Flamenco is . . . (some suggestions for listening)
The first time I was lucky enough to go to a peña flamenca (most simply, a flamenco club or organization for the support, enjoyment and promotion of flamenco, but their history in Andalusia is incredibly important to the development and preservation of the art . . . that's a whole post for another time), I heard the host that evening talk about the elements of flamenco: el cante, el baile y el toque . . . the singing, the dancing and the guitar playing. This is the basic tri
Bulerías starter . . .
Bulerías was my first real challenge in flamenco, both because I started with it, and also because it's a 12-count (starting on 12 . . .), which is often a very unusual beat pattern for people to wrap their heads around if they've never been exposed to it. Each basic compás is twelve beats, typically with five accents. Why "typically"? Well, like all flamenco palos, or forms, there is a variation for every family, neighborhood and town. The standard version is: 12 1 2 3 4
