Taranta
The taranta belongs to the great family of the Levante and mining cantes. Although its origin lies in Almería, the style took strong root in the province of Jaén, particularly in Linares, and from there spread to other areas of mining tradition such as Cartagena and La Unión. It is, together with the minera and the taranto, one of the trunk styles of that mining branch of flamenco.
Origin and history
The taranta was born in the 19th century amid the mining activity of the south-eastern peninsula, in a context where thousands of workers arriving from different parts of Andalusia and Murcia lived together in the pits and galleries of Almería, Jaén and Murcia. As with other cantes of this family, its precise origin is difficult to pin down, since it gradually took shape from fandangos and local free-form cantes that the miners adapted to their own experience of life and work.
Linares, in Jaén, became over time a second centre of development as important as the Almerian one, to the point that clearly identified variants of taranta exist bearing that town’s name. From both centres, the cante spread through the cafés cantantes and, already in the 20th century, established itself as one of the most prestigious styles within the flamenco repertoire, valued for its difficulty and expressive depth.
Musical characteristics and compás
The taranta is a free cante, without a fixed compás, which demands from the performer absolute control of internal rhythm and breathing. It is sung in a tonality that uses the Phrygian mode scale with alterations characteristic of the mining cantes, giving it that broken, mining sonority so recognisable, distinct from that of the Andalusian cantes of Gitano root.
The guitar is usually tuned to the key proper to these cantes, different from the usual “por medio” or “por arriba” tunings, lending a more open, metallic sonority that underlines the dramatic character of the cante. It is not danced and does not admit palmas accompaniment, since its essence is purely contemplative.
Representative cantaores and performers
The consulted source does not record specific performers associated with this style.
Relationship with other palos
The taranta forms part of the trunk of the Levante and mining cantes, together with the taranto, the minera, the cartagenera and the murciana, all of which arose from the same historical context and share a musical base related to the fandango. From the taranta, moreover, local variants such as the taranta de Linares are derived, confirming its role as a mother cante within this family.