In the world of flamenco, you may hear this word thrown around often... "palo." For instance "what palo are you dancing?" or "that is my favorite palo," but what does it mean?
Stick???
Literally, yes, but in this particular context NO!
A "palo" in flamenco can be understood as a musical branch of flamenco.
By definition it is"cada una de las variedades tradicionales del cante flamenco*" or translated "each one of the varieties of flamenco song."
Palos are differentiated by many things including but not limited to: certain musical phrases, rhythm, speed, lyrics, place of origin, etc.
Some examples of flamenco palos that are danced include:
Tangos,
Alegrias,
Bulerias,
Siguiriyas,
Solea,
Bamberas,
and many others.
Below are two fantastic examples of the first palo I mentioned in the list:
TANGOS (my favorite palo)!
The first is La Moneta dancing to just the rhythm of tangos, here you can get an idea of the compas, the breaks, and the general feel of the palo:
The second example is performed by La Lupi and in this case we can hear the letra (or lyrics) of this tangos. In this instance it is specifically Tangos de Malaga/La Repompa:
I hope you have enjoyed these two examples of the palo Tangos performed by two living legends in the world of flamenco! In the comments let me know... what is your favorite palo???
*According to the dictionary of the RAE
So hard to choose, I think like most things (music, food, film, etc) it depends on my mood! Love your blog and thank you for sharing everything flamenco! Olé!
I love them both... but if I had to really choose... it be Tangos de Malaga/La Repompa.. I love you G... and your amazing heart and talents. Keep shining bright...