Soleá

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For other uses, see Solea.

Soleá at concert.

Soleares (plural of soleá, pronounced [sole a]) is one of the most basic forms
or palos of Flamenco music, probably originated around Cádiz or Seville in Andalusia, the most
southern region of Spain. It is usually accompanied by one guitar only, in phrygian mode "por arriba"
(fundamental on the 6th string); "Bulerías por soleá" is usually played "por medio" (fundamental on
the 5th string). Soleares is sometimes called "mother of palos" although it is not the oldest one
(e.g. siguiriyas is older than soleares) and not even related to every other palo
(e.g. fandangos family is from a different origin)[1]

Contents

 1Lyrics
 2Musical analysis
o 2.1Metre (compás)
o 2.2Harmonic structure
o 2.3Structure of the Soleá form
 3History
 4Main soleá styles
o 4.1Soleares from Alcalá
o 4.2Soleares from Triana
o 4.3Soleares from Cádiz
o 4.4Soleares from Jerez
o 4.5Soleares from Lebrija
o 4.6Soleares from Utrera
 5References
 6External links
 7Sources

Lyrics[edit]
When singers sing soleá, as with most palos, they normally choose different "coplas" (stanzas), with
different melody, and combine them according to the inspiration of the moment or to a previous plan.
Even if the singer has a previous plan, it is often altered on the spur of the moment. These stanzas
are independent in subject matter from one another.
The content of the lyrics is generally serious in nature, as appropriate to the solemn air of the music.
They often have a sententious tone and convey a feeling of intimate pain. Sometimes despair, more
typical of seguiriya, can also appear. However, it is difficult to generalize: sometimes a less serious
stanza can turn up in the middle of other serious ones, and irony is frequent.
The stanza of the soleá has three or four lines. In four-line stanzas, the second and fourth line are
in assonant rhyme, while the first and third are free. In three-line stanzas, the assonance is between
the first and the third. Some examples:
A three-line stanza
No se me daba cuidao
me hago cargo que ha sío un ensueño
y a lo pasaíto pasao.
Translation
I didn't mind
I know it was just a dream
and past things are past.
A four-line stanza
Fui piedra y perdí mi centro
y me arrojaron al mar
y a fuerza de mucho tiempo
mi centro vine a encontrar
Translation
I was a stone and lost my centre
and was thrown into the sea
and after a very long time
I came to find my centre again.
This type of stanza is the cuarteta romanceada, one of the oldest and
most frequent in Spanish poetry, and is derived from the medieval
"Romance" poetic form, a type of traditional epic poetry that has
survived in both learned and popular literature to our days.
The melody of a soleá can demand repeating some lines, altering their
logical order, or cutting the lines, sometimes even in the middle of
words. For example, as stanza like:
En mis cortas oraciones
le pido a dios llorando
que me quite la salud
y a ti te la vaya dando
Translation
In my short prayers
crying, I ask God
to deprive me of my health
and to give it back to you