Learn To Dance Sevillanas? The 199 New Answer

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Flamenco, vocal, dance and instrumental music (mainly guitar music) commonly associated with the Andalusian Roma (Gypsies) of southern Spain. (There the Roma are called Gitanos.) The roots of flamenco, though somewhat mysterious, seem to lie in the Roma migration from Rajasthan (in north-western India) to Spain between the 9th and 14th centuries. These migrants brought with them musical instruments such as tambourines, bells and wooden castanets, as well as an extensive repertoire of songs and dances. In Spain they encountered the rich cultures of the Sephardic Jews and the Moors. Centuries of cultural mixing produced the unique art form of flamenco.

The Baile or Dance After the mid-19th century, flamenco song was usually accompanied by guitar music and a palo seco (Spanish: ‘dry stick’, a stick banged on the ground to keep time) and a dancer , who performed a series of choreographed dance steps and improvised styles. Baile or dance has been the dominant element of flamenco since that time, although it is never performed unaccompanied. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and get access to exclusive content. Subscribe now Accompanying the dancer (Bailaor [male], Bailaora [female]), the singer (Cantaor) tells the legends and stories of daily life that reflect the experiences of an outcast subculture in predominantly white, Christian Spain. The dancer is the protagonist of the singer’s narrative and his interpreter. The baile is a sensual display of fluid movement, stylized yet highly personal, involving movements of the arms (braceo) and torso, hand and finger movements (florea), footwork (zapateado), and heel work (taconeo) commonly found in long Solo passages (solea) shown. Male dancers typically perform intricate footwork, while female dancers, who traditionally wear intricately ruffled dresses, emphasize the hands and upper body. The guitarist (tocoar) maintains the rhythm (compás) necessary for the dancer’s individual rhythmic cadences and accompanies (and, if the performance space is large, even follows). After a 15- or 20-minute sequence, a deeply musical dancer is said to fall into a duende, an intensely focused, trance-like state of transcendent emotion described by Federico García Lorca in 1933 as los sonidos negros (‘the dark sounds’). Penetrating the performer’s body. This extraordinary state is reinforced by rhythmic hand clapping and encouraging heckling (jaleo) from the audience and performers. Gitano flamenco performers regard the cante jondo as a form of prayer, and so in the duende the dancer communicates both with the audience and with God. What might well reveal the ancient origins of flamenco are the gestures of the profound dance (Baile Grande), in which the arm, hand and foot movements closely resemble those of classical Hindu dance of the Indian subcontinent.

The sevillana is a colorful and exciting style of singing and dancing, similar in style to flamenco. However, flamenco purists disregard sevillanas as an impure dance form (the dance is choreographed to a pre-established routine), often confusing tourists who believe it is flamenco.

It is now considered the most popular dance style in Spain and can trace its origins back to the era of the Catholic Monarchs (Isabel of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon) in Castile around the 15th century.

The sevillanas are believed to have evolved from the Castilian version of seguidillas. Over the centuries, and particularly in the 18th century, the sevillanas mixed with other Spanish dance forms, such as flamenco, to give rise to the wide variety of dances you can find today (sevillanas boleras, corraleras, biblicas, rocieras and marineras, to name but a few to name a few).

Sevillanas consist of 3 elements: the dance, the song and the music. The music that accompanies the Sevillanas dancers is rather simple, although the songs have a wide variety of lyrics and themes, mainly related to the landscape, daily life in the neighborhood, the wonders of Seville and the famous annual pilgrimage of Relating Sevillano to El Rocío, including criticism, warnings, and funny stories.

Los Hermanos Reyes from Castilleja de la Cuesta, near Seville, were revolutionary in this field, constantly changing the whole melody but managing to be original each time and never repeating a sevillana.

Listen to “Sevillanas de Triana” by Los Hermanos Reyes.

As for the dance, it can be very erotic and sensual, although the couple will never touch until the man wraps his arm around the woman’s waist to finish the dance. The sevillana was originally a courtship dance in which the man wanted to court the woman in a display similar to two mating flamingos.

Today it is performed at weddings, family gatherings and all kinds of parties across Spain, but especially during ferias in Andalucia when women wear their authentic traje gitanas, the colorful polka dot dresses that give the dance a swirling character and grace.

It’s always amazing to see an entire dance floor bursting out with people performing the sevillana, no matter what age. Children are nurtured from an early age and there is no embarrassment, just a passion for dance.

If we convinced you to go to Spain and discover this incredible style of music/dance, the Seville Fair every April is a great time to do so! Alternatively, between the 10th and 17th of May this year, the exciting and lively 524 year old Jerez Horse Fair will take place near Seville.

This event offers ample space for the performances of Jerez’s best horses, synonymous with the city like sherry and flamenco. People eat, drink and dance sevillanas, rumbas, bulerias and other traditional dances in one of the beautifully decorated casitas (small bars) until the early hours, making for an incredible atmosphere.

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The partner dance Sevillanas is an essential part of any flamenco repertoire and is closely linked to Seville’s April festival, Féria de Abríl en Sevilla.

This light and lively singing and ballroom dancing has roots that run deep into many parts of Spanish culture. The dance exudes romance and has a happy, flirtatious air.

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Sevillanas first emerged as a distinct form in the late 18th century as a variant of the Spanish song form seguidillas, which appeared concurrently with the escuela bolera, a formalized approach to studying and performing a variety of regional Spanish dances. In the 19th century the sevillanas were an important form in the Escuela Bolera.

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The names of many steps in the sevillanas (e.g., el paseo, la pasada, el zapateado, el careo, and las vueltas) come from the practice of the escuela bolera. An important detail that sevillanas retains from the style of the escuela bolera is the pose the dancer assumes at the end of each copla, known as bien parado, or “standing well”.

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Sevillanas eventually entered the flamenco repertoire, becoming aflamencada – “flamencoized” in the process.

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Being a partner dance, sevillanas is often the only Spanish dance that non-dancers have learned, which contributes to its social role in Spanish-speaking and flamenco communities.

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The sevillanas are associated with El Rocio, an annual pilgrimage to a sacred shrine in the Coto Doñana. Many of the letras of the sevillanas are related to this and other religious themes.

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Although sevillanas have passed through different periods in the development of Spanish culture, it is important to realize that these facets of Spanish culture are still alive today and that sevillanas are very much a part of each of them.

Fandango, exuberant Spanish courtship dance and a genre of Spanish folk songs. The dance, likely of Moorish origin, was popular in 18th-century Europe and survives into the 20th century as a folk dance in Spain, Portugal, southern France and Latin America. Usually danced by couples, it begins slowly, with the rhythm marked by castanets, hand clapping, finger snaps, and foot stomping. the speed gradually increases. The music is in 3/4 or 6/8 time. Occasionally there is a sudden pause in the music and the dancers stand still until the music resumes. The dance is an expression of passion, and the partners tease, challenge and pursue each other with steps and gestures. In another version, the fandango is danced by two men as a skill contest. The first dancer sets the rhythm and steps, the second picks up the step and executes it.

As a song, the fandango consists of coplas, improvised satirical, religious, or romantic verses sung to melodies improvised according to set rules. Fandangos can be sung to accompany the dance or as solos. As a dance and song genre, fandango exists both within and outside the tradition of flamenco (see this term) or the Andalusian gypsies. The dance is closely related to the jota.

Flamenco is an Andalusian art that combines several elements such as dance, song and guitar. Flamenco is the result of cultural mixing of Gypsies, Arabs, Christians and Jews and is now an art recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2010.

The strong emotional charge that artists bring to the stage during their performances and the atmosphere created in a tablao make seeing a flamenco show live a highly recommended experience.

Male dancers and famous dancers interpret each piece with arm movements, body contours and “zapateos” according to the respective flamenco style, accompanied by the melody of the guitar and the deep voice of the singer.

The development of flamenco dance

Dance and contemporary music are the result of centuries of development, integration and union of elements from different cultures. With the development of flamenco music came flamenco dance, which first appeared recognizable as a structured dance in the 18th century.

At first, flamenco attention was focused on the singer’s voice, but little by little the passion wasted by the dancers on stage attracted the attention of the public and the performances that were performed in the old “coffee singers”. Dance began to steal meaning from the singer.

In a flamenco show, the flamenco dancer’s role is to physically interpret the lyrics of the song, with smooth and elegant movements that sometimes contrast with intense “taconeos” or twists.

The duos, mostly performed by a man and a woman, are also very intense dances and with a high dose of emotion, as the dancers maintain a kind of competition where passion, tension and emotion come into play.

In a show, after the first bars of music and voice, when the dance begins, the artist interprets the style in question with his whole body: arms, legs and even the expression of his face.

Types of flamenco dances

The structure of the piece, the movements and the intensity of the interpretation depend on the type of flamenco dance that is being performed. Although more than just “type of dances” is spoken of, it is most correct to refer to flamenco styles, of which there are more than 50 different ones, an example of the richness and variety that this art with Andalusian roots can offer owns.

Each style has a compass, an origin (cantes de forge, party, back and forth…), a specific type of lyrics and music that distinguishes some clubs from others. One thing flamenco singing, music and dance have in common is the performer’s high degree of improvisation, that ‘personal seal’ with which the artist signs his performance and which makes each performance unique.

Among the flamenco dances, the most popular and well-known are the following:

Soleá: It is one of the most performed dances by artists and is more suitable for women because of the way it moves. It is a sad style interpreted with arm movements, hip swings and waist breaks. The lyrics speak of grief, loss, love and many other topics, but always with deep feeling. They dance whatever text the dancer wants, then a foot brush (zapateado), and usually end with bulerías.

it is more suitable for women because of its type of movement. It is a sad style interpreted with arm movements, hip swings and waist breaks. The lyrics speak of grief, loss, love and many other topics, but always with deep feeling. They dance whatever text the dancer wants, then a foot brush (zapateado), and usually end with bulerías. Bulerías: It is a festive cante par excellence and is used as a climax to other dances (such as Soleá or Alegrías). It is also usually the style for what is called the “end of party” in flamenco. The happiest and funniest of all dances, it is notable for its fast tempo that is undoubtedly made for dancing.

: (such as soleá or alegrías). It is also usually the style for what is called the “end of party” in flamenco. It is the one of all dances and is undoubtedly characterized by its fast tempo for dancing. Alegrías: originating from Cádiz, it is the oldest flamenco dance. So much so that many of the other flamenco styles base their choreographies on the joy of composing. It is characterized by the musicality of the guitar tones. The Alegrías dance sometimes begins with a vocal entrance before the lyrics; After the lyrics (usually two or three, but the dancer decides), comes silence and then the castellana, followed by a foot brush or zapateado. The alegrías are usually ended by bulerías, almost always bulerías de Cádiz or de Jerez.

: originating in Cádiz, it is . So much so that many of the other flamenco styles base their choreographies on the joy of composing. It is characterized by the musicality of the guitar tones. The Alegrías dance sometimes begins with a vocal entrance before the lyrics; After the lyrics (usually two or three, but the dancer decides), comes silence and then the castellana, followed by a foot brush or zapateado. The alegrías are usually ended by bulerías, almost always bulerías de Cádiz or de Jerez. Seguiriyas: It is a sober dance with a slow and slow rhythm. Its basic step consists of a rhythmic walk based on dry, sonorous and cut beats, with the dancer performing a forward and backward movement in the same space.

It is a . Its basic step consists of a rhythmic walk based on dry, sonorous and cut beats, with the dancer performing a forward and backward movement in the same space. Tangos: There are a thousand kinds of tango and it’s very danceable. Tangos, like alegrías or bulerías, are another festive style. Its cheerful rhythm and measured meter allow it to be interpreted with movements of great brilliance and expressiveness.

there is one and it is a very danceable one. Tangos, like alegrías or bulerías, are another festive style. Its cheerful rhythm and measured meter allow it to be interpreted with movements of great brilliance and expressiveness. Farruca : originating in Galicia, it is a flamenco style that has many difficulties and requires a high level of execution. It is more a dance of men than of women, to the point that when a woman interprets it, she dances it with trousers to emphasize the characteristic zapateado, accompanied by whistles.

: originating in Galicia, it is a flamenco style that has a . It is more a dance of men than of women, to the point that when a woman interprets it, she dances it with trousers to emphasize the characteristic zapateado, accompanied by whistles. Sevillanas: It is perhaps the least known style of flamenco (halfway between flamenco and Andalusian folklore) but by far the best known and the one that most people dance. It consists of 4 sevillanas with their lyrics, always of the same duration and dance structure: paseíllos, pasadas, confrontations and auction.

The best flamenco dance in Seville

In the flamenco show of El Palacio Andaluz, different styles of flamenco are danced in a production that bears the signature of Emilio Ramírez, “El Duende”, principal dancer, choreographer and artistic director of this show full of emotion and passion.

The show, which you can see live in our flamenco tablao, is performed by a unique cast of artists in Andalucia. In fact, this show was chosen by TVE (Spanish Television) for the promotion and international diffusion of flamenco for its visual and artistic quality.

If you visit Seville, you cannot miss the best flamenco dance. You must have seen the show we throw at our tablao night after night. Reserve online now!

Handheld Percussion Instrument

For other uses of castanets or castanets, see Castanets (disambiguation)

Dancing girl with castanets Renoir’s 1909 painting

Castanets, also known as clackers or palillos, are a percussion instrument (idiophone) used in Spanish, Kalo, Moorish, Ottoman, Italian, Sephardic, Swiss and Portuguese music. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome there was a similar instrument called the crotalum. The instrument consists of two concave bowls connected at one edge by a string. They are hand held and used to create clicks for rhythmic accents or a snapping or rattling sound consisting of a rapid succession of clicks. They are traditionally made from hardwood (chestnut; Spanish: Castaño), although fiberglass is becoming increasingly popular.

In practice, a player usually uses two pairs of castanets. A pair is held in each hand with the string hooked over the thumb and the castanets resting on the palm with the fingers bent forward to support the other side. Each pair produces a tone with a slightly different pitch.

The origin of the instrument is not known. The practice of clicking hand sticks together to accompany the dance is ancient and was practiced by both the Greeks and Egyptians. In more recent times, the bones and spoons used in minstrel show and jug band music can also be considered forms of castanets.

During the Baroque period, castanets played a prominent role in dances. Composers such as Jean-Baptiste Lully wrote them for the music of dances including Spaniards (Ballet des Nations), Egyptians (Persée, Phaëton), Ethiopians (Persée, Phaëton) and Korybantes (Atys). In addition, they are often scored for dances with less pleasant characters, such as demons (Alceste) and nightmares (Atys). Her association with African dances is even mentioned in Lully’s ballet Flore (1669): “… les Africains inventeurs des danses de Castagnettes entrent d’un air plus gai…”

A rare occasion in which the normally accompanying instrument is given concertante solo status is Leonardo Balada’s Concertino for Castanets and Orchestra Three Anecdotes (1977). The “Conciertino for Castanets and Orchestra” by the German composer Helmut M. Timpelan in collaboration with the castanet virtuoso José de Udaeta is another solo work for the instrument. See also Toccata Festiva for Castanets by Allan Stephenson. Sonia Amelio has also performed her castanet arrangements as a concert soloist.

In the late Ottoman Empire, köçeks not only danced but also played percussion instruments, particularly a type of castanets known as çarpare, which in later times were replaced by metal cymbals called zills.

Castanets in Spain[ edit ]

Castanets are often played by singers or dancers. Castanets are commonly used in flamenco dance. In fact, the Spanish folk dance “Sevillanas” is the style typically performed with castanets. Escuela bolera, a balletic dance form, is also accompanied by castanets. The name (Spanish: castañuelas) derives from the diminutive of castaña, the Spanish word for chestnut, which they resemble. In Andalusia they are instead usually referred to as palillos (little sticks), and by that name they are known in flamenco.

Köçek troupe at the celebratory mass in 1720 at the circumcision of Sultan Ahmed’s sons.

Castanets were used to create a Spanish atmosphere in Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen. They can also be found in the “Dance of the Seven Veils” from Richard Strauss’ opera Salome and in Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser. An unusual variation on the standard castanets is found in Darius Milhaud’s Les Choëphores, which calls for metal castanets. Other uses include Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole, Francis Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in D minor, and Karl Jenkins’ Tangollen.

The Spanish influence can also be seen in the music of Naples through the presence of castanets, as recorded by Athanasius Kircher in his Tarantella Napoletana (tono hypodorico).

Mounted castanets[ edit ]

When used in an orchestral or jug ​​band setting, castanets are sometimes attached to a handle or mounted to a base to form a pair of machine castanets. This makes them easier to play, but also changes the sound, especially with machine castanets. It is possible to produce a roll on a pair of castanets in any of the three ways in which they are held. When held in the hand, they bounce against the fingers and palm; With sticks, bouncing between the fingers and the player’s thigh is an accepted method. With a machine castanet, a less satisfactory roll is achieved by quickly switching the two castanets with your fingers.

Handling castanets[edit]

Finger castanets were developed for use in orchestral music. A pair of castanets are attached to the end of a straight piece of wood. They are useful for creating a sustained roll, especially loud rolls, on the instrument.

See also[edit]

Crotalum, a type of clapper/castanet used in religious dances by groups in Ancient Greece.

Chacaras

octopus

Zills

Sanba, which consists of three pieces of wood used in Okinawa music.

Song loan, similar type of castanets used in traditional Vietnamese music.

References[ edit ]

Sources[edit]

Madrid is pretty much in the geographic heart of the Iberian Peninsula. It sits on a hilly plateau of sand and clay known as the Meseta (derived from the Spanish word mesa, “table”), at an elevation of about 646 meters (2,100 ft) above sea level, making it one of the highest capital cities in Europe. This location, along with the proximity of the Sierra de Guadarrama, is partly responsible for the weather pattern of cold, crisp winters accompanied by sharp winds. Sudden temperature changes are possible, but summers are consistently dry and hot, becoming particularly oppressive in July and August when temperatures sometimes soar above 38°C. Average temperatures typically range between 5 and 24 °C (41 and 75 °F), while average rainfall fluctuates between a low of less than 11 mm (0.5 in) in July and around 50 mm (2 in) in October the rainiest month of the year. The temperate seasons are spring and autumn, which are also the most attractive seasons for visitors.

The city map

Madrid is a city of contrasting styles that clearly reflect the different eras in which changes and developments took place. The old center, a labyrinth of small streets around a few squares near the imposing Plaza Mayor, contrasts with the stately neoclassical buildings and grand boulevards created by the most important architects of their time. Modern office buildings in the center and dense apartment blocks on the outskirts testify to the styles and economic realities of today’s development.

Wrought iron balconies in Madrid Wrought iron balconies on a building in Madrid. Pixland—Jupiterimages/Getty Images

Much in Madrid seems cramped. When Madrid was first proclaimed the capital, the king obliged the city’s residents to rent one floor of their homes to ambassadors and visiting dignitaries, prompting many to build single-floor buildings, or sometimes (in the so-called casas a la malicia , or “Trotzhäuser”) with two floors, but with a facade that gives the impression of only one. The later development of the city created an enormous need for land, especially due to the extensive construction of public buildings and monasteries. The last of Madrid’s four city walls was built in 1625 and was not demolished until 1860 (by which time the city’s population had quadrupled). The situation was not alleviated when Napoleon’s brother Joseph Bonaparte, who briefly interrupted the Bourbon royal line, demolished the monasteries to create more space. Joseph’s nickname El Rey Plazuelas (“King of the Small Squares”) – one of the few bestowed upon him – was derived from the squares he created. They did little to appease the ecclesiastical authorities, whose estrangement contributed to his downfall. One of the squares, the Plaza de Oriente, opposite the palace of the same name, has been vacated by 56 houses, a library, a church and several convents.

Madrid: Statue of Philip IV Equestrian statue of Philip IV in Plaza de Oriente, Madrid. Jeannine Dobel

“Los Madriles” (“the Madridians”) is a traditional expression that recognizes the fact that each barrio (neighborhood) has developed its own style. There was also a geographical and social distinction between the geographically placed barrios altos (upper quarters), barrios centrales (middle quarters), and barrios bajos (lower quarters). The last ones, going down from the Plaza Mayor along Calle de Toledo to the river, are still poor, if picturesque. Subsequent development, also accommodating the poorer citizens of Madrid, spread on both sides of the river towards the reclaimed marshes where inexpensive housing can still be found. Construction began in 2007 on the Valdecarros neighborhood in south-east Madrid, which is said to have a population of around 150,000. Just over the hilltop is the Rastro, the popular flea market. Despite a series of urban development plans, Madrid did not spread into the surrounding open spaces and did not even cross the Manzanares River until 1948. In contrast, the city as a whole has some extensive parks with more open spaces overall than Paris. Some, like El Pardo or Casa de Campo, are remnants of hunting parks; the Retiro, on the other hand, is the site of a former royal palace.

Retiro Park The equestrian statue of King Alfonso XII in Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain. A.F. Kersting

New from Britannica New from Britannica Treadmills had been used in human-powered machines since ancient times, and 19th-century English prisons used them to punish prisoners. See all the good facts

Madrid has not escaped the problems common to so many modern cities. Pollution can be intense and heavy traffic congestion is commonplace. Personal security is no longer as secure as it once was in the days of the serenos (night watchmen). But the city has retained the charm, character and vibrancy that give it and its residents a distinct style – an important aspect of modern Spain where each region seeks to express its own identity.

Styles influenced by Flamenco

There are certain styles of singing and dancing that fall outside the boundaries of flamenco, styles that have ties to the art of flamenco but whose origins lie in Spanish or even South American folk music. There is also a group of flamenco styles known as Ida Y Vuelta, which basically means “there and back”, and these styles come from outside of Spain, mainly Latin America.

The rumba is a style from Cuba that probably came to Spain after the 1898 war between Cuba and America, since many Andalusian conscripts were in Cuba and they brought these songs with them after the war ended.

The rumba became popular with the gypsies of Barcelona and is also performed by many flamenco fusion groups such as the Gypsy Kings. Rhythmically it resembles the Colombiana.

The colombiana is believed to have its origins in a Latin American folk song, although there are some experts who place its creation in the hands of Pepe Marchena. Juanito Valderama was another artist who excelled in these lighter styles of flamenco, but he, along with Pepe Marchena, was frowned upon by die-hard critics.

In her eyes, Marchena and Valderama were destroying the face of pure flamenco with their lilting, overly commercial styles. These styles are in complete contrast to cante jondo as they are lighter and more pleasing to the ear. These types of songs come complete with melodies and in some cases even a chorus – extremely unorthodox.

Guarjira, also from Cuba, and the folk song milonga, from Argentina, also fall into this category.

Then we have the ‘flamencoised’ styles, which do not have their origins in flamenco but have been adopted by artists, gypsies and gauchos alike and performed in religious and festive celebrations.

The villancico is another style that contradicts the traditional rules of flamenco, but is now considered flamenco and sung as flamenco Christmas carols.

In Andalusia, the villancicos are called zambombas, and they are most often, but not exclusively, sung by gypsies around a fire in the week before Christmas.

The name zambomba derives from the drum used to accompany the song. The drum has a stick inserted through the skin that is pulled up and down to create the rhythm. The zambomba is sung in choral form and with a selection of melodies not typically found in traditional flamenco.

The verdiales is a form of folk dance that has its roots in Arabic music, but it is the prototype of the fandango, a variety from which Juan Breva created the malagueña style we know today.

The malagueña is considered one of the most difficult styles in the flamenco repertoire, but the sight of a panda de verdiales (the name given to the band performing the verdiales) is very un-flamenco.

The musicians typically dress in white shirts, with waistcoats and cummerbunds, hats resembling an Easter bonnet, and a series of colorful ribbons attached to their hats and clothing. They use a variety of different musical instruments, including guitars, fiddles, tambourines, and small bells attached to ribbons.

Danced by couples and groups, the verdiales are considered Malaga’s festive answer to the sevillanas.

The sevillana is believed to have originated from the seguidilla, an ancient dance from Castile in central Spain, and not from Seville as many believe. In Seville, however, you will witness the most authentic styles of this lively dance, especially during the April Fair. People dance the sevillana in the streets, in bars and wherever people gather to enjoy the feria atmosphere.

A range of colorful flamenco-style dresses, silk scarves and hand-painted fans will be found in abundance during Feria week, and the sevillanas seem to be the main focus around which everything else revolves. The sevillanas are performed in a series of carefully crafted steps, of which there are four sections.

There are also many different styles of sevillana including sevillanas boleras, corraleras, biblicas, rocieras and marineras to name a few.

The Saeta is sung to the images of the Passion during the Easter Week parades.

The images stop at certain points along the route where a singer is performing one of these ancient songs, usually from a balcony. The singer’s haunting howl can be quite a terrifying experience.

The saeta is an unaccompanied song derived from Jewish religious songs believed to date back to the 16th century and is performed today by many flamenco artists as part of the martinete or the siguiriya, two of the oldest styles of flamenco , listed.

Neither of these styles is flamenco in the true sense of the word, but they have all been added to the flamenco repertoire by dancers and singers alike.

Handheld Percussion Instrument

For other uses of castanets or castanets, see Castanets (disambiguation)

Dancing girl with castanets Renoir’s 1909 painting

Castanets, also known as clackers or palillos, are a percussion instrument (idiophone) used in Spanish, Kalo, Moorish, Ottoman, Italian, Sephardic, Swiss and Portuguese music. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome there was a similar instrument called the crotalum. The instrument consists of two concave bowls connected at one edge by a string. They are hand held and used to create clicks for rhythmic accents or a snapping or rattling sound consisting of a rapid succession of clicks. They are traditionally made from hardwood (chestnut; Spanish: Castaño), although fiberglass is becoming increasingly popular.

In practice, a player usually uses two pairs of castanets. A pair is held in each hand with the string hooked over the thumb and the castanets resting on the palm with the fingers bent forward to support the other side. Each pair produces a tone with a slightly different pitch.

The origin of the instrument is not known. The practice of clicking hand sticks together to accompany the dance is ancient and was practiced by both the Greeks and Egyptians. In more recent times, the bones and spoons used in minstrel show and jug band music can also be considered forms of castanets.

During the Baroque period, castanets played a prominent role in dances. Composers such as Jean-Baptiste Lully wrote them for the music of dances including Spaniards (Ballet des Nations), Egyptians (Persée, Phaëton), Ethiopians (Persée, Phaëton) and Korybantes (Atys). In addition, they are often scored for dances with less pleasant characters, such as demons (Alceste) and nightmares (Atys). Her association with African dances is even mentioned in Lully’s ballet Flore (1669): “… les Africains inventeurs des danses de Castagnettes entrent d’un air plus gai…”

A rare occasion in which the normally accompanying instrument is given concertante solo status is Leonardo Balada’s Concertino for Castanets and Orchestra Three Anecdotes (1977). The “Conciertino for Castanets and Orchestra” by the German composer Helmut M. Timpelan in collaboration with the castanet virtuoso José de Udaeta is another solo work for the instrument. See also Toccata Festiva for Castanets by Allan Stephenson. Sonia Amelio has also performed her castanet arrangements as a concert soloist.

In the late Ottoman Empire, köçeks not only danced but also played percussion instruments, particularly a type of castanets known as çarpare, which in later times were replaced by metal cymbals called zills.

Castanets in Spain[ edit ]

Castanets are often played by singers or dancers. Castanets are commonly used in flamenco dance. In fact, the Spanish folk dance “Sevillanas” is the style typically performed with castanets. Escuela bolera, a balletic dance form, is also accompanied by castanets. The name (Spanish: castañuelas) derives from the diminutive of castaña, the Spanish word for chestnut, which they resemble. In Andalusia they are instead usually referred to as palillos (little sticks), and by that name they are known in flamenco.

Köçek troupe at the celebratory mass in 1720 at the circumcision of Sultan Ahmed’s sons.

Castanets were used to create a Spanish atmosphere in Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen. They can also be found in the “Dance of the Seven Veils” from Richard Strauss’ opera Salome and in Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser. An unusual variation on the standard castanets is found in Darius Milhaud’s Les Choëphores, which calls for metal castanets. Other uses include Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole, Francis Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in D minor, and Karl Jenkins’ Tangollen.

The Spanish influence can also be seen in the music of Naples through the presence of castanets, as recorded by Athanasius Kircher in his Tarantella Napoletana (tono hypodorico).

Mounted castanets[ edit ]

When used in an orchestral or jug ​​band setting, castanets are sometimes attached to a handle or mounted to a base to form a pair of machine castanets. This makes them easier to play, but also changes the sound, especially with machine castanets. It is possible to produce a roll on a pair of castanets in any of the three ways in which they are held. When held in the hand, they bounce against the fingers and palm; With sticks, bouncing between the fingers and the player’s thigh is an accepted method. With a machine castanet, a less satisfactory roll is achieved by quickly switching the two castanets with your fingers.

Handling castanets[edit]

Finger castanets were developed for use in orchestral music. A pair of castanets are attached to the end of a straight piece of wood. They are useful for creating a sustained roll, especially loud rolls, on the instrument.

See also[edit]

Crotalum, a type of clapper/castanet used in religious dances by groups in Ancient Greece.

Chacaras

octopus

Zills

Sanba, which consists of three pieces of wood used in Okinawa music.

Song loan, similar type of castanets used in traditional Vietnamese music.

References[ edit ]

Sources[edit]