Very upset I was when I was told that flamenco compás can be changed as you like and that inserting extra beats and/or chords in non-usual places is called syncopation. This is an error.
Compás cannot be changed, it is the fruit of evolution and forms part of the cultural legacy of the people of Andalucía. Compás is what makes flamenco what it is (as well as the words of the cante). In Andalucía it is respected and almost venerated-
If you were to go into a flamenco reunion in Andalucía, and play out of compás, or beat palmas with no sensitivity, you would, at best, be politely requested to shut up. There are some people who would take great offence if you were to persist.
You do not have to be a virtuoso to play the flamenco guitar. The whole flamenco thing is about the transmission of a particular feeling through a vehicle called the cante. The cante is the song, and without cante, any performance is usually a sterile display of guitar – and guitar is not flamenco – the place of the guitar is secondary to the cante, and even in the hands of people like Paco de Lucía or Gerardo Nuñez, Vicente Amigo, and so on, the guitar is secondary. For proof, listen to Paco with Fosforito, Gerardo with Carmen Linares, and so on. All these great palyers first learned how to accompany the cante, and then went on (because they were especially good) to become soloists.
Here are some links from You Tube:
Below you can see some flamenco, these guys are just messing around and having a lark – but the compás is solid. Larking around, and great flamenco. Such memories I have of Jerez!
This is a little more straight laced, but the compás is what allows everyone to understand what is happening. The video quality here is quite poor.
Here is Fernanda de Utrera, nor she, nor the guitarist are making it up as they go along. The very idea would have shocked her.
Potito por bulerÃas from the Saura’s film “Flamenco”.
If you see this man or any of his family in or around Jerez (the one with the gold teeth), never tell him that compás is open to change and that you are going to change it. I know Manuel de los Santos ¨Agujetas¨ and I know he will no take your comments kindly! If you listen right to the end you wil hear a very very sinister sound. There is fire in his eyes as he sings:
Ya no soy quien como era,
Ni quien debe de ser.
Soy un mueble vieja
arrumbado contra la pared¨I am not what I was
Nor who I should be.
I am just an old bit of furniture
Shoved up against the wall.
Frightening stuff.
Here is another with Morao – one of the greatest guitar players from Jerez.
A lovely birthday party. Note the total lack of flashness and showing off.
Utter, uttter pathos from Camarón. Can you see the people behind the door? Lucky for us they respected this great man and his cante.
Yes there is fusion of musical forms and an opening up. Here you can see Tomatito playing to the compás of bulería, but you cannot say that he is playing flamenco. Nor would he. This is not flamenco, it is a fusion form of music.
Finally a treat. One of the best ever flamenco guitarists: Diego del Gastor. Yes he can play his stuff, and, yes it is brilliant. But he is not technically proficient. Flash was what Diego hated the most.
Diego solo: Bulería
Bulería with Joselero
Diego solo: Soleá
The feel of Morón de la Frontera continues in the present day. There is a recent CD released with a group playing the now famous Morón sound. On the streets, you may see this man, Dieguito de Morón. He is the son of Joselero. There is a very very fine recording of him accompanying his father from around 1975 – an utter jewel from Morón. If you find it, my recommendation is to buy, beg it, borrow it or just steal it! I have found the remastered version here. Here he compás is pretty firm – but with Dieguito this is not always the case as he does not really rate the guitar without cante as being at all flamenco.
And there you have it. A collection of flamenco on video to demonstrate the importance of form in flamenco. Flamenco is a tradition and needs to be nurtured and respected.
