Cante Jondo competition, 100 years after

“El cante… comes from the first cry and the first kiss”.

Federico García Lorca

Cante Jondo, also called Primitive Andalusian song, is the purest interpretation of flamenco, where the deepest feelings of the cantaores are expressed in a unique and moving way.

The origin of Cante Jondo is still uncertain.

According to Manuel de Falla originated from the Arabic and Hebrew chants introduced to Spain by the gypsies.

Another theory suggests it comes from ancient catholic liturgical chants.

Believe it or not, the most soulful expression of flamenco became despised and rejected.

In the 1920s, the Cante Jondo was considered a musical genre that belonged to the tavern environment.

However for Manuel de Falla and Miguel de Cicerón the Cante Jondo was a unique musical genre worthy of recognition, yet in danger of being lost. 

According to Falla, commercialism and flamenquism were the decadence of the jondo genre.

Hence, the idea of celebrating a Cante Jondo contest, aiming  to preserve the disappearing genre, was born.

Falla and Cicerón shared the idea with their friends, renowned intellectuals such as Manuel Ángeles Ortíz, Federico García Lorca, Hermenegildo Lanz or  Fernando Vilchez.

They also consider the contest as a magnificent idea.

And in 1922 it led to the celebration of a cante jondo competition, the first national flamenco singing competition to be held.

Falla’s demands were strict.

First of all  singers were to avoid abusive flourishes in their singing and  theatrical or concert style. 

Also, all professionals over the age of 21 were excluded. 

While this requirement eliminated many voices that potentially would have enriched the competition, the professionals could instead send their pupils.

That was the reason why Lorca, along with Manuel Ángeles Ortiz, decided to visit taverns and villages, in search of anonymous talents.

This memorable search was rewarded with the discovery of the most singular cantaores and cantaoras.

Hidden talents that would thrill the audience of the Concurso del Cante Jondo.

The contest was full of mistakes and successes, surprises and anecdotes.

One of them was the curious suspicion about the success of Federico García Lorca’s speech, expressed by his own father.

Actually, he did not show up in the Alhambra´s Plaza de los Aljibes until  was certain that his son’s speech had been well received by the public.

But the Cante Jondo competition was not the only advocate of the “primitive singing”

Poema del cante jondo

On the bare mountain

an ordeal.

Clear water

and centenary olive trees.

Through the alleys

men in cloaks,

and in the towers

wind vanes whirling.

Eternally

whirling.

O lost people

in the Andalusia of weeping!

Cante Jondo Poem- Federico García Lorca

During the Cante Jondo competition preparations in 1922, Federico García Lorca wrote his poetic creation Poema del cante jondo (Poem of Cante Jondo).

Nevertheless  the Poema del Cante Jondo was not published until 1931.

This new piece, quite different from Suites and Canciones, reveals Lorca’s pursuit of the Andalusian identity.

Federico created these poems inspired by the lyrics of cante jondo.

He wanted to bring the reader closer to the origin of flamenco singing and the jondo feeling.

The first sections are dedicated to the siguiriya, the soleá, the saeta and the petenera.

And each of these signings were personified in the form of a woman.

 “We are a sad people, a static people”, says Federico García Lorca.

That is why frustrated love, death, pain and grief, are the main themes of the book.

Federico García Lorca, and Manuel de Falla, were the main figures responsible for the modern renovation of “cante jondo”.

They succeeded in elevating the “cante primitivo” to the level of excellence of the international avant-garde. 

The “Poema del cante jondo”, and the Cante Jondo contest in 1922 marked a historic turning point for Andalusian culture.

And today, 100 years later, The Granada Music and Dance Festival aims to capture and transmit its legacy.

Granada´s Music and Dance Festival

The cry begins of the guitar.

The glasses break in the early morning.

The cry of the guitar of the guitar.

It’s useless to silence it.

It is impossible to silence it.

It cries monotonously

like water cries,

as the wind cries

on the snowfall.

It is impossible to silence it.

It cries for things from far away.

Hot southern sand

that asks for white camellias.

It cries for an arrow without a target,

the afternoon without tomorrow,

and the first dead bird

on the branch.

Oh guitar!

Heart badly wounded

by five swords.

“Las guitarras”- Federico García Lorca

The Granada International Music and Dance Festival fuses popular tradition with the highest culture.

And it offers music and dance shows performed in the most impressive places in Granada.

Venues such as the Generalife Gardens, the Palace of Charles V, the Palacio de los Córdova or La Chumbera, which represent  authentic examples of Andalusian identity.

Every year, since 1.951, the Festival, offers numerous music and dance shows, many of them free entry, represented by the most outstanding performers on the current scene.

In fact, this year, in memory of the legendary Cante Jondo  1922 contest, there will be several flamenco and singing recitals. 

The most representative events include the Flamenco Nights, dedicated to the ancient art that the intellectuals of the time wished to vindicate.

Thus, this event will bring together the main flamenco masters alongside the new promises of Andalusian art.

Creating bonds between generations. 

Also, there will  be chamber and symphonic music concerts.

Not forgetting the German composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Johannes Brahms, sponsors of this edition, whose compositions will be heard in the different concerts.

What else could you ask for? Music, dance, art, culture, tradition…

Granada is full of wonders awaiting you to discover them.

Granada, cante jondo and much more

Granada is a destination with endless possibilities.

From breathtaking landscapes, the most delightful dishes, stunning architecture, and its fascinating history.

Whether you want to visit for a romantic getaway, a family trip, alone or with friends.

Granada will always surprise you and will leave a lasting memory, as heartfelt and moving as its unique cante jondo.

Contact me  and let’s enjoy the most profound feeling of Granada together.