Flamenco dictionary

A

A palo seco

Singing performed without guitar, supported—if at all—by minimal percussion such as handclaps or simple beats marking the compás. It often sounds raw and direct, placing all the focus on the voice, the aire, and intention.

Aire

The “atmosphere” or personality an interpretation conveys. When someone says an artist “has aire,” they mean their way of phrasing, standing, entering and leaving the compás, and transmitting emotion.

Alboreá

A song form traditionally linked to Gitano celebrations, especially weddings. It sits close to the world of soleá in sound and accompaniment, and is recognized for its ceremonial character.

Alegrías

A palo associated with Cádiz, with a bright, lively compás—very rewarding for dance and guitar. Although it sounds festive, it can have a very defined traditional structure, with clearly shaped sections and endings.

B

Bailaora / Bailaor

A flamenco dancer (female / male). Their work combines technique (footwork, arms, turns), musicality (compás and accents), and stage presence.

Braceo

The set of arm and hand movements in flamenco dance. It isn’t just “drawing” in the air: it also defines character, style, and dialogue with the singing and guitar.

Bulería

A fast, highly popular palo with deep roots in Jerez. It is one of the most demanding compases due to speed, shifts, and accent play; in fiestas and tablaos it often serves as an explosive finale, with plenty of room for improvisation and jaleo.

C

Cafés cantantes

Historic venues where flamenco became professionalized and was presented regularly to the public. They were key from the late 19th to the early 20th century, and are considered a direct predecessor of the modern tablao.

Cajón

A box-shaped percussion instrument played while sitting on it, striking the front panel with the hands. In flamenco it helps hold the pulse and reinforce compás accents, especially in more contemporary settings.

Cantaora / Cantaor

A flamenco singer (female / male). Their role is central: they set the emotional climate and often drive changes in intensity for both dance and guitar.

Cante

The vocal side of flamenco and, by extension, the whole universe of sung styles. To speak of cante is to speak of forms, melodies, lyrics, phrasing, and the art of placing emotion.

Cante chico

A family of lighter, more festive song forms. Themes are often everyday life, love, or joy, and it fits naturally in celebratory contexts.

Cante grande / cante jondo

Deep, solemn song forms, with intense lyrics and melismatic singing. It is associated with themes such as sorrow, loss, and anguish, and demands great interpretive authority.

Cante intermedio

A broad, flexible middle ground that includes styles that don’t fit neatly into cante chico or cante grande. It can lean serious or light depending on the performer and context.

Cantes libres

Song forms in which melody and phrasing lead and the rhythm is not “locked” into a fixed pattern. When accompanied, the guitar tends to breathe with the voice, following intention more than a strict beat.

Cantiñas

A group of styles linked mainly to Cádiz (with variants and branches), with a quick compás and a very recognizable flavor. They are staples on stage and in tablaos thanks to their energy and natural connection to dance.

Carcelera

A song form with themes linked to prison life, born from lyrics and environments where confinement shaped everyday reality. It retains a narrative tone and a distinctive emotional weight.

Cartageneras

A style related to fandangos from the mining-influenced Levante tradition. It has a distinctive melodic color and expression, associated with Cartagena and its surroundings.

Castañetas / castañuelas

A percussion instrument used in traditional Spanish dance. It may appear in “aflamencado” or bolero-school repertoire, but it is not considered an essential element of orthodox flamenco.

Colombianas

An “ida y vuelta” style inspired by popular music from the Americas. It has a lighter, melodic feel and is often performed with a clear, friendly cadence.

Compás

The rhythmic foundation of flamenco: the pattern that organizes pulse and accents. Compás can be supported by palmas, guitar, cajón, knuckle taps, or even by the way singing and dance phrase and breathe.

Copla

It can refer to the verse or stanza of a lyric. There is also “copla andaluza” as its own genre—culturally close, but different from flamenco.

D

Duende

That moment when something “opens up” and the performance goes beyond technique. The word is used for an intense connection between artist, song, and audience that moves you without needing explanation.

F

Falseta

A melodic phrase or passage played by the guitarist between accompaniments, endings, or vocal breaths. It showcases personal language, builds tension, gives the voice space, or prepares a dance entrance.

Fandango

A major family of styles with many regional variants. In flamenco it can appear with a marked compás or in freer forms, and over time it has generated highly recognizable sub-styles by place and approach.

Farruca

A palo with a sober air and firm character, closely linked to dance with a “serious” aesthetic. It is performed with a straight pulse and a guitar-and-choreography language that aims for elegance and contained strength.

G

Golpe

A flamenco guitar technique that creates percussion by tapping the soundboard with the hand (or finger) while playing. It reinforces compás accents and adds a very physical rhythmic feel.

Guajira

An ida y vuelta palo with Cuban influence and a singable melody, mixing lightness and elegance. On stage it shines thanks to its open aire and the refined work of guitarist and singer.

J

Jondo

“Hondo” (deep), said the flamenco way. It refers to profound, rootsy singing—intense emotion where interpretation matters as much as the melody.

M

Malagueña

A song form born from fandango in the Málaga area and transformed into a flamenco style with its own personality. It often moves in a freer phrasing, with space for the voice and for guitar ornamentation.

Martinete

An a palo seco song form within the world of tonás, with powerful expressive force. It is often associated with labor and metalworking (anvil, hammer) as rhythmic and social imagery.

Minera

A mining-area style from the Levante tradition, with a very distinctive melodic color and a serious feeling. Performances usually seek depth, sustained line, and a contained dramatic intensity.

N

Nuevo Flamenco

A contemporary current that expands flamenco with outside influences (jazz, rock, Latin and global music), without necessarily abandoning its core keys. It can range from a very natural evolution of guitar and singing to more obvious fusions in arrangement and production.

O

Olé

A shout of encouragement and approval, typical of jaleo. It isn’t “noise”: when said at the right moment, it reinforces the mood, a remate, or a rise in intensity.

P

Palmas

Handclapping used to hold the compás and highlight accents. It can be sharper or more open depending on the style, speed, and the color you want.

Palos

The different styles of flamenco, defined by compás, melody, character, origins, and performance practice. Knowing the palos helps you understand why a song “asks for” a certain kind of guitar or dance.

Paso

An individual movement within a choreography. In flamenco, a paso matters for where it sits in the compás and how it dialogues with singing and guitar.

Peña

A flamenco association or club where flamenco is listened to, learned, and often programmed. Many peñas have been shelters for aficionados, training grounds for artists, and spaces of oral transmission.

Peteneras

A palo surrounded by stories and controversy about its origins, with a very recognizable melodic air. Its performance often aims for a contained atmosphere and a distinctive way of phrasing.

Pitos

Finger snaps used as rhythmic support. They’re useful for marking pulse in informal settings or reinforcing a pattern when there are no palmas.

Polo

A rare, singular palo, related in pulse and air to soleá and to older forms. It is valued for its “classic” flavor and the interpretive challenge it presents.

R

Rasgueo

A guitar technique in which the fingers sweep across the strings to create chords with percussive character and energy. It is one of the signature sounds of flamenco guitar, key to lifting the compás.

Rumba flamenca

A popular style with Afro-Cuban flavor reinterpreted in Spain, very present in festive and export-friendly repertoire. It usually relies on palmas, guitar, and percussion, and works especially well in light, participatory atmospheres.

S

Sacromonte

An emblematic neighborhood of Granada, known for its cave tradition and for shows linked to Gitano-Andalusian imagery. In flamenco, it’s a mythic place associated with experience, history, and scene.

Saetas

A traditional religious song, especially linked to Holy Week, performed a cappella like a sung prayer. Its power comes from vocal intensity, devotion, and a “calling” style reminiscent of Mediterranean traditions.

Seguiriya

One of the pillars of cante jondo, solemn and emotionally weighty. On stage it requires authority: compás, silence, and intention become protagonists, and the whole cuadro often “breathes” with it.

Sevillanas

A popular Andalusian song-and-dance form, strongly associated with fairs and celebrations, especially in Seville. Although it isn’t a “jondo” flamenco palo, it often appears in shows for its festive character and deep social roots.

Soleá

A fundamental flamenco palo, serious and deep, with a great wealth of variants. It is a school of compás and phrasing: mastering soleá often signals artistic maturity and knowledge of tradition.

T

Tablao

A venue dedicated to live flamenco, heir to the cafés cantantes, designed for singing, dance, and guitar at close distance. In a good tablao, the audience feels the compás “in the body.”

Taconeo

The dancer’s rhythmic footwork, with taps and combinations that dialogue with the music. When done well, it’s not only speed: it’s clarity, accent, and control of compás.

Tocaora / Tocaor

A flamenco guitarist (female / male). Their role goes far beyond accompanying: they hold the compás, cue entrances, create moods, and add personality through falsetas and remates.

Tonás

A set of very old a palo seco song forms, where the voice leads without guitar. It’s a territory of essence: tuning, intention, silence, and interpretive truth.

Toque

The art of playing flamenco guitar and, by extension, a guitarist’s personal style. To speak of toque is to speak of compás, sound, resources, accompaniment, and a way of “speaking” through the strings.

Traje

Flamenco attire, especially visible in dance and festive contexts. It can refer both to the flamenca dress (fairs) and to stage wardrobe adapted for performance.

V

Verdiales

A style related to fandango, strongly linked to the province of Málaga. It has a marked folkloric flavor and a distinctive pulse, with its own identity within the Andalusian map.

Villancicos

Traditional Spanish Christmas songs that, in some approaches, can be performed with a flamenco color. Even so, their origin is popular and seasonal, and they do not belong to the core set of flamenco palos.