Boletín 130 - Flamenco legends.
Boletín 130 - Flamenco legends.
Lola Flores, Camarón de la Isla and Paco de Lucía
Sat characteristically with one leg crossed over the other, Paco closes his eyes and begins to rasguear, the audience, all aficionados, watch in awe. Camarón, at his side, watches him like a hawk. Paco taps his foot to the beat, grooving with the rhythm, there is truly no filter between his brain and his hands, the guitar is an extension of his body. When the time is right Camarón toca las palmas and then comes in with a depth of voice hard to believe. It must be duende.
👋Welcome to Boletín, an English-language newsletter covering historical, cultural and topical stories related to the A Level Spanish course. These newsletters accompany a student worksheet which can be downloaded freely here. This week:
Edition 130 of Boletín.
Paco, Lola and José.
Download links.
📌Issue 130.
A big welcome to the many subscribers over the last 10 days, clearly your teachers have sign-posted this website to you! Before we get started today, a little housekeeping for those of you new around here.
These newsletters accompany a student worksheet which can be downloaded here. I only started creating these newsletters a few years ago so not every issue has one, apologies! That said, there’s quite a back catalogue of newsletters in the archive and I have created tabs across the top of the site to help you to navigate the site.
💃🏻What Is Flamenco?
Spain is a country known for its vibrant traditions, passionate art forms, and rich history. If you’re new to Spanish culture, there’s no better way to dive in than by exploring flamenco, the soulful music and dance that has come to symbolize the spirit of southern Spain, particularly Andalusia. As you may already know, regional identity is a topic which is covered on the A Level course. Popular sub-topics include regional fiestas, co-official languages and gastronomy. Flamenco may not be covered explicitly on the course which is why additional reading on sites like this will hopefully help develop your widing understanding of Spain!
I guess for some, especially those used to clean studio vocals on tracks, it can be hard to watch or listen to flamenco for the first time. Especially when its just a singer and a guitarist. Paco de Lucía and Camarón de la Isla are considered some of the greats and I think it’d be apt to start there. So, stop what you’re doing and watch the video below from 2:00 onwards!
Flamenco is more than just an art form; as D.E Pohren explains with the title of book number 3 in his flamenco trilogy it’s a way of life, a cultural expression that speaks to the heart and soul. If you've ever heard the rasgueo of a Spanish guitar, watched the stamping of feet during a baile, or listened to a singer cry out in song, you’ve felt the essence of flamenco.
While I remember, if you’re interested in flamenco then it really is worth checking out the 1st book in that flamenco trilogy which is titled The Art of Flamenco.
Flamenco consists of three key elements: cante (singing), toque (guitar playing), and baile (dance). At its core, flamenco is about expressing raw emotion—joy, sorrow, love, and heartache. It has its roots in Andalusia, blending influences from the region’s mix of cultures, including Roma (Gypsy), Moorish, and Jewish traditions. Today, flamenco is celebrated worldwide, but to truly understand it, you need to be familiar with an important word.
Duende: This word refers to the soul or spirit that a flamenco artist brings to a performance. It’s the deep emotional connection that moves both the performer and the audience. Duende can’t be learned—it’s something that emerges from within. The flamenco greats all have duende, the ability to move an audience.
An introduction to Spanish grammar (CEFR A1 - B2)
If you like what I’ve been doing with Boletín for the last four years or like me, you like buying language books then consider checking out the book I released last week. It’s called Spanish grammar workbook: An ambitious, jam-packed introduction to Spanish grammar for complete beginners, intermediate learners and GCSE students. The reviews are currently coming in and I’m delighted with them!
The Icons of Flamenco
To understand flamenco fully, it’s important to get to know some of the legendary figures who helped shape it. Three names stand out above all others: Lola Flores, Camarón de la Isla, and Paco de Lucía.
Lola Flores: The Queen of Performance
Lola Flores, often called La Faraona (The Pharaoh), was not just a flamenco artist; she was a cultural icon. Born in 1923 in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, Lola was known for her powerful stage presence, fiery dance, and charismatic personality. She became a star not only for her performances in baile (dance) but also for her acting and singing. What set Lola apart was her ability to captivate audiences with her energy, a perfect example of duende. She brought flamenco to the masses, becoming a beloved figure throughout Spain and beyond.
Camarón de la Isla: The Voice of Flamenco
Camarón de la Isla is regarded as one of the greatest flamenco singers (cantaor) of all time. Born in 1950 in San Fernando, Cádiz, he revolutionized flamenco singing with his intense, emotional voice. His real name was José Monje Cruz, but he earned the nickname Camarón (Shrimp) because of his pale complexion. Camarón’s music broke boundaries, mixing traditional flamenco with more modern elements like jazz and rock, creating a new sound that attracted a younger generation of listeners. His collaborations with Paco de Lucía are legendary, and together they created some of the most iconic flamenco albums. Camarón’s singing was raw, filled with duende, and his untimely death at age 41 cemented his status as a legend.
Paco de Lucía: The Master of the Guitar
No discussion of flamenco would be complete without mentioning Paco de Lucía, the guitarist who brought the toque (guitar playing) to new heights. Paco de Lucía was a child prodigy on the guitar. He transformed flamenco guitar playing, taking it from a mere accompaniment for singers and dancers to a respected art form in its own right. Paco’s innovative approach to the guitar combined traditional flamenco rhythms with influences from classical music and jazz, and his technical skill was unmatched. My personal favourite has to be Mediterranean Sundance which contains the most unbelievable guitar solo you’ll ever hear. The story goes that it took so long to record it (that fact that not even Paco de Lucía could nail it first time speaks to its difficulty) that when they finally did Paco yelled olé which spoiled the recording. When they listened to it back, they realised that it actually added something and they decided to keep it. Listen below and see if you can spot the olé.
🧠Short-form possessive adjectives.
A short-form possessive adjective is used in each text this week but what are they? Read the explainer and have a go at the exercises below for some practice.
That’s all for this week!
Have a great week,
Ollie
❤️
Downloads
📁Download the student Boletín worksheet here and a student-friendly printout of this newsletter below.
