As a guitarist with a significant connection to Spanish music, I wasn't expecting this to be so incredibly accurate! I almost started watching this video only to feel superior (kinda like a native speaker of English would watch a video explaining how to speak English), but I couldn't actually pinpoint any inaccuracy or undeserved oversimplification whatsoever! :D In fact, I learned some new things, like the fact that there is a Berber rhythm so similar to the bulerias. Amazing! Thank you so much for making this and informing people about the beauty of Spanish music.
@@DBruce Check the below documentary that shows the the complex historic threads of Indian/Gypsy folk, the historical Indian origins of the Romani people who were natives from India captured and transferred mostly as slaves by the Islamic invaders who invaded India repeatedly starting early 12th century ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fY-xQ_Dl5tw.html
@@raconteurhermit1533 Do you know that the guitar itself developed out of the Arabic Aud instrument? In Flamenco there are music like Zambra mora snd Zambra arab which is an Arabic moorish style beside the phrygian dominant scale. Which means the Arabic moorish influence is so obvious aside from the gitanos one. Flamenco has it's share from the indian rhythms as well. Flamenco art embodies a multifaceted cultural phenomenon that extends beyond a mere musical genre; it is a rich tapestry interwoven with the histories and emotions of various peoples. Originating from the intersection of Arabian, Moorish, Hebrew, and Gitano traditions, flamenco's complex lineage reflects the diverse influences that shaped its evolution. Within its rhythmic melodies and poignant lyrics, flamenco tells stories of resilience, defiance, and longing, serving as a medium for expression in the face of adversity. Born from the depths of sorrow and oppression, its emotive power resonates with audiences worldwide. The intricate dance movements, haunting melodies, and passionate vocals of flamenco convey a profound sense of cultural identity and heritage. Each element, from the intricate footwork to the soulful guitar strumming, contributes to the captivating allure of this art form. Through its fusion of artistic expressions, flamenco serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of its creators, transcending boundaries and connecting individuals across cultures and generations. It stands as a living testament to the human capacity for creativity, resilience, and storytelling.
@@Adam-adyo While slavery existed much of its support was derived from Islam, Islamic invasions were so huge & brutal that scale of people enslaved from India created an entire race of people called Roma, started in Sindh 8th & 11thcentury Ghaznavid Invasions of India ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-E_4S4sxxI78.html There is no musical tradition owing its roots in Islam, in fact its banned in Islam
Most mentioned is that the "Gypsies" came from Rajasthan in India. One look at kathak dance the traditional classical dance of North India will leave you with the impression that Kathak and Flamenco are nearly the same except that Flamenco is performed with dance shoes. When I was a UCLA in the 1980s I knew two different women who were studying Flamenco and Kathak dance. See "Latcho Drom" The vocal delivery in Flamenco singing seems to embody Rajasthani singimg. The "Compa-s" (time cycles) in flamenco in 12 might be derived from Indian "Taal-s" in 12. One big feature of Indian "Taal" is points of primary and subsidiary stresses within the time cycle. The Phrygian scale and Phrygian dominant (Hijaz) are contained within the vast Raga and parent scale system. Using 2 different versions of a note are also a feature of Raga-s in their ascending and descending structures.
Listen to some pakistani Qawwali too, and you'll hear that it is very similar to Flamenco singing (handclapping included). By the way, the castanets derive from the "khartal" of Rajasthan.
It should be noted that vast majority of these musical features also exist in Arabic music and Turkish classical music (which the Roma definitely picked up on on their westward travels) and many have existed in all "old world music" since Hellenic times. It's also very likely that Hindustani music has heavily cross-pollinated with Hellenic music it bordered with long before the Roma were displaced from ancient Punjab region by Ghaznavid conquests, which explains the everpresence of heptatonic modes and many similarities between various Eurasian musical traditions.
Here i send a link where the old Kathak is replicated by new flamenco form of dancing. The difference is the expresión of gentiles of Kathak and the powerful expresión of flamenco after of more then 1000 years of evolution through diferentes countries, cultures and the hard side of life: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Go7CxmezEsA.html
As an north African Arab I gotta point out.. In middle east we have around 8 main scales that can be summarized in 1 word صنع بسحرك Every letter is a scale Sabba Nahawand 'Ajam Bayat/beyat Sika Hijaz Rast And kurd aka the kurdish scale.. The kurdish scale is the same as the Phrygian mode be it in some regions there are some alterations but generally it is similar And about the ryhtms of flamenco and morroco , this extends to the neighboring countries too ..sudan for example (my country) has a similar rhythm to Moroccan music to a degree but we differ in musical traditions , But yeah flamenco is interesting
I am from Bulgaria. We created those Scales. We have them all in our Folklore, which is from Orphey. We remember the time when there was no MAJOR music, only Minor.
Loved this episode. Could you do a similar one for Fado, the Portuguese traditional music? I always thought that the arabic influence is clear in the melismas, but I would love for you to give a foreign and theoretical look into it. Love your stuff, man. Keep doing what you're doing!
Emanuel Viçoso I am Portuguese too and this is a great idea. The bibliography of the history of fado is quite big (in both forms of fado, the fado from Coimbra and the fado from Lisbon).
@@franciscorosa3845I love Lusitanian music worldwide, astonishing that one can hear the heritage with so much water between these countries! But I did not realise that there are two distinct forms of Fado. Kind thanks for the pointer!
As an arab myself, I might add a few points here: 1. there are various types of Hijazi scales, some of them combine the minor 3 and a diminished 4 (practically the #2 and major 3, but I digress for now) which makes an entire scale called Hijazcar. In flamenco, however usually, the minor 3rd is either present as part of a plain phrygian or added on top of the phrygian dominant as an eighth note. 2. Unlike blues that resolves the minor 3 to major 3, the use of the minor 3 in hijaz and in andalusian cadence is not as a 3 but more like a #2 as in Jazz alt. Specifically, more often than not, it acts to ease the overly harsh passage from the major 3 when resolving down to the 1; you feel the tension deflates smoothly. 3. The arabic scale that corresponds to natural phrygian is kurd and not byat (which the same as phrygian but with a 1/2b 2nd instead of a full b2). 4. I wish you have touched on nuances of flamenco such as the use of a diminished tonic, alteration of the bII7 chord, substition with the V7 back to I7b2, use of II7 to I7 sequnces and use of dominant diminshed mode -- at least partially -- over every dominant chord. Maybe in future videos.
As Spanish and flamenco guitar player I would love to recommend you to listen to Niño Miguel, for me, the best flamenco guitar player ever (with Paco de Lucia of course). His compositions come direct from the heart. Listen to his two cd's if you have time. Best regards
Never Back Music I’m only learning flamenco guitar but the best playing I’ve seen is Vicente Amigo’s playing he did for Córdoba tourist board. Search for it. It’s the one with number 2 in the title. Unbelievable.
Fantastic video, thank you. Recently I was at a world music festival, and one of the most astounding acts was a collaboration between a Spanish flamenco group and a band of folk musicians from the deserts of Rajasthan, India. The idea of the collaboration was to see how the Spanish group, through the influence of the gypsies, mirrored the music of the Rajasthanis and vice versa. Neither group could communicate with one another, nor could they speak English. So with guitar and cajón on one side, harmonium, sarangi and tabla on the other, we witnessed these two musical cultures coming together - and it was pretty fluent! The melisma was a shared attribute of both styles.
I once heard a musicologist say that flamenco singing was similar to some singing style in India (unfortunately I forgot which part of India but I believed he said Punjab) rather than similar to Arab singing styles. I was curious if this video would clarify that.
Hi Bruce, The origin of Flamenco is of course from North Africa, women used to do laundry in groups and start jumping on the bucket to clean up the cloths and at the same time, to make it more fun, they start dancing, this is the origin, from there it developed to what it is right now, in Morocco we still have the same dancing we call it al9adaa or in English the base. this is was done in the country side, Flamenco comes from Felah which means peasant. hope that helps. Cheers!
Didn't really expect a reply thanks, I would say you have already found it just keep doing what you are doing it's great. Realise that asking for a video in my other comment may be a stretch, but I would be eternally grateful for any incite / links you could share with me that you think would point me in the right direction. Thanks for all the great videos!
I agree. TBH it's encouraging to think about the future of content when you hear these two. I am drawn to consider that maybe, we do live finally in a meritocratic age? Although at the same time I worry that I better get off RU-vid and churn out some mediocrity before I become obsolete.
There are plenty of theoretical writings on flamenco today - in both Spanish and English. Also, it is important to distinguish between correlation and causation when discussing the origins of flamenco (regarding Berbers, North Africa, etc.). While there are elements of other musical cultures present, it is usually incredibly difficult to determine how/when/where these cultures were integrated into what we call flamenco today. And this has a lot to do with the fact that flamenco was, up until recently, principally an oral/aural culture. Lastly, it is more accurate (and respectful) to refer to "Gypsies" as Roma, and Roma in Spain as Gitanos (which is how they refer to themselves).
Yes! Love this stuff. Understanding the traditions and styles of music I don't play is a big help. It helps me appeciate the art of the other styles outside my usual listening (and playing) repertoir. Learning about a wider musical landscape helps me play things that I would not have otherwise.
Well researched vlog.👌Originating in Rajasthan India, Lambada dance is a captivating art form that blends Indian and Gypsy influences, showcasing intricate footwork, storytelling, and passionate expression. The Lambada Gypsy tribe's vibrant traditions have significantly shaped and preserved flamenco as we know it today, captivating audiences worldwide with its rhythmic beats, graceful movements, and powerful expressions.
Brilliant! There is so little real research, or ability to research flamenco, that I am very appreciative of your effort here. I fell in love with the work of Carlos Montoya twenty years ago, and still can't get enough.
I saw a concert by Ojos de Brujo a few years ago, that led me to listen to flamenco, which led me to chaabi, which led me to romani, which led me to klesma. With a side trip to zydeco and the blues. Fascinating to learn how the roots of flamenco has been leading me on a connected exploration of music
Well done. I'm a classical trained composer who went on to become a flamenco guitarist, I must say that this is very accurate description of important elements of flamenco form a composer's point of view.
I just heard about your channel the other day and the referring party did not lead me astray, this is good stuff it is not only informative but the way you put it together kept my interest without hesitation...Thank you so much
I very much enjoyed the history aspect. I'm happy any time I can learn about the building blocks of music. Historical, general influences, chords, modes, instruments or anything else you can think to share. Thank you!
This was both inspiring and informative. If you ever find the time, I would love to see your take on Argentine Flamenco. There's a lot of strange crossover happening in Argentine music in general that is fascinating and shares N. African influence, like from the chaabi, as well.
What a crazy coincidence, I just put my guitar down and was thinking about how whatever I write, I always seem to come back to that E to Am resolution. I was forced into flamenco lessons when I was about 8 and never enjoyed it at the time... 15 years later and I have this pretty strange taste in eclectic metal that could only have been influenced by my exposure to both Spanish and Gypsy styles of music thanks to my mum. In hindsight, I sort of miss being on that stage in my tap shoes and little red jacket. I guess it's been so long since I've listened to flamenco that I forgot just how much it resonates with me. Thanks for another insightful video David, you always present information and connections I'd probably never have made on my own :)
Thanks, it's so amazing to hear different stories and angles that my viewers have, from all over the world. It's such a thrill to be connected with people who have so many different experiences.
Please, as a brazilian, do one for Baião, a typical style from Northeast Brazil. I've always noticed some similarities to eastern music and I'd love to know if they're real or not! Feira de Mangaio is a good example of how it sounds. Love your channel!
Your channel is a treasure. I am an Opera singer and I must say I love how your write for the voice!! It would be wonderful if we could get to hear more of your music here in Russia. Thank you very much for your channel
I'm legit jealous of your brows. I think they look cool gone rogue and add a lot of character. Also, very fascinating and informative video. Thank you for this.
I’m so glad I found your channel. I’ve been an Adam Neely fan for a bit now and finally one of your videos popped up. Absolutely love your style. You have this nice dryness to the way you speak, and I mean that as a complete compliment because every single damn RU-vid video now, especially American, has this sing-song hyper cadence and inflection that is gross. Also, the perfect amount of editing and added visuals imo to emphasize the effect or point of the topic and not added to be RU-vid a la mode. I’ve already learned so much in a week or so. Thanks!
Loved the video! Flamenco holds a special place in my heart. My abuela danced flamenco professionally in Madrid back in the day then became a flamenco dance instructor. While I never picked it up, I love listening to and watching performances. I liked learning about the cultural and regional influences on flamenco. Thanks for sharing!
thank you. This video was a joy for a musician who lived in Spain for many years. the historical highlights of typical flamenco music theory have enlightened my heart.
What strikes me about this historical investigation is the key role of the Andalusian region, where for many centuries the three Abrahamic religions managed to cohabit in relative safety and harmony. I fancy that the broad social peace that resulted allowed much creativity and cultural cross-fertilization to occur.
Thanks for clarifying the North African/Berber/Arab/Jew/Gypsy connexion and influence. Like some people maybe I felt the Arab side of things. I also learned about the Gypsy diaspora, I had no idea they came from India! What a world.
Thank you so much for this - I am composing a fresh Andalusian cadence with a Malagueña bridge...it is in honor of ancient Andalusia that encompassed La Mancha and Extremadura - the galavanting grounds of Don and Sancho - the emergence of the greatest, most democratic, invention of humankind - the guitar. Which evolved into the most democratic invention of all time - the distorted electric guitar - Now a power trio can sound large as an orchestra...
I love the phyrgian scale, it's probably my favorite in music. Thank you for your videos, I appreciate you acknowledging diverse roots of music like this. Please make more historical videos!!!!
Lacking a background in musical theory, I don't understand half of what you're saying, but I still enjoy your videos, because they're brought in an interesting way and expose me to new music I probably wouldn't discover otherwise.
Excellent video, very informative! After playing rock and blues guitar for more than 50 years I moved to Andalucia in January and started learning Flamenco guitar, man it's difficult but totally doable with lots of practice, I'm loving it! I'm also interested in the culture and the history so you ticked all the boxes with your video, brilliant! Muchas gracias! 🙏
Loved the music theory done in an ethnic building way that constructs flamenco. Thanks for you efforts in undertaking this. I learned a lot. Even bookmarked it so I can come back and view it again as I'm absolutely sure that I will learn more each time I view.
I've been following your channel for 18 months or so but this must have been just before I subscribed, because I hadn't seen it until now. Fascinating, and, at the same time, containing so many ideas that are familiar to me - I'm not a flamenco aficionado as such, but have long been fascinated by how it pulls together the various influences you describe.
Just finding this tonight. I could listen to this all day, talking music. Thrilled to happen by here. Subscribed, naturellement. Flamenco, the everlasting love, freedom, truth, beauty, wisdom. I pray it never leaves us and is a music of the spheres. grateful to hear every story, every nuance, so thank you.
I need to say that i am andalusian and really liked the way you explained all the complexity of this genre of music, you didn't leave a thing, you are awesome
Thanks for the wonderful videos you provide .. Moroccan rhythm chaabi. we wrote it in Arabic region as 6-8... baiti scale have quarter tone in second tone of it scale.
Great explanation, being Flamenco such a broad style with so many "variations" or styles within it (what we call "palos"), there's some further Rhythmic/structural and even Harmonic peculiarities that could have been explained, but you certainly outlined the most important and defining aspects. On a general level I think part of its charm is the versatility that Phrygian mode offers when it comes to Diatonic movement or modulations. Yes, there's a very heavy falling tonal center that clashes with the b2, the effect is quite Dramatic. But at the same time it can very easily deviate from that, and sort of modulate to the b2 itself, gathering from and higlightin all that Lydian "magic", which in contrast sounds so Dreamy/oniric and positive in way. Then also you can just as easily modulate diatonically to the ivm chord and play the typical descending cadence. Or you can go to the bvii for a different yet equally as authentic effect (maybe more arabic?), from there you can move in 4ths (bvii, III, bVI, bII - III, bII, I); or even go to the bVI directly sometimes.. Each one of these changes give a different mood and perspective to the whole phrygian context, so this can be very handy for contrasting different sections, and well, not all modes offer this level of versatility.. Now here's my Advanced flamenco Harmony trick/mistery: sometimes they will do a crazy substitution, swapping the good old bIImaj7 for a biim7, or even introduce a IIImaj7 chord which is closely related to that biim7, and sort of profits from the ambiguity between the nat/flat 3rd.. and thus incorporates that nat3rd note, not only on the melody, or as a passing bass/chordal note, but as an actual sustained chord tonic. This has an incredible effect, but just as a fading dream, you can easily modulate back to regular phrygian/dom with the usual 3-2-1 progression. If this doesn't make sense (to anyone except David) I can understand, this is a very advanced trick and goes a bit against convention. But I'm telling you, it's real, great, and it can be spotted from time to time (y)
Great video! This one was brought to my attention, sent in a link to me in London by a drummer friend living in Ibiza. Plenty of interesting, deservingly complimentary comments here. Nice work Mr. Bruce!
I always loved flamenco, it always felt so close to my heart and I never noticed the similarities to my culture, I'm from Turkey. Probably that's why lol. Great video, you should do one in Fado as well I find that genre also very unique and interesting, would love to hear your take of it.
I love flamenco and I loved your video. As a classical guitarist and an Argentinian tango dancer and singer, I feel flamenco is deeply ingrained in my inconscient musical knowledge. It's the grandfather (or mother I'm not sure) of all the music I was trained on. Obviously, when I started to learn guitar more than 20 years ago, I learned the basic of the flamenco technique. I didn't much thoughts at the time. I rediscovered flamenco a couple of year ago. I felt in love with its energy and intensity.
Dude this was top notch theory, history and music....engaging and I feel that you probably only just skimmed the surface of a rich topic. I really appreciate you sharing this knowledge. Your measured discourse inspires me to seek out the gypsy style music and explore it. Thank you
Perfecto! That bit about the open strings was really an eye-opener. Jazz chords before jazz existed; because the player was using their ear rather than their intellect.
The Flamenco came from two Arabic words: falah mancob. After the fall of Andalucia, an Arab singer used to wander in the streets of Granada singing about his condition Falah Mancob i.e. a distressed farmer. In order not to reveals himself, he used to silent letter h in falah and also to silent letter b in mancob. Singing sad tone about his condition and shouting FalaManco
very informative video. i hope you make a more detailed video about chaabi and moroccan music specifically in the future as the rhythms and tunings are a world of difference from occidental music
You might be interested to know that there is a musicologist in Andalucia who analyses the 12-beat cycle basic to many of the palos, including bulerias and soleares, as actually consisting of alternating bars of 5/4 and 7/4, but starting at different points in this cycle to create different syncopations. Many palos (bulerias and alegrias, say) do not use the 'Andalucian cadence', but just alternate two chords, maybe a Bb to Ab movement against drone strings which are not really harmonic additions but an extra rhythmic part. These changes mark the change from the 5/4 section to the 7/4 section (though there are also secondary divisions into 3+2/3+2+2).
David, I love your videos so much. I'm a professional musician in France, and delving deep into the mysteries of music is one the things that I can never get enough of. Such a magical world. ♥
Another great video! You could do a whole video on the interlocking clapping rhythms, which even the small children seem to be able to do with ease! It's like Balinese kecak, ambiguous and always on the edge of becoming conscious.
Interesting analysis as usual with David’s videos. Just a small point, the word Flamenco is relatively recent. It was Lorca, Falla, Turina and Zuloaga who coined the term to encompass several styles (palos) like cante hondo (or jondo), bulerías, seguidillas, malagueñas and fandangos. They did so in 1922 for a music festival in Granada.
This was very informative. Before watching this, I was baffled by the similar sound of some Hungarian folk music with these Spaniard folk sounds. Now it make sos much more sense through the gypsies, this rich music spreads. Such a wondeful story.
Cool video. You broke it down well. I think I learnt something, which my ears on their own couldn't tell me. I was told the "thing" or purpose in flamenco is always supposed to be spontaneous storytelling: either in word/song or just in the treatment of a tune. Duende. Juan Martin did an 'andalusian suite' and 'musica alhambra' record inspired by the history/geography factor. Something about Bob Dylan's mysterious lyrics in 'one more cup of coffee' makes me think "flamenco", even if it isn't!
I love flamenco but it’s notorious for its performers being elitist and putting unassailable barriers up for anyone else that want to join in especially foreigners. I get duende, the music shouldn’t be trite and a good performer should make you sympathise with the hard life of being the gypsy. But, ultimately it’s about the shared rhythms that everyone can join in on, the flamenco tonality, the palos etc.
