The Art, Language, and Culture of Flamenco (LIGN 187GS - 4 Units)

Syllabus - UCSD Global Seminar – Cádiz, Spain

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John Moore, Professor, Department of Linguistics, UCSD

This course will introduce the structure, history, language and culture of flamenco ‑ a highly structured music and dance form from Southern Spain (Andalucía). The course will integrate ethnomusicology, linguistics, and history to gain an understanding of the Andalucian and Andalucian Gypsy cultures that gave rise to this complex art form.

The course will be roughly structured around two topics: flamenco structure and flamenco history. We will see how flamenco structure informs communication among flamenco performers. We will also gain insight into the evolution of the art form, playing close attention to its relationship to aspects of Andalucian and Gitano language and culture.

Since the course will be conducted in English and no knowledge of Spanish will be assumed, the readings will be in English Coursework will include readings, a group map project, audio labwork, a midterm, and a final exam.

Cádiz, both the city and the province, are at the very epicenter of flamenco culture. Holding this seminar in Cádiz opens up numerous possibilities for fieldtrips, excursions, and performances. Many flamenco festivals take place throughout Andalucia during the summer. We will attend a few of these, as well as a fieldtrip to Jerez de la Frontera, where we will go on a guided tour of the Gypsy neighborhoods of San Miguel and Santiago. We will also visit a publicly-accessible flamenco research institute, Centro Andaluz de Flamenco, where one can access books, articles, documents, recordings, and films.

Topics:

Week 1: Flamenco Structure

Three flamenco arts:

Cante (singing)

Toque (guitar playing)

Baile (dancing)

the role of jaleo (percussion, shouts, etc.)

The forms of flamenco:

criteria for distinguishing the 50+ palos (forms):

aire - cante jondo vs. cante chico

compás (rhythmic patterns)

melodies

letras (verses)

READING: Pericón, Howson, chapter 2 and chapter 3

STUDY MATERIALS: Audio files

LECTURE NOTES: Intro and Cante Gitano

Week 2: The forms – continued

READING: Howson, chapter 5 and chapter 8

recommended: Pohren, part 3

LECTURE NOTES: Cante Andaluz

PERICON PROJECTS DUE

Week 3: Flamenco venues:

fiesta (private gatherings, personal and paid)

cuadro (club performances)

festival (larger-scale public performances)

teatro (choreographed theatrical productions)

LECTURE NOTES: Venues

STUDY GUIDE: Midterm study guide

MIDTERM

Week 4: Flamenco History

Moors, Jews, Christians, and Gitanos

The early origins of flamenco (1700s- mid 1800s):

- Gitanista versus Antigitanista postions

- Cante Gitano versus Cante Andaluz The emergence of commercial flamenco (mid-1800s):

- Café Cantantes

- Melding of cante gitano and cante andaluz

- Flamenco guitar

- Flamenco dance The Golden Age of flamenco (late 1800s):

- Cante libre (Malagueñas, Fandangos, Cantes de Levante), Bulerías

- Mellizo, Breva, Chacón, Torre, Los Pavones

- Beginnings of solo flamenco guitar and basic dance forms

READING: Leblon, part 1

LECTURE NOTES: History, part 1

Week 5: History, continued

The Opera Flamenca Period (1920s-1950s):

- Opera Flamenca, Antigitanismo

- Lorca, de Falla, and the Granada Concurso

- Theatrical dance companies

- Concert flamenco guitar

- Carmen Amaya

Resurgence of Cante Gitano (1960s):

- Mairenismo,

- Foreign aficionados, Diego del Gastor and Morón de la Frontera

- Tourist Flamenco

The Paco/Camarón Revolution (1970s-1980s):

- Madrid as a flamenco melting-pot

- The rise and fall of tablaos

- the role of festivales

Flamenco Nuevo (1980s-present):

- Paco and jazz fusion

- sevillanas discos

- flamenco nuevo (Ketama, Gipsy Kings, Pata Negra, and others)

LECTURE NOTES: History, part 2 and part 3

STUDY MATERIALS: Final study guide

FINAL EXAM

Course Work:

Pericón Project:

This is a group project based on the translation of Mil y una historias de Pericón de Cádiz. This is a collection of stories, mainly about Cádiz in the early 20^th century. Your job is to create a walking tour based on interesting places mentioned in the book, using Google Maps. The idea is to get a feel for the flamenco history of Cádiz, and also get a feel for the city. When doing this, keep two things in mind:

(i) You want to show that you have read the book – this means you should cite locations from the entire book – not just the first chapter. EVERYONE SHOULD READ THE WHOLE BOOK – don’t divide it up. There will be questions on the book on the final exam.

(ii) You should provide evidence that you actually visited the places you mention – e.g., by including a picture.

Be sure to write short paragraphs for each place on the tour – there should be about twenty places. These paragraphs should be well-written (complete sentences, etc.) and should describe clearly the significance of the place to the story or stories in which it is mentioned.

Midterm:

This will test your knowledge of the structure of flamenco. It will require that you be able to identify several flamenco forms (there will be listening material provided to help you prepare). It will also include a few short answers and one essay question on flamenco structure. A study guide will be provided before the test.

Final exam:

This will cover aspects of flamenco history and flamenco in Cadiz; hence, there will be questions related to the readings.

Grading:

Pericón Project: 20%

Midterm: 40%

Final Exam: 40%

Readings:

Howson, Gerlad. 1994. The Flamencos of Cádiz Bay, The Bold Strummer, Wesport, CT.

Leblon, Bernard. 2003. Gypsies and Flamenco: The Emergence of the Art of Flamenco in Andalusia, Interface Collection Volume 6. Gypsy Research Centre, University of Herfordshire Press, Hatfield.

Pericón de Cádiz (José Luis Ortiz Nuevo) Mil y una historias de Pericón de Cádiz (translation).

Pohren, Donn E. 2005. The Art of Flamenco. The Bold Strummer, Westport, CT.