Palos of flamenco part 2: Soleá
Often referred to as the mother of flamenco, soleá forms part of cante jondo or deep song, and is slow and introspective. There are dozens of varieties of soleá, often named after where they came from (soleá de Alcalá, soleá de Triana, soleá de Utrera etc). Lyrical themes include death, unrequited love and solitude. It’s also a popular form for solo guitar, and for dance.
Here is Jesús Méndez singing some traditional solea, accompanied by Manuel Valencia. This style of singing probably holds little appeal for the casual music listener, it’s an acquired taste but for an aficionado this is the ****:
Here is a solo guitar soleá by a young Vicente Amigo:
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