PALOS OF FLAMENCO

* The word Palos refers to the different types of songs in flamenco.

* There are more than fifty and they can be classified in different ways: according to
their origin, if they are accompanied by guitar, if they are danced or not…

* All Palos have a defined structure that is divided into a fixed part and another
variable. The variable part is because of during the flamenco show there are usually
improvisations.

* The most common Palos are:

- Bulería: Experts say that it could come from Cadiz, the oldest city in Europe.
The bulería is a party song and its rhythm is cheerful and fast.
- Fandango: Its origin is Arabic and Portuguese and it is similar to Fado. It is
melancholic and slow.
- Sevillanas: They dance in pairs and their lyrics are about different topics, even
though the most famous are those of loving theme. Have you ever danced
sevillanas? If I were you I would try to visit Seville April Fair due to the fact
that everyone dances them and you might pick up their steps!

Second and Third Conditional If I were you I would try

Simple passive be classified, are accompanied, are danced
Used to X
Relative Clauses That
Give advice and make suggestions If I were you…
Modals to express possibility Might, could
Discourse Connectors (due to…) Due to, because of
Present perfect continuous X
Past Perfect Have you ever danced sevillanas?
Reported Speech Experts say that
Linking Expression (even though) Even though

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

Had you heard about “palos” before I talked about it today?

If you had time to learn to dance flamenco, would you do it?

Have you ever danced sevillanas?

Did you know that Portuguese fado is similar to the Spanish fandango?
FLAMENCO HISTORY

* Flamenco is a musical genre from southern Spain whose origin is linked to the
cultural mixture that Spain has had since the middle ages: Arabs, Jews, Christians, and
Gypsies.

* People used to have parties in neighbourhood yards, where flamenco was danced,
played, and sang. Later, these informal parties move to the cafes, turning into musical
shows. If you haven’t seen any of these spectacles you should visit Corral de la Morería
in Madrid due to the fact that is one of the most important places to enjoy the
flamenco.

* In November 2010, UNESCO declared flamenco as Intangible Cultural Heritage of

Humanity. Nevertheless, the European fascination for this art would not have been
possible if English travellers had not come to Spain during Romanticism.

* On the other hand, in recent years there has been a great interest in flamenco in
China. Actually, this has been happening without realizing and now there could be
more flamenco academies there than in Spain!

Second and Third Conditional Wouldn’t have been possible If they…

Simple passive Is linked, was danced,
Used to People used to
Relative Clauses Where
Give advice and make suggestions you should visit
Modals to express possibility Could be
Discourse Connectors (due to…) Due to the fact
Present perfect continuous Has been happening
Past Perfect Has had, has been,
Reported Speech X
Linking Expression (even though) On the other hand, Nevertheless

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

Have you seen any flamenco show?

What kind of music did you used to listen when you were younger?

Have you been listening flamenco lately?

Do you think that it is important to preserve traditions such as flamenco?