Originally, I planned to talk about a number of different dances that originated in Spain. However, after doing lots of various research on the topic, I realized I needed to narrow down my search since the topic is so vast and not much can be said for the infinite different kinds of dances that come from Spain. One dance, however, the most common and most known dance from the Spanish origin caught my eye and I decided to delve further into learning about it. The flamenco comes from Andalucia, which is the southernmost part of Spain. Since Andalucia is mainly preoccupied with Andalusians, Gypsies, Islams, and Sephardics, flamenco is thought to have been an intersection of these cultures. As flamenco spread throughout the rest of Spain, other Spanish musical traditions began to influence its style. Because flamenco came about around the time of the Spanish Inquisition, flamenco reflects the spirit of the people around that time. There are many different arguments about the actual meaning of the word flamenco and where it comes from. The most commonly accepted idea is that the root of the word, flamenc means Gypsy.
In terms of the melody of flamenco music, it is descending, as opposed to most American melody patterns, which are ascending. Flamenco music is also similar to jazz music because the musicians are supposed to feel the rhythm, instead of being more systematic about it. The main instrument accompanying the singer is the Spanish guitar. Usually, the dance will be performed with hand clapping and foot stomping incorporated into it. There are over fifty different kinds of flamenco in existence.
VIDEO:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kPhCIKFkfg4&feature=related
"Flamenco." Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia. 26 Oct. 2007
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