Grandes bailaores de la historia del flamenco

El baile flamenco en Sevilla es un atractivo para turistas y propios. Además, la capital de Andalucía ha sido cuna de grandes figuras del flamenco. Hoy te acercamos algunos de los nombres e historias de los grandes bailaores y bailaoras de todos los tiempos:

• Manuela Carrasco: nacida en 1958 en el barrio de Triana, nunca recibió clases de baile, por lo que su formación fue autodidacta. Conocida como “la diosa del baile flamenco”, ha recibido el Premio Nacional Pastora Imperio, Premio Nacional de Danza y La Medalla de Andalucía.
• Rafael García Rodríguez, ‘el negro’: trianero de nacimiento, de este bailaor todos los críticos destacan su elegancia en la puesta en escena. El negro recibió en los 70 el Premio Nacional de Baile de la Cátedra de Flamencología de Jerez. 
• Matilde Corrales González: conocida como Matilde Coral es una de las grandes del flamenco. Nacida en la plaza de Chapina (Triana, Sevilla) fue profesora de baile flamenco en el Conservatorio de Arte Dramático y Danza de Córdoba. Matilde fue, en el año 92, coreógrafa y protagonista del filme ‘Sevillanas’, de Carlos Saura

The Origin of Flamenco Dance

 

Flamenco is an artistic style that consists of inseparable music and dance from the regions of Andalusia, Extremadura and Murcia in Spain. Although there is no absolute evidence about its origin, most historians believe that it was created by the Moorish and evolved later through an intense mixing of cultures: Muslims, Gypsies, Castilians and Jews.

By the end of the 19th century, the “Cafés Cantantes” (Singers’ Cafes) were very popular - the night bars where people could have drinks while enjoying the live music shows. These venues were the forges of flamenco art where firstly appeared professional flamenco singers. Until today, flamenco shows have been kept almost unaltered thanks to these old venues of flamenco dancing in Seville.

From 1920 to 1955, the flamenco shows performed at the Bullrings and Theatres were called “Flamenco Operas”. During those year, flamenco achieved a significant social and commercial success. Since the 50s a great number of anthropological and musicological researches on flamenco have been done while its influence has been extended globally. In 2010 UNESCO declared flamenco one of the Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Today, everyone can enjoy the centuries-old history and culture of this art at a flamenco show.

History of Flamenco: Carmen Amaya

The flamenco was born as a folkloric representation among gypsy families in Andalusia. In particular around Guadalquivir river - Seville – Triana, Lebrija, Utrera, Cádiz, Jerez, Los Puerto.  Because of those locations we can say that the flamenco music is a sum of cultures and music of southern Andalusia.

In the beginning, flamenco was a thing that was shared among friends and neighbors - each family or group had their own special way to perform this dance and a special form of singing. This is how different types of flamenco were born, depending on the area and the family “singer” they derive from.

One of those families which we now know as the creators of “flamenco art” is Amaya family. And one of its most important representatives  is Carmen Amaya – famous dancer and singer. Like in most of the cases Carmen learnt flamenco art on the street, performing with her family.

Even though she started her journey with flamenco on a street, dancing with her family and neighbors she revolutionized the flamenco dance with her technique and started dancing in the most important European theatres and is now recognized not only in Europe but in America as well.

If you want to learn more about history of flamenco, click here.