Promoting Quechua and Aymara in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador; Quiche and Garifuna in Guatemala; and Guarani in Paraguay will inevitably lead to wiping out the Spanish language. Spanish is is disintigrating therefore disapearing in Hispanic America and Spain in favor of Neo-Spanish, Lunfardo, Portunhol, Quechua, Aymara, Quiche, Garifuna, Guarani, Catalan, Galician, Basque, Aragonese, Asturian, and Leonese.
Is Spanish expanding?
<< IN 1975, QUECHUA WAS MADE AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF PERU (ESCOBAR 1981, HORNBERGER 1987), WHICH EVEN INCLUDED THE TEACHING OF QUECHUA TO SPANISH SPEAKERS. SIMILARLY, BOTH QUECHUA AND AYMARA WERE MADE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES, COEQUAL TO SPANISH, IN BOLIVIA (MINAYA-ROWE, 1986). ONE OF THE MANIFESTATIONS OF GIVING OFFICIAL STATUS WAS "THE USE OF BOTH QUECHUA OR AYMARA AND SPANISH ON (THE) RADIO" (MINAYA-ROWE, 1986). >>
This is the information that I've been looking for. Now there's a backalsh going on, Spanish speakers learn Quechua instead of the other way around.
This is a sign that Spanish is giving way to ASmerindian languages like Quechua and Aymara. Now that the 2 languages have already their written form, they are on their way to get implemented as the medium of instruction in schools in place of Spanish. Yes, even the cholos or mestizos as known in thoise 3 countries are beginning to speak them CON GUSTO.
MUY BIEN FELICITACIONES A LOS HABLANTES DE LOS 2 IDIOMAS. UN SUCCESO PARA SU DERECHOS.
This is the information that I've been looking for. Now there's a backalsh going on, Spanish speakers learn Quechua instead of the other way around.
This is a sign that Spanish is giving way to ASmerindian languages like Quechua and Aymara. Now that the 2 languages have already their written form, they are on their way to get implemented as the medium of instruction in schools in place of Spanish. Yes, even the cholos or mestizos as known in thoise 3 countries are beginning to speak them CON GUSTO.
MUY BIEN FELICITACIONES A LOS HABLANTES DE LOS 2 IDIOMAS. UN SUCCESO PARA SU DERECHOS.
<< IN 1975, QUECHUA WAS MADE AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF PERU (ESCOBAR 1981, HORNBERGER 1987), WHICH EVEN INCLUDED THE TEACHING OF QUECHUA TO SPANISH SPEAKERS. SIMILARLY, BOTH QUECHUA AND AYMARA WERE MADE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES, COEQUAL TO SPANISH, IN BOLIVIA (MINAYA-ROWE, 1986). ONE OF THE MANIFESTATIONS OF GIVING OFFICIAL STATUS WAS "THE USE OF BOTH QUECHUA OR AYMARA AND SPANISH ON (THE) RADIO" (MINAYA-ROWE, 1986). >>
This is the information that I've been looking for. Now there's a backlash going on, Spanish speakers learn Quechua instead of the other way around.
This is a sign that Spanish is giving way to Amerindian languages like Quechua and Aymara. Now that the 2 languages have already their written form, they are on their way to get implemented as the medium of instruction in schools in place of Spanish. Yes, even the cholos or mestizos as known in those 3 countries are beginning to speak them CON GUSTO.
MUY BIEN FELICITACIONES A LOS HABLANTES DE LOS 2 IDIOMAS. UN SUCCESO PARA SU DERECHOS.
This is the information that I've been looking for. Now there's a backlash going on, Spanish speakers learn Quechua instead of the other way around.
This is a sign that Spanish is giving way to Amerindian languages like Quechua and Aymara. Now that the 2 languages have already their written form, they are on their way to get implemented as the medium of instruction in schools in place of Spanish. Yes, even the cholos or mestizos as known in those 3 countries are beginning to speak them CON GUSTO.
MUY BIEN FELICITACIONES A LOS HABLANTES DE LOS 2 IDIOMAS. UN SUCCESO PARA SU DERECHOS.
What's the matter hispanic fanatics suddenly you became mute. Why can't you answer those information that I posted from reliable sources or link that Amerindian languages are promoted to special status at the expense of Spanish? Are you afraid that one day these Amerindian languages will overcome Spanish and fall to its disuse one day because their birthrate is higher than ther hispanics in those countries?
Come on answer those text from website or links made by hispanics. It's the constitution itself of Guatemala that gave them recognition. DIGA ME!
Come on answer those text from website or links made by hispanics. It's the constitution itself of Guatemala that gave them recognition. DIGA ME!
Spain is becoming Hindianized. See how they appreciate and produced a number of hindi songs in this video.
hindi songs from spain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VqmXh9rBp8&eurl=http://videos.desishock.net/index.php?module=item&action=show_item_full&itemurl=aHR0cDovL3lvdXR1YmUuY29tLz92PV9WcW
hindi songs from spain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VqmXh9rBp8&eurl=http://videos.desishock.net/index.php?module=item&action=show_item_full&itemurl=aHR0cDovL3lvdXR1YmUuY29tLz92PV9WcW
Yeah and they even groom themselves to make themselves look like Hindu Indians.
Maybe a lot them are chanting हरि कृष्ण.
Maybe a lot them are chanting हरि कृष्ण.
Hey, Spanirads do not only have Arab blood running in their veins but Indian too through Gypsies. Remember that Gypsies have enormous influence on the Spanish culture. Just read the article below.
INDIALUCÍA
Where East joined West
By Miguel CZACHOWSKI
Around the Ninth Century, for some unknown reasons, thousands of inhabitants of the north-western part of India began to emigrate west. They set out from the territories presently occupied by the Punjab and Pakistan. In Persia they split, and one part went via Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco and through the Gibraltar Strait, finally arriving, already known as Gypsies, in the south of Moorish Spain. In this region, known as Al-Andalus, various cultures co-existed for hundreds of years. It was the only place where Gypsies, Jews, Catholic's and Muslims lived together for a long time. Each group had its own customs, music and instruments. After many years, in the beginning of the 19th Century, due to mutual influences and the mingling of all these elements, a mysterious and expressive type of music emerged. Today we know it as Flamenco.
The Middle East, specifically India, was a cradle of the culture and language of most of Europe. Inhabitants of its northern part constituted the oldest civilisation of the world, together with Egypt, Mesopotamia and China. It was there, in the Indus river valley, where the first religions, first laws and first instruments and musical notations appeared. The oldest book written in India around 2000 BC gives mantras chanted to honour gods, based upon one, two or three notes, which with time were transformed into a heptatonic scale. A seven-note scale, popular already in 350 BC, was written as sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni, and it remained in this form up till now. The Indian scale was richer than any other since it had quarter tones, that is intermediate notes between semitones, giving 22 quarter tones (shrutis) within one octave. Quartertones in Indian music are present mainly in ornaments of the melody. However, they can also be used in melodic parts, which may make a singer or instrumentalist seem out of tune for a person accustomed to European music. Somewhere between the 2nd and the 5th Centuries the first book devoted to the art was written, Bharata Natya Shastra, containing a detailed description of the vocal and instrumental music, as well as of dancing. According to the book, the base of Indian music is constituted by raga, that is a sequence of at least five notes of one scale. A melody founded on it is performed according to specific principles and with a certain mood. The book lists six main ragas and each one of them has its variations. After converting it into the European note system, assuming that the first note in the scale will be the sound C, these six ragas are as follows:
Bhairav - C, Db, E, F, G, Ab, B, C
Shri - C, Db, E, F#, G, Ab, B, C
Malkauns - C, Eb, F, Ab, Bb, C
Hindol - C, E, F#, A, B, C
Deepak - C, Db, E, F#, A, B, C
Megh - C, D, F, G, A, C
The 6th Century was the time when canons for music and arts were established. They are valid even today as they gave rise to the development of classical music based upon the system of ragas and rhythms accompanying them. Indian music started to develop more and more rapidly, and good musicians were more appreciated and sought by rulers.
The music culture also influenced other countries; Indian Brahmins introduced it to Persia and Arabia, thus disseminating it to the West. Simultaneously, the Arab music entered Andalucia, then occupied by the Arabs. The first ruler of Al-Andalus, Abd ar-Rahmân I, invited to his court Arab musicians, who brought poetry, songs, musicians and musical instruments, such as flutes, drums and an Arab lute oud. In 822, a poet and singer came from Bagdad to Cordoba. His name was Abu al.-Hasan Alî ibn Nafi and he was known as Zyryâb (a black bird). This extremely talented man played a key role in the musical education of the whole of Al-Andalus as he established an academy, introduced an Arab-Persian system of musical notation, and trained more than 10,000 musicians.
Soon, during the first raids of Muslims to northern India, their highly developed Arab music began to influence the Indian. Persian musicians and singers enriched the already existing musical tradition with their own elements and instruments and created new musical forms. One of them were qawwalies, that is songs performed to honour God. Musical development in India reached its peak during the reign of Allaudin Khilia in the 14th Century. Amir Khushro (1254-1324) was a minister of a Mughal sultan, a great poet, musician and expert on Indian, Persian and Arab music. What he did for Indian music cannot be equalled by anything done before or after his time. He introduced many ragas and rhythms and, above all, he created two new instruments, which today constitute the basis for Indian music: the sitar and tabla.
NEWCOMERS FROM INDIA
Muslim invasion and division into castes by them in the occupied region made a part of the people leave the country. Mostly they belonged to the lowest caste shudra or chandala, who were outside the caste system. It is not known why or when they had to leave India. Anthropologists and historians have various hypotheses. However, one part emigrated at the beginning of the 15th Century, after the Mogol invasion carried out by Tamerlain the Great, who took over the north-western territory of India. These people could already in the 5th Century have emigrated from the region of the Indus river. One of the 11th Century Persian epics reads that King Behram Gour (420-438) asked an Indian rajah, Shankal to send musicians to his court in order to cheer up sad Persians. The rajah sent him 10,000 musicians of both sexes called Luri, able to play stringed instruments, sing and dance. However, they did not want to devote themselves to agriculture and after some time they were banished from Persia and went farther west.
The Map, The Route of the Gypsies
As the caravans of wandering Indians moved west, they absorbed elements of the cultures of the countries through which they passed. When they reached Spain their language, dancing and singing were still similar to those taken from India. The first Gypsy tribes were settled in Andalucia during the reign of Abd ar-Rahman III, in the 10th Century. In the beginning they claimed to be pilgrims from Egypt, doing their penance for their deeds. The second group of Gypsies, going along the northern route leading through Afghanistan, Byzantium, Armenia, Greece, Serbia, Germany and France reached Spain in 1425. Both groups of Gypsies met on the peninsula - however, they were no longer the same people. By assimilating elements of countries they passed they were considerably changed, in terms of culture, music and language, as well as customs.
GITANOS FLAMENCOS
Today we know that flamenco came from the Gypsies of Andalucia. They created the music, which is not similar to Gypsy music from any other part of Europe. They did not bring with them to Spain anything that would resemble flamenco. Neither were any traces of this kind of music found in the countries through which they passed. Then, why was flamenco created in Andalucia and nowhere else, if all Gypsies came from the same part of the world?
When the first Gypsy tribes arrived in Andalucia, there had already existed a highly developed musical culture. The Gypsies acquired it very quickly, interpreting it in their own way. In three centuries they would extract from this mixture of cultures something that later would be called flamenco.
The creation of flamenco dancing and singing was influenced not only by the existing cultures of people already there, but also their temperament, their way of living and their social situation. In Andalucia, in small, white, mountain towns, at the foot of decaying old Moor forts, the Gypsies encountered people who were similar to them. These were Jews and Morisques. The feeling of mutual bonds or some kind of familiarity was strengthened when somewhere between the 15th and 18th centuries regulations relating to the Gypsies were introduced. Gypsies, deprived of their rights just like Jews and Morisques, had to face the same suffering, poverty and persecutions. They mingled together because they belonged to the same social group. This whole suffering found its reflection in the themes and character of the later flamenco songs, which in their primary forms expressed suffering and pain. From the same time, that is from the end of the 18th Century comes the first mention of flamenco music.
It was of songs from Jerez de la Frontera, performed by a Gypsy known as Tío Luis el de la Juliana. Something that was not yet called flamenco sounded only in the light of smiths' furnaces or in Gypsy houses. Gypsies had been singing and dancing people for centuries, however though, we are not able to say what melodies came from their houses and caves untill the middle of the 18th Century. From the drawings preserved from this time we can learn that before a guitar was introduced, the role of accompanying instruments was played by a tambourine, castanets, violin, hammer and anvil, as well as clapping.
Gradually, the Gypsy songs started to leave smithies for streets, little taverns and neighbouring patios. A blacksmith's lament sung to the rhythm of the anvil became a song called martinete, a song about solitude soleá, and a prisoner's lament carcelera. What previously had played a very mystic and personal role, sometimes even a religious one, became slowly a part of culture of all Gypsies. They began to appreciate songs and dances more, giving particular forms individual features and melodies. Later, a sixth string was added to a guitar, which became an accompanying instrument. Singing in taverns became a kind of ritual and tradition to such an extent that some taverns focused mainly upon music. Gypsies were associated with singing and dancing, and their way of life and music became a theme of many poems and theatrical plays.
Several years later, flamenco suddenly spread throughout the whole of Spain, and it was performed not only by Gypsies, but also by the Madrid payos (non-gypsies). In the middle of the 19th Century there were many flamenco clubs, where every night flamencos performed. Many new artists quickly started to appear and flamenco became an art throughout the country. The following 50 years created the majority of the song, music and dance forms known today. Singing began to be appreciated not only by Gypsies, but by members of the upper social classes who started to attend performances. This once intimate form of expressing emotion through song, music and dance became a means of earning a living, which led to a situation where artists could focus upon their own artistic development, creating new forms and their own style. The second half of the 20th Century was the time when this art fully flourished and today it is the most popular ethnic music in the world, having thousands of fans on all continents and inspiring many musicians.
GYPSY - OR INDIAN?
After leaving India, Gypsies maintained the features of their mother tongue. Their dialect is similar to Hindi, Pali and Penjabi - languages derived from Sanskrit and used in the territories of Hindustan, Punjab and the kingdom of Sindh. Quite many words taken from the countries where the Gypsies stayed can be taken as proof of their wanderings.
Their appearance, with their black hair, dark complexion and dark eyes was extremely similar to that of the inhabitants of the Indus river valley from the central and western Hindustan. One 15th Century chronicle says of them: "... They were skinny, dark and they ate like pigs. Their women wore shirts with cloths hung across them and they had extremely ornamented earrings...". Even today Indians from the region are skinny, dark and eat with the fingers (though this is a custom of many races and largely a matter of convenience). A characteristic feature of a traditional dress from the Punjab - penjabi - is a shawl worn on the cleavage, in which women like to wear ornamented jewellery. Thus Gypsies with an Indian origin were gradually becoming Spaniards and their individuality was slowly fading. Today Andalusian Gitanos speak Spanish. Only some words or expressions from the old language of Spanish Gypsies called Caló, Zincalé or Romani remain in use, and even they are spoken according to the principles of Spanish grammar.
INDIAN MUSIC AND FLAMENCO
Indian music does not exhibit harmony, counterpoint or chords, but it is very distinctively based upon melody and rhythm. The musical tradition of India, which in spite of its long existence has never developed those elements, typical of European music, generated extremely complicated rhythms and hundreds of scales unknown to the musicians from Europe. Rhythmic schemas of this music are probably as difficult to learn for a European as baroque polyphony or jazz harmony for an Indian. However, a characteristic feature of both jazz and classical Indian music is improvisation, which constitutes 90 % of an artist's concert. An ever-returning theme and its improvised variations are present in creating music of both those styles. In terms of rhythm and expression, Indian music resembles flamenco a great deal. The rhythm, which next to the melody constitutes a basis of a composition, is also a theme for improvisation. Unevenly distributed stresses in cycles in the Indian music as well as in flamenco, require a great sense of rhythm from an artist. Extremely dynamic rhythmic parts in dialogues between the melodic and the percussion instruments resemble dialogues between the guitar and tapping of a dancer or cajón player. In this case the artist makes use of ready-made patterns or points in which they both interrupt the phrase in an ideally synchronised way. Such rhythmic tricks make a great impression upon listeners who express their admiration with shouts like "kiabathe", "uaa" or "allah" (direct equivalents of the flamenco "ole"), cheering the performing artists. An extremely dynamic form of flamenco, bulerías contains elements such as expression, instrumental virtuosity and a sense of rhythm, which in Indian music are present in the faster parts of ragas. Free forms of flamenco, deprived of rhythm, such as martinete, tarantas, granainas or saeta resemble aalap, which is the first part of a raga, performed ad libitum, with a very mystic character.
One of the oldest rhythms established in Indian music was ektal - with a structure of 12 beats. In flamenco, the basic compás, a basis of the majority of forms, exhibits the same structure. The only things that make it different from the Indian rhythm are stresses and a way of phrasing. An Indian musician usually begins and finishes his improvisation together with the first beat of a cycle, stressing it and thus giving a listener a point where he can catch up with the rhythm. In flamenco, and especially more modern performance, the syncopated phrase or stresses lie between the beats in a bar and it is an artist's intention to surprise the listener who enjoys it very much.
Flamenco singing, being of an Oriental origin, is based mostly upon three scales, which are popular also in Indian music. For example, seguiryias, bulerías, tarantas, soleares or tangos are based upon the ragas bhairavi, bhairav or basant mukhari. The melismata and portamento used in Indian music are very close to flamenco but are much more complicated. The melodic range in flamenco seldom crosses the limits of a sixth, whereas in Indian singing the range depends on how much the singer can span and sometimes covers even three octaves. Similarities with flamenco song could be noticed also in qawwali singing from Pakistan, where an artist almost shouts out verses of a song in a husky voice.
In the present form of flamenco dance we can trace certain similarities to the kathak style from the north of India. The elements that resemble the dance of Andalusian Gypsies are the movements of arms, palms and fingers as well as tapping, typical for this kind of dance. In both styles the dance is usually performed by one person and it is closely connected to the music and rhythm. In flamenco a dancer is accompanied by a guitar, singing, clapping and a cajón, whereas in kathak apart from singing it can be tabla, pakhawaj, sitar or sarangi. In this case kathak is barefoot, and the tapping rhythm is dictated by bells hung at the dancer's ankles and by a loud "clapping" with his foot against the floor. Flamenco, however, is much more dynamic, sometimes even aggressive, or with an erotic character. In flamenco a dancer does not tell any story and his gestures do not bear any meaning: his movements and gestures express emotions or they emphasise the meaning of lyrics and character of the melody accompanying them.
We cannot say for sure that flamenco has its roots in India. However we know, that the Gypsies left India ages ago. One could wonder: had they arrived from China, would flamenco develop in the form we know today? Even if both those extremely interesting genres of music are not directly related, one can state that what is common to Indian and flamenco music is their emotionality, expression, rhythm, depth and sensitivity.
translated by Iweta Kulczycka
http://indialucia.com/indiaframe.php?s=india01
INDIALUCÍA
Where East joined West
By Miguel CZACHOWSKI
Around the Ninth Century, for some unknown reasons, thousands of inhabitants of the north-western part of India began to emigrate west. They set out from the territories presently occupied by the Punjab and Pakistan. In Persia they split, and one part went via Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco and through the Gibraltar Strait, finally arriving, already known as Gypsies, in the south of Moorish Spain. In this region, known as Al-Andalus, various cultures co-existed for hundreds of years. It was the only place where Gypsies, Jews, Catholic's and Muslims lived together for a long time. Each group had its own customs, music and instruments. After many years, in the beginning of the 19th Century, due to mutual influences and the mingling of all these elements, a mysterious and expressive type of music emerged. Today we know it as Flamenco.
The Middle East, specifically India, was a cradle of the culture and language of most of Europe. Inhabitants of its northern part constituted the oldest civilisation of the world, together with Egypt, Mesopotamia and China. It was there, in the Indus river valley, where the first religions, first laws and first instruments and musical notations appeared. The oldest book written in India around 2000 BC gives mantras chanted to honour gods, based upon one, two or three notes, which with time were transformed into a heptatonic scale. A seven-note scale, popular already in 350 BC, was written as sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni, and it remained in this form up till now. The Indian scale was richer than any other since it had quarter tones, that is intermediate notes between semitones, giving 22 quarter tones (shrutis) within one octave. Quartertones in Indian music are present mainly in ornaments of the melody. However, they can also be used in melodic parts, which may make a singer or instrumentalist seem out of tune for a person accustomed to European music. Somewhere between the 2nd and the 5th Centuries the first book devoted to the art was written, Bharata Natya Shastra, containing a detailed description of the vocal and instrumental music, as well as of dancing. According to the book, the base of Indian music is constituted by raga, that is a sequence of at least five notes of one scale. A melody founded on it is performed according to specific principles and with a certain mood. The book lists six main ragas and each one of them has its variations. After converting it into the European note system, assuming that the first note in the scale will be the sound C, these six ragas are as follows:
Bhairav - C, Db, E, F, G, Ab, B, C
Shri - C, Db, E, F#, G, Ab, B, C
Malkauns - C, Eb, F, Ab, Bb, C
Hindol - C, E, F#, A, B, C
Deepak - C, Db, E, F#, A, B, C
Megh - C, D, F, G, A, C
The 6th Century was the time when canons for music and arts were established. They are valid even today as they gave rise to the development of classical music based upon the system of ragas and rhythms accompanying them. Indian music started to develop more and more rapidly, and good musicians were more appreciated and sought by rulers.
The music culture also influenced other countries; Indian Brahmins introduced it to Persia and Arabia, thus disseminating it to the West. Simultaneously, the Arab music entered Andalucia, then occupied by the Arabs. The first ruler of Al-Andalus, Abd ar-Rahmân I, invited to his court Arab musicians, who brought poetry, songs, musicians and musical instruments, such as flutes, drums and an Arab lute oud. In 822, a poet and singer came from Bagdad to Cordoba. His name was Abu al.-Hasan Alî ibn Nafi and he was known as Zyryâb (a black bird). This extremely talented man played a key role in the musical education of the whole of Al-Andalus as he established an academy, introduced an Arab-Persian system of musical notation, and trained more than 10,000 musicians.
Soon, during the first raids of Muslims to northern India, their highly developed Arab music began to influence the Indian. Persian musicians and singers enriched the already existing musical tradition with their own elements and instruments and created new musical forms. One of them were qawwalies, that is songs performed to honour God. Musical development in India reached its peak during the reign of Allaudin Khilia in the 14th Century. Amir Khushro (1254-1324) was a minister of a Mughal sultan, a great poet, musician and expert on Indian, Persian and Arab music. What he did for Indian music cannot be equalled by anything done before or after his time. He introduced many ragas and rhythms and, above all, he created two new instruments, which today constitute the basis for Indian music: the sitar and tabla.
NEWCOMERS FROM INDIA
Muslim invasion and division into castes by them in the occupied region made a part of the people leave the country. Mostly they belonged to the lowest caste shudra or chandala, who were outside the caste system. It is not known why or when they had to leave India. Anthropologists and historians have various hypotheses. However, one part emigrated at the beginning of the 15th Century, after the Mogol invasion carried out by Tamerlain the Great, who took over the north-western territory of India. These people could already in the 5th Century have emigrated from the region of the Indus river. One of the 11th Century Persian epics reads that King Behram Gour (420-438) asked an Indian rajah, Shankal to send musicians to his court in order to cheer up sad Persians. The rajah sent him 10,000 musicians of both sexes called Luri, able to play stringed instruments, sing and dance. However, they did not want to devote themselves to agriculture and after some time they were banished from Persia and went farther west.
The Map, The Route of the Gypsies
As the caravans of wandering Indians moved west, they absorbed elements of the cultures of the countries through which they passed. When they reached Spain their language, dancing and singing were still similar to those taken from India. The first Gypsy tribes were settled in Andalucia during the reign of Abd ar-Rahman III, in the 10th Century. In the beginning they claimed to be pilgrims from Egypt, doing their penance for their deeds. The second group of Gypsies, going along the northern route leading through Afghanistan, Byzantium, Armenia, Greece, Serbia, Germany and France reached Spain in 1425. Both groups of Gypsies met on the peninsula - however, they were no longer the same people. By assimilating elements of countries they passed they were considerably changed, in terms of culture, music and language, as well as customs.
GITANOS FLAMENCOS
Today we know that flamenco came from the Gypsies of Andalucia. They created the music, which is not similar to Gypsy music from any other part of Europe. They did not bring with them to Spain anything that would resemble flamenco. Neither were any traces of this kind of music found in the countries through which they passed. Then, why was flamenco created in Andalucia and nowhere else, if all Gypsies came from the same part of the world?
When the first Gypsy tribes arrived in Andalucia, there had already existed a highly developed musical culture. The Gypsies acquired it very quickly, interpreting it in their own way. In three centuries they would extract from this mixture of cultures something that later would be called flamenco.
The creation of flamenco dancing and singing was influenced not only by the existing cultures of people already there, but also their temperament, their way of living and their social situation. In Andalucia, in small, white, mountain towns, at the foot of decaying old Moor forts, the Gypsies encountered people who were similar to them. These were Jews and Morisques. The feeling of mutual bonds or some kind of familiarity was strengthened when somewhere between the 15th and 18th centuries regulations relating to the Gypsies were introduced. Gypsies, deprived of their rights just like Jews and Morisques, had to face the same suffering, poverty and persecutions. They mingled together because they belonged to the same social group. This whole suffering found its reflection in the themes and character of the later flamenco songs, which in their primary forms expressed suffering and pain. From the same time, that is from the end of the 18th Century comes the first mention of flamenco music.
It was of songs from Jerez de la Frontera, performed by a Gypsy known as Tío Luis el de la Juliana. Something that was not yet called flamenco sounded only in the light of smiths' furnaces or in Gypsy houses. Gypsies had been singing and dancing people for centuries, however though, we are not able to say what melodies came from their houses and caves untill the middle of the 18th Century. From the drawings preserved from this time we can learn that before a guitar was introduced, the role of accompanying instruments was played by a tambourine, castanets, violin, hammer and anvil, as well as clapping.
Gradually, the Gypsy songs started to leave smithies for streets, little taverns and neighbouring patios. A blacksmith's lament sung to the rhythm of the anvil became a song called martinete, a song about solitude soleá, and a prisoner's lament carcelera. What previously had played a very mystic and personal role, sometimes even a religious one, became slowly a part of culture of all Gypsies. They began to appreciate songs and dances more, giving particular forms individual features and melodies. Later, a sixth string was added to a guitar, which became an accompanying instrument. Singing in taverns became a kind of ritual and tradition to such an extent that some taverns focused mainly upon music. Gypsies were associated with singing and dancing, and their way of life and music became a theme of many poems and theatrical plays.
Several years later, flamenco suddenly spread throughout the whole of Spain, and it was performed not only by Gypsies, but also by the Madrid payos (non-gypsies). In the middle of the 19th Century there were many flamenco clubs, where every night flamencos performed. Many new artists quickly started to appear and flamenco became an art throughout the country. The following 50 years created the majority of the song, music and dance forms known today. Singing began to be appreciated not only by Gypsies, but by members of the upper social classes who started to attend performances. This once intimate form of expressing emotion through song, music and dance became a means of earning a living, which led to a situation where artists could focus upon their own artistic development, creating new forms and their own style. The second half of the 20th Century was the time when this art fully flourished and today it is the most popular ethnic music in the world, having thousands of fans on all continents and inspiring many musicians.
GYPSY - OR INDIAN?
After leaving India, Gypsies maintained the features of their mother tongue. Their dialect is similar to Hindi, Pali and Penjabi - languages derived from Sanskrit and used in the territories of Hindustan, Punjab and the kingdom of Sindh. Quite many words taken from the countries where the Gypsies stayed can be taken as proof of their wanderings.
Their appearance, with their black hair, dark complexion and dark eyes was extremely similar to that of the inhabitants of the Indus river valley from the central and western Hindustan. One 15th Century chronicle says of them: "... They were skinny, dark and they ate like pigs. Their women wore shirts with cloths hung across them and they had extremely ornamented earrings...". Even today Indians from the region are skinny, dark and eat with the fingers (though this is a custom of many races and largely a matter of convenience). A characteristic feature of a traditional dress from the Punjab - penjabi - is a shawl worn on the cleavage, in which women like to wear ornamented jewellery. Thus Gypsies with an Indian origin were gradually becoming Spaniards and their individuality was slowly fading. Today Andalusian Gitanos speak Spanish. Only some words or expressions from the old language of Spanish Gypsies called Caló, Zincalé or Romani remain in use, and even they are spoken according to the principles of Spanish grammar.
INDIAN MUSIC AND FLAMENCO
Indian music does not exhibit harmony, counterpoint or chords, but it is very distinctively based upon melody and rhythm. The musical tradition of India, which in spite of its long existence has never developed those elements, typical of European music, generated extremely complicated rhythms and hundreds of scales unknown to the musicians from Europe. Rhythmic schemas of this music are probably as difficult to learn for a European as baroque polyphony or jazz harmony for an Indian. However, a characteristic feature of both jazz and classical Indian music is improvisation, which constitutes 90 % of an artist's concert. An ever-returning theme and its improvised variations are present in creating music of both those styles. In terms of rhythm and expression, Indian music resembles flamenco a great deal. The rhythm, which next to the melody constitutes a basis of a composition, is also a theme for improvisation. Unevenly distributed stresses in cycles in the Indian music as well as in flamenco, require a great sense of rhythm from an artist. Extremely dynamic rhythmic parts in dialogues between the melodic and the percussion instruments resemble dialogues between the guitar and tapping of a dancer or cajón player. In this case the artist makes use of ready-made patterns or points in which they both interrupt the phrase in an ideally synchronised way. Such rhythmic tricks make a great impression upon listeners who express their admiration with shouts like "kiabathe", "uaa" or "allah" (direct equivalents of the flamenco "ole"), cheering the performing artists. An extremely dynamic form of flamenco, bulerías contains elements such as expression, instrumental virtuosity and a sense of rhythm, which in Indian music are present in the faster parts of ragas. Free forms of flamenco, deprived of rhythm, such as martinete, tarantas, granainas or saeta resemble aalap, which is the first part of a raga, performed ad libitum, with a very mystic character.
One of the oldest rhythms established in Indian music was ektal - with a structure of 12 beats. In flamenco, the basic compás, a basis of the majority of forms, exhibits the same structure. The only things that make it different from the Indian rhythm are stresses and a way of phrasing. An Indian musician usually begins and finishes his improvisation together with the first beat of a cycle, stressing it and thus giving a listener a point where he can catch up with the rhythm. In flamenco, and especially more modern performance, the syncopated phrase or stresses lie between the beats in a bar and it is an artist's intention to surprise the listener who enjoys it very much.
Flamenco singing, being of an Oriental origin, is based mostly upon three scales, which are popular also in Indian music. For example, seguiryias, bulerías, tarantas, soleares or tangos are based upon the ragas bhairavi, bhairav or basant mukhari. The melismata and portamento used in Indian music are very close to flamenco but are much more complicated. The melodic range in flamenco seldom crosses the limits of a sixth, whereas in Indian singing the range depends on how much the singer can span and sometimes covers even three octaves. Similarities with flamenco song could be noticed also in qawwali singing from Pakistan, where an artist almost shouts out verses of a song in a husky voice.
In the present form of flamenco dance we can trace certain similarities to the kathak style from the north of India. The elements that resemble the dance of Andalusian Gypsies are the movements of arms, palms and fingers as well as tapping, typical for this kind of dance. In both styles the dance is usually performed by one person and it is closely connected to the music and rhythm. In flamenco a dancer is accompanied by a guitar, singing, clapping and a cajón, whereas in kathak apart from singing it can be tabla, pakhawaj, sitar or sarangi. In this case kathak is barefoot, and the tapping rhythm is dictated by bells hung at the dancer's ankles and by a loud "clapping" with his foot against the floor. Flamenco, however, is much more dynamic, sometimes even aggressive, or with an erotic character. In flamenco a dancer does not tell any story and his gestures do not bear any meaning: his movements and gestures express emotions or they emphasise the meaning of lyrics and character of the melody accompanying them.
We cannot say for sure that flamenco has its roots in India. However we know, that the Gypsies left India ages ago. One could wonder: had they arrived from China, would flamenco develop in the form we know today? Even if both those extremely interesting genres of music are not directly related, one can state that what is common to Indian and flamenco music is their emotionality, expression, rhythm, depth and sensitivity.
translated by Iweta Kulczycka
http://indialucia.com/indiaframe.php?s=india01
Maybe the Hispanics are beginning to appreciate the Hindu Indian side of their heritage. Hindi films and culture are now sappreciated so much in Hispanic America. I've gotten one link about this.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Salma Hayek in Hindi films?
According to a news report Salma Hayek, the mexican actress is going to act in five hindi films ( to be shot in english too simultaneously) with the Bollywood hero Akshay Kumar. This is said to be part of a deal between Carving Dreams Entertainment, a Bollywood company and Hollywood Studios International.
Salma looks like an Indian and should go down well with the Indian audience.
Sushil Choudhry and Lathika of Mann India Tech told me once that Salma was in India on a private visit and nobody noticed her thinking that she was an Indian.
I have seen many of her movies. My favourites are Frida and El callejon de los milagros( miracle alley)
This is yet another India- Latin America connection through films.
In 2006 DhoomII, the Bollywood film was shot in Rio.
Christina of Brazil is planning a Indo-Brazilian film " tamarind".
Miss Canela, Amb Hans and Minister Eddy Martinez of Dominican Republic are trying hard to take Bollywood to shoot in their beautiful country.
http://latinamericanaffairs.blogspot.com/2007/07/salma-hayek-in-hindi-films.html
Monday, July 02, 2007
Salma Hayek in Hindi films?
According to a news report Salma Hayek, the mexican actress is going to act in five hindi films ( to be shot in english too simultaneously) with the Bollywood hero Akshay Kumar. This is said to be part of a deal between Carving Dreams Entertainment, a Bollywood company and Hollywood Studios International.
Salma looks like an Indian and should go down well with the Indian audience.
Sushil Choudhry and Lathika of Mann India Tech told me once that Salma was in India on a private visit and nobody noticed her thinking that she was an Indian.
I have seen many of her movies. My favourites are Frida and El callejon de los milagros( miracle alley)
This is yet another India- Latin America connection through films.
In 2006 DhoomII, the Bollywood film was shot in Rio.
Christina of Brazil is planning a Indo-Brazilian film " tamarind".
Miss Canela, Amb Hans and Minister Eddy Martinez of Dominican Republic are trying hard to take Bollywood to shoot in their beautiful country.
http://latinamericanaffairs.blogspot.com/2007/07/salma-hayek-in-hindi-films.html
There's another group of indians in Hispnic America that would likely merge it's culture with Hindu Indians and that is the Amerindian group.
When Columbus landed in Hispaniola, he saw natives and called them Indios because he thought he landed in India. Take a look at dresses the Quechuan and Aymaran speakers of the Andes, so similar to a Indo-Sino group highly influenced by the Indian culture.
Well, hindu Indian culture won't be having a hard time penetrating the Hispanic American society. After all, criollos and mestizos/cholos carry hindu blood whether they like it ot not and a lot of them are now turning to India for cultural inspiration and seeking to study hindi and inquire about hindu religion.
When Columbus landed in Hispaniola, he saw natives and called them Indios because he thought he landed in India. Take a look at dresses the Quechuan and Aymaran speakers of the Andes, so similar to a Indo-Sino group highly influenced by the Indian culture.
Well, hindu Indian culture won't be having a hard time penetrating the Hispanic American society. After all, criollos and mestizos/cholos carry hindu blood whether they like it ot not and a lot of them are now turning to India for cultural inspiration and seeking to study hindi and inquire about hindu religion.
In France the Governmen has a plan to make Arabic a very studied language. Even the French president himself recognizes that the language of future in France is Arabic!. Read if you can:
The French president: "Arabic is the language of future"
The French government is strongly advocating the teaching of Arabic language and civilization in French schools. Not surprising, considering the number of Arabs and Muslims in France, and the unctuous deference with which they are treated by officials, beginning notably with Nicolas Sarkozy, who cannot praise enough the splendor of Arabic contributions to the world.
The French National Assembly was the scene of a meeting earlier this month of the first Conference on the Teaching of Arabic Language and Culture, attended by a variety of interested parties. There was much wearisome blather about the need for "dialogue."
In his message to the participants, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Arabic the "language of the future, of science and of modernity," and expressed the hope that "more French people share in the language that expresses great civilizational and spiritual values."
"We must invest in the Arabic language (because) to teach it symbolizes a moment of exchange, of openness and of tolerance, (and it) brings with it one of the oldest and most prestigious civilizations of the world. It is in France that we have the greatest number of persons of Arabic and Muslim origin. Islam is the second religion of France," Sarkozy reminded his listeners.
He proceeded to enumerate the various "advances in terms of diversity," the increase in Muslim sections of cemeteries, the training of imams and chaplains and the appointments of ministers of diverse backgrounds.
"France is a friend of Arabic countries. We are not seeking a clash between the East and West," he affirmed, emphasizing the strong presence of Arab leaders at the founding summit of the Union for the Mediterranean, last July 13. "The Mediterranean is where our common hopes were founded. Our common sea is where the principal challenges come together: durable development, security, education and peace," added the French president.
The French president: "Arabic is the language of future"
The French government is strongly advocating the teaching of Arabic language and civilization in French schools. Not surprising, considering the number of Arabs and Muslims in France, and the unctuous deference with which they are treated by officials, beginning notably with Nicolas Sarkozy, who cannot praise enough the splendor of Arabic contributions to the world.
The French National Assembly was the scene of a meeting earlier this month of the first Conference on the Teaching of Arabic Language and Culture, attended by a variety of interested parties. There was much wearisome blather about the need for "dialogue."
In his message to the participants, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Arabic the "language of the future, of science and of modernity," and expressed the hope that "more French people share in the language that expresses great civilizational and spiritual values."
"We must invest in the Arabic language (because) to teach it symbolizes a moment of exchange, of openness and of tolerance, (and it) brings with it one of the oldest and most prestigious civilizations of the world. It is in France that we have the greatest number of persons of Arabic and Muslim origin. Islam is the second religion of France," Sarkozy reminded his listeners.
He proceeded to enumerate the various "advances in terms of diversity," the increase in Muslim sections of cemeteries, the training of imams and chaplains and the appointments of ministers of diverse backgrounds.
"France is a friend of Arabic countries. We are not seeking a clash between the East and West," he affirmed, emphasizing the strong presence of Arab leaders at the founding summit of the Union for the Mediterranean, last July 13. "The Mediterranean is where our common hopes were founded. Our common sea is where the principal challenges come together: durable development, security, education and peace," added the French president.
<<What's the matter hispanic fanatics suddenly you became mute. Why can't you answer those information that I posted from reliable sources or link that Amerindian languages are promoted to special status at the expense of Spanish? Are you afraid that one day these Amerindian languages will overcome Spanish and fall to its disuse one day because their birthrate is higher than ther hispanics in those countries?
Come on answer those text from website or links made by hispanics. It's the constitution itself of Guatemala that gave them recognition. DIGA ME! >>
You convinced us! We are now too busy learning French and Quechua to visit this site any more. Good job! LOL!
Come on answer those text from website or links made by hispanics. It's the constitution itself of Guatemala that gave them recognition. DIGA ME! >>
You convinced us! We are now too busy learning French and Quechua to visit this site any more. Good job! LOL!
You Frenchies are losers and in denial.
You keep talking about native languages in Latin America while many "French" African country also recognize native languages, sometimes at the national level. What the hell is the difference?
You keep talking about Hindi (don't know why) while Arab muslims continue to infiltrate you language HQ - France. In the name of "diversity" muslims and arabs will get more and more special treatment until they are large enough to turn France into the Islamic republic of France. QUE LASTIMA! JAJAJAJA!
ALSO, French is so defensive and insecure that Quebec and even France have to pass language laws to protect the use of French. France doesn't even recognize regional languages because of the insecurity. Sorry, but if you have to "force" people to use French by law, then that shows how desperate they really are.
You weak arguments are a waste of time Frenchies.
You keep talking about native languages in Latin America while many "French" African country also recognize native languages, sometimes at the national level. What the hell is the difference?
You keep talking about Hindi (don't know why) while Arab muslims continue to infiltrate you language HQ - France. In the name of "diversity" muslims and arabs will get more and more special treatment until they are large enough to turn France into the Islamic republic of France. QUE LASTIMA! JAJAJAJA!
ALSO, French is so defensive and insecure that Quebec and even France have to pass language laws to protect the use of French. France doesn't even recognize regional languages because of the insecurity. Sorry, but if you have to "force" people to use French by law, then that shows how desperate they really are.
You weak arguments are a waste of time Frenchies.
BTW I would prefer hindus over muslims anytime. Good luck France!
I convinced you! You are now too busy learning Arabic and African languages to visit this site any more. Good job! LOL!
I convinced you! You are now too busy learning Arabic and African languages to visit this site any more. Good job! LOL!