje a way of performing that shows impetuosity or daring (lit. "courage") corrido ballad, or also a romance corte the way the singer ends a musical phrase crótalo Phoenician and Roman form of castanets cuadro a flamenco troupe
D debla a form of toná. It is an old song form, now seldom used dejes the way the singer ends a phrase desgarro literally "tear, rip"; wilderness, heartbreak desplante technically, a point in the dance that marks the end of a section. In fact, a high point, a climax in the dance at which the dancer pauses and the audience applauds desplazamiento: see marcar diapasón the neck or fingerboard of the guitar ducas, duquelas Caló (Romany or Gypsi) word for "sorrows" duende literally, "spirit" of "demon"; suggesting possession. Flamencos may prefer the word ángel or el age
E escobilla literally "broom"; the section of a dance in which the bailaor/a does an extended zapateados escuela bolera a graceful and balletic form of the old bolero; dance in time popular in the last century estampa look, appearance by the stance, positioning, form, and dress estribillo short phrases sung repeatedly at the end of a song; the last section of a dance done with singing, where the cantaor/a sings while the baile is danced; see 'coletilla'Batista at 32-33, 88-89.
F falsetas solo passages on the guitar, short melodies played at the start and between verses of a song fandangos an old family of song forms; thought to be of Moorish in origin; very popular in the early/mid 20th century farruca folk song adopted from northern Spain (Galicia), now above all a dance; once "only performed by men"Totton at 139. figura a star; a performer who has achieved a name and fame
G gachó Caló (Gypsy or Romany) word for non-Gypsy (compare payo) gancho literally a "hook"; by extension, anything that gets to you, that "hooks" you garra literally "claws"; guts, force garrotín song adopted from northern Spain (Asturias) gesto tapping the face of the guitar with the second and/or third finger while playing granaína form of Fandango in free rhythm that in many ways stands apart, from Granada guajira an ida y vuelta song; now meaning "girl", word from Yucateca, a native language of Cuba guasa joking in bad taste, rustic trickinessGonzález Climent, Flamencología (1955, 1964), pp. 329-341. guitarrero guitar builder
H
I ir con tiento to move slowly
J jaberas form of Fandango from Malaga jalear to stimulate a performer, to encourage with words and/or palmas jaleo vocal encouragement given to performers, when the audience calls out such phrases as ezo!, arsa!, olé!, toma!, vamo jarana "spree" when a group enjoys themselves doing flamenco jipio a cry (such as ay) used by the singer to find his pitch or simply put into the middle of a song jondo the Gypsy pronunciation on hondo (deep); formerly applied to the song forms, but now used often to describe a manner of singing juerga a lively flamenco party, often with only cante a golpe.
K
L letra copla of a song taken at its literary value; section of a dance when the cantaor/a is singing the lyrics, doing the tercios ligado in guitar, sounding the note with the fingers of the left hand only llamada literally "call"; the opening of a dance
M macho usually a three-line verse used as remate to the siguiriya; usually in a major key malagueñas song form characterized by its sad, elegiac tone. The city and province of Malaga are considered the home of the flamenco fandango mutis the exit made off the stage by the bailaor(a)s marcar to mark time, done by bailaor(a)s, usually while the cantaor(a) is singing; 'marcajes'; see desplazamientos martinetes songs of the blacksmith, can be performed to the rhythm of hammers beating an anvil; in compás similar to the siguiriya melisma series of notes sung on a single syllable of the coplas. To the ear unaccustomed to it, the sound may seem like unmusical wailing milonga a type of folk song from the Río de la Plata area of Argentina, where it is still very popular mineras best described as watered-down tarantas mote see apodo mudanza see punteado
N nanas lullabyes
O oposición refers to the asymmetry of flamenco; e.g., in dance, if the arms are going one way the face will look the other
P Palillos flamenco name for castanets palmas hand clapping. It is intricate art, requiring skill and knowledge of compas. palmas altas percussive effect performed with the fingers of the right hand on the left palm, resulting in a sharp sound; also called palmas claras and palmas agudas palmas sordas muted clapping done with cupped hands (often by the singer); also called palmas graves palmero performer of palmas palo song form; literally, a suit of cards. Palos fall into two main categories: those done in free rhythm (sin compás) and those done in rhythm (con compás) paso step or a series of steps payo sometimes thought to be the Calo (Romany or Gypsy) word for non-Gypsy, but in fact prison slang for an easy mark, a sucker. The Calo word for non-Gypsy is gachó pellizco literally, "nip, pinch"; that quality (usually in a dancer) that turns you on peña flamenco club peteneras Legendary or real, la Petenera was a girl from Cadiz, notorious for her beauty and hardness of heart. A 19th century writer mentions hearing 'peteneras' sung in a voice that conveyed "inexplicable sadness." picar to pluck on a guitar pitos finger snapping playero lamenting por arriba on guitar - in the hand position for the key of E por medio on guitar - in the hand position for the key of A punteando steps and movements that are not part of the zapateado, including 'paseo' (walking steps) and 'mudanzas' (more complicated movements, lit. "variations")
Q
R rasgueado on guitar, a drumroll effect created by using the backs of the fingers, i.e., the fingernails, striking the strings one after another (held back by the thumb) remate way of ending a song, either by raising a pitch, changing to the major, or simply speeding up, in a strong decisive manner roas Sacromonte form of the alboreá (wedding song) romances songs (ballads) in a form of toná, now when done with a guitar, it is usually played in a soleá rhythm romeras songs of a girl traveling on a pilgrimage rumbas a song form influenced by Cuban rumba
S Sacromonte a hillside in Granada with cave dwellings, in which Gypsies used to live. It was one of the heartlands of Gypsy flamenco, with a style all its own salida start of the baile (literally, going or coming out) saeta a song of passionate devotion to Christ or the Virgin, often aflamencao sevillanas non-flamenco song that has been flamencoized in various ways due to its popularity, including the hand and arm movements of the dancers siguiriyas heart of cante jondo (deep song). It expresses anguish, lament and despair, and has been described as an outcry against fate and the quintessence of tragic song soleares As song, the soleá lies at the heart of flamenco, together with siguiriyas and toná. As dance, it stands alone—at least for women son all sound accompanying the flamenco song: guitar, palmas (clapping), pitas (finger snappin), knuckle tapping sonanta flamenco slang for guitar soniquete literally, "droning"; it is applied to performers being what-jazz-players-call "in the groove"
T tablao the venue for a tourist-oriented flamenco show tablas literally, "boards"; the stage on which the dance is performed; tiene tablas means "to be an experienced performer" tangos probably the oldest flamenco song form in a simple rhythm of time, as reflected in the time beaten by the palmeros; not the same as "el tango argentino" tanguillos songs of Cadiz; festive, light, sometimes mocking, and always suitable for Carnival tapa the face of the guitar tarantas a mining song of free rhythm and by far the hardest to sing, demanding tragic intensity as well as unusual control, both vocal and artistic, in the melismas templar to tune temple tuning or temperament temporeas songs of the farm - harvesting and threshing songs tercio a short section (musical phrase, line of verse); lit. "third" tientos a song form, similar to the tango tocaor, tocaora guitarist; from "tocar" (to play) toná oldest flamenco, gypsy-Andalusian song, probably from romances or corridasTotton at 86. toque guitar playing