Seguiriya
Origin and history
The seguiriya is one of the oldest and most essential cantes of flamenco, with roots going back at least to the early 19th century, when references to cantaores who performed it already exist. Its name derives from the Castilian seguidilla, a poetic and musical form from which it takes part of its structure, although flamenco development transformed it completely, turning it into a cante of a depth and gravity far removed from its possible folkloric origin.
It is considered a purely gypsy cante, forged within the gypsy communities of Lower Andalusia, particularly around Cádiz, Jerez de la Frontera and Triana, three of the most important historical hubs in the shaping of primitive flamenco.
Throughout the 19th century the seguiriya became established as one of the most respected cantes within the flamenco hierarchy, occupying alongside the soleá and cante jondo in general the highest place in the aesthetic ranking that aficionados and scholars have traditionally granted to the different palos.
Musical characteristics and compás
The seguiriya is sung to compás, in an amalgam compás of twelve beats with a characteristic accentuation, distinct from the pure binary or ternary compás of other styles. This irregular compás, difficult to count for those unfamiliar with it, contributes to the sense of anguish and dramatic tension that defines the style.
It is a cante jondo par excellence, slow in tempo and laden with melismas, traditionally accompanied by flamenco guitar in tonalidades por medio, although its expressive force lies above all in the voice. The lyrics usually deal with themes of pain, death, loss and fatality, in keeping with the gravity of its music.
Representative cantaores and performers
The first known performer is El Planeta, a gypsy cantaor whom flamenco tradition places as the founding reference of this style. From him, the seguiriya was passed down and enriched through generations of gypsy cantaores from Cádiz, Jerez and Triana, who left their own personal stamps on the cante, giving rise over time to different schools and particular styles of seguiriya associated with specific names within the tradition.
Relationship with other palos
The seguiriya belongs to the core of the primitive and gypsy cantes, alongside the soleá, with which it shares the status of fundamental cante jondo. Styles such as the liviana, the serrana and the caña derive from or are closely related to the seguiriya, often sharing compás or melodic structure with it, together forming one of the deepest families in flamenco.