El Puerto de Santa María as 'the birthplace of the flamenco'

El Puerto de Santa María is a town which is regarded as 'the birthplace of the flamenco'.

The essayists have always agreed by the fact that this 'cultural phenomenon' (flamenco) was born in Cádiz and Los Puertos, and by the fact that it was spread later towards Jerez de la Frontera and Seville.

'Singing tradition' in El Puerto de Santa María

The 'singing tradition' of this town gets lost in time, although we could say, nowadays, that it is preserved in the purity of its most ancient and brilliant stage.

Medieval ballads still alive

We could also say that El Puerto de Santa María is the only place where we find alive, the now remote medieval ballads, that nowadays survive in the oral gypsy tradition, which constitute the origin of 'the most primitive flamenco'.

El Puerto de Santa María is regarded by the "Cátedra Menéndez Pidal" (Menéndez Pidal Professorship) as a 'first-rate ballad centre' in the world.

'Living fossils' of the Andalusian gipsy singing

The ways of Andalusian gypsy singings, which are preserved in El Puerto de Santa María, are regarded as 'living fossils', due to its high antiquity.

Some of those 'ways' are the following: "Los corridos", "las seguiriyas", "las soleás", "los tangos", "las cantiñas", and a great deal of 'personal ways' of Andalusian gypsy singings, due to great figures in the Andalusian gypsy world.

Important 'authorities' in the Andalusian gypsy world

Some of those are Tomás "El Nitri" (nickname), Pedro Niño "El Brujo" (nickname), Antonia "La Coquinera" (nickname), Luisa "La del Puerto", or the old man Alonso, and the old women Juana and Dolores, nicknamed "Los del Cepillo".

'New sap' in the Andalusian gypsy world

In addition to the authorities mentioned before (in the previous section), nowadays, we also find 'young authorities', who make stand out in the Andalusian gypsy world: like for example Ramón "Orillo" (nickname), or "Pansequito".

A gathering and a circle keep 'the fondness' alive