CLASSIFICATION OF THE CANTE

 

Modern musicologists have a hard time classifying the cante flamenco. Popular language, on the other hand, simply divides it into 2 categories: the cante chico (minor cante) and the cante grande (major cante).

In the latter, one can separate the cante jondo (deep cante), the cante bueno ("authentic" cante), and the cante flamenco proper that groups together more evolved forms of the cante grande.

In turn, specialists and aficionados of flamenco refuse to differentiate between "grande" and "chico," holding that all songs are created equal; whether they come out as “grande” or “chico” depends only on the style and the skill of the performer.

The cante flamenco has a complex genealogical tree. I will try to offer a rational classification by drawing 3 main branches:

1. >PRIMITIVE CANTES AND THEIR DERIVATIVES:

• Tonas
• Siguiriyas and derivatives : Serrana and Liviana
• Solea and derivatives: Alborea, Caña, Polo, Buleria, Petenera and the goup of Cantinñas (Alegrias, Cantiñas, Romera, Mirabras, Caracoles)
• Tangos and derivatives: Tangos, Tanguillo, Mariana.

2. >Fandangos and their derivatives:
   

• Malagueñas and derivatives: Malagueña, Verdiales
• Songs of the Levante and derivatives: Granaina and Media Granaina
• Songs of the Mines and derivatives: Taranta, Minera, Cartagena, Murciana
• Fandangos and derivatives: Fandangos de Huelva and Fandangos Personales. 

3. >Songs of diverse origins that have been “flamenquised”:

and thus entered the flamenco repertoire; they are also called cantes aflamencados or cantes of « ida y vuelta » (“come and go,” or two-way songs):

• Farruca, Garrotin, Sevillanas, Milonga, Colombiana, Guajira and Rumba.