Flamenco is a traditional music style from Spain. It is primarily music for vocals and acoustic guitar, but is also often accompanied by traditional percussion. In its present form flamenco guitarists and singers are often accompanied by modern instrumentation such as piano, bass guitar and wind instruments.
Flamenco music is based on the highly typical phrygian or dorian scales which lends it its characteristic melancholia. The singing can be especially emotional, while the guitar playing is characterized by typical, fiery rhythms and is often used to accompany traditional flamenco dances.
Prime examples of this genre are guitar players such as
Paco de Lucía,
Paco Peña and
Tomatito and singers such as
Camarón de la Isla,
Carmen Linares and
Manolo Caracol.