How flamenco evolved
In its early form, flamenco evolved solely as a personal form of
expression, sung in the home for immediate family and friends.
The most primitive forms (deblas, martinetes, siguiriyas and solea)
deal only with unhappiness (death, lost love, hardship). With time,
flamenco also became a means of expressing happiness as it
incorporated elements of Spanish music in lighter forms (alegrias,
bulerias, fandangos). The introduction of the guitar probably
accelerated this as did the development of the dance in the last
century. Towards the end of the last century, flamenco song and
dance (el cante y el baile) entered the commercial arena.











Initially some artists were hired by rich patrons to sing in 'juergas'
or parties. This led to the evolution of 'professional' artists and
culminated in the period of the 'cafe cantantes' where flamenco
could be heard in public. Flamenco dancers also became the major
public attraction in those cafes. This evolution also led to changes
in the nature of the songs as fads developed for particular types of
cante. Many of the more primitive forms languished and some
were totally lost while others--especially the fandangos--achieved
tremendous popularity. Growing commercialization continued
sporadically until the 1950's when the influx of tourists to
post-war Spain threatened to transform the art form completely.
In part thanks to Antonio Mirena, an excellent singer and gypsy
from Mirena Del Alcor, a group of artist (including Jose Menese,
Fosforito, El Chocolate, Enrique Morente and El Terremoto de
Jerez) rediscovered the older forms and reestablished interest in
flamenco as an art form as well as a commercial form of music.
This process depended in part on memories of older amateur
singers such as Juan Talega and Manolo Caracol. The
establishment of May Flamenco Festivals during the 1960's and
70's accompanied this revival. They undoubtedly opened up the
art to a wider public and provided opportunities for new artists.