Flamenco in the XXI century (II)

 Just this June are fulfilled 90 years of the celebration in Granada’s famous «Cante Jondo contest» organized by the Art Centre of the capital and its main mentors musician Manuel de Falla, Miguel Ceron and by-the then- promising musician and poet Federico Garcia Lorca, who along with other young artists and intellectuals such as Hermenegildo Lanz, Manuel Jofre, Andres Segovia, etc, were able to launch such an innovative and necessary for the consolidation of flamenco project.

The aim of the competition was to find not professional singers or singers that retained primitive ways of making the songs. This idea aims to flamenco so repetitive and obsessive since its inception, and if now is still a matter of controversy was not less then, where the fear of losing «the purity of primitive Andalusian flamenco singing and raised blisters and bitter disputes». Not only Manuel de Falla collective organizer quite understood that it was necessary to do something to defend the flamenco from contamination in which professionals were incurring the time and they assured Manuel de Falla when he said .: » We purify and do relive that wonderful flamenco singing, which should not be confused with the flamenco, degeneration and almost caricature of him «.

 What happened after the conclusion of the competition is reflected in the chronicles of the time and in publications that analyze the consequences could be drawn from the event, in any case, the results were scarce, just new names were discovered and the winner was a singer of Moron dubbed the «tongs».

The objectives achieved were scarce, because I understand it is clear that what was sought was an impossible pipe dream, the purity of the song, because only you can create art from the desire for innovation, (respectful of tradition).

Repeat patterns is not art and the canon that fans liked such illustrious not married exactly the evolution of flamenco. Create art always drag a plus for new ideas that add to the consolidated body of that art, and of course our ancestors learned were in that tremendous trance to recognize that flamenco evolves the influences of his time and living with all the traumas and this causes bewilderment.

However, we can not but acknowledge the effort you put in value a widely publicized romantic art primary advertising and keeping him as a marginal music and disreputable.

Do we have to thank flamenco lovers contest the initiative?

Obviously yes. It was certainly the first major attempt to dignify this art and the first show of respect by first class understood. In my opinion its influence even extends to the assessment that has since become flamenco and its international radiation reached hitherto unknown spaces. That famous  Contest  gave body and personality to a music that had made ​​a solid historical tour and so excited to romantic travelers who came to Andalusia in the nineteenth century and extended their admiration for half of Europe.

Time has passed, ninety years, and if we ask any equivalent to the requirement 1922 I advocate respect for the essential roots of flamenco, his modus operandi as music capable of dialoguing with other music and enrich them so you get to be a musical language class for which it has to do battle in the music teaching flamenco. Flamenco music has to be an educational matter of equal concern is the classic in conservatories. Flamenco music has to live as a common heritage and language to everyone so that instead of being a music expert and » flamencólicos « becomes the widest possible means of expression.

Common sense leads us to hope that flamenco plays an important role in all cultural and leisure activities that are scheduled on the agendas of parties, cultural events and events of all kinds.And we pray that the institutions ensure and promote harder this collective treasure.

But it is not only the idea of studying and Flemish program which we are concerned at the continued existence of schemes that have changed for example, as the shows themselves related to this art. Malpractice which is still holding in the increasingly strenuous day  festivals, repeating bats, no investigation of the artists, the vulgarity of some letters … all that should change after a few concerts that have a development well defined that a good rhythm try in the staging interspersing the songs so varied and avoiding duplication and the cows … They are many pieces to be improved with new criteria for not bore, not repeated, to arouse public interest .

If flamenco has a musical richness of about 500 different songs … Because we have to bear to sing and repeat in the same concert the same styles?

Only this anachronism raising demands on the performers and the audience listen knowing who has spent years calling for changes corrected. And if the level of awareness of the whole society rises from schools, conservatories, etc., training teachers / as and of course demanding cultural programmers areas of culture receptivity sometimes diluted in forgetfulness and lack commitment, the improvement will be substantial.