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[Versión Español]
Flamenco is one of the most peculiar music types of Europe because it has Hindu, Arabic, Jewish, Greek, Spanish and other influences. It is a long history full of unanswered questions.
The roots of Flamenco art evolved in Southern Spain and it exits in three forms: the song, the dance, and the guitar playing. Its origin is quite uncertain; the passage of various civilizations, races, and cultures through Andalusia has determined the evolution of its rhythms and harmonies.
 Flamenco rhythms are very closely related to the rhythms of India. Another strong influence comes from Arabia as it can be noted in its harmonies. There is parallelism between the song and Moroccan music.
The guitar is reminiscent of music expressions not only from North Africa but also from Black Africa.
The female dance and the move of hips and hands are similar to some Northern African dances.
Flamenco has sui generis elements which are not shared with any other folklore, as well as a great deal of influences from people of other communities that helped to make it richer and richer.
Andalusian Gypsy people have kept the flamenco dance alive and have represented it with dedication. Time and coexistence brought the tradition of Andalusian Gypsies closer to the folklore that existed in Andalusia in the eighteenth century.
The most primitive forms of flamenco did not require more instruments than those provided by the body per se.
 Gypsies found in Andalusia a perfect place to develop their musicality, since this region had an impressive cultural, artistic, and scientific boom because of eight thousand years of Arabic culture and the mix of Jewish and Christian cultures.
It is believed that the word "flamenco" comes from the Arabic term "Felag Mengu," meaning "fugitive peasant" or "peasant in flight." There are other theories, too. Flamenco started to be used as a synonym for Andalusian Gypsy since the eighteenth century.
The current flamenco music is mostly marked by the mixture with other kinds of music such as jazz, salsa, bossa nova, and ethnic sounds of different genealogies and geographies.
Furthermore, the dance incorporates novel elements. In the evolution of this century, it can be observed that women’s dance is getting similar to men’s dance as to force and technique. In early century, female dance from the waist up, where the movement of arms, hands and head had been the essential element, is gradually emphasizing the lower part of the body.
In today’s dance, the slight predominance of the man is observed.
Flamenco is a live music, as it has continued evolving since its origin and is changing, but it will always be heard better with a small circle of friends where there is nothing around but the guitar, the voice, and a dancer performing into the early hours at night.
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