I found the singing we heard today in class absolutely fascinating. I do not know if those singers are just trained a different way from westerners or if they are ruining their voices by the 'westerly trained' definition or if their voices sound the way they do because they have been abused, but the result is like nothing I have ever heard before.
I won't spend this whole blog talking about vocal technique, but it definitely cannot escape mention the amount of resonance most of those singers achieve. They are allowing their voice to use so much of their face for the tone of the singing that the vibrations through their nose and face creates almost a buzz in their tonality and that is a totally legitimate, practiced and desired characteristic of western professional singers. It is the way to get the best and most powerful tone with the least effort and damage... that having been said - how do they make their voices sound so "brazen, overwrought and tortured?"
I am torn in attributing this sound and style to the nature of the emotions they are expressing, and the explanation that they are just taught to sing that way. I feel the answer probably lies between the two which means that we, having western ears are caught looking for emotion in the tone, but knowing that the entire sound is different and emotional because it is so new to us. I feel this cante jondo could be compared very readily to opera because so much emotion IS expressed through the sound. The way I have always understood opera is that the text is of such a secondary importance that many people attend operas barely knowing the story, much less having read the libretto. All the sentiment expressed in the story is within the music - perhaps that is how flamenco songs are meant to be explored. Perhaps the true message and rare emotion is within the tone of the singer and the motions of the dance and not in the text at all.
If you remember the Gypsy woman who mournfully sang on top of the hill while her little boy built a fire, we did not hear her text in English until after the song was finished, but it was clear to me as I am sure it was to many that she was in great anguish long before we understood her words.
Posted by sandenb at January 18, 2005 09:17 PMI agree completely -- this type of connection between emotions and projection creates a completely different gut-wrenching reaction to the flamenco songs.
This makes me question, however, where the "advancement" of music has taken us. As you indicated once when we spoke about the rhythms developing in more modern "western" music - I wonder sometimes if that comes at the expense of the natural expression that the freedom of flamenco allows.
Posted by: katie at January 25, 2005 09:53 AM