- Rondeña
A Rondeña is a "palo" or musical form of
flamenco originating in the town ofRonda in the province ofMalaga inSpain .In common with other "palos" originating in Malaga, the rondeña antedated flamenco proper and became incorporated into it during the 19th century.
History
The rondeña has its origin in the "fandango malagueño" and it is said that it is "the oldest fandango actually known".
According to the experts, the name does not derive from "nocturnal rounds", as some have suggested, but is based solely on the name of the town Ronda.
The rondeña spread enormously throughout Andalusia in the 19th century, to such an extent that numerous foreign observers, touring the region at the time, referred to it later in their writings.
"Cante" (Songs)
The rondeña has evolved in recent times, with a decrease in melismatic ornamentation, and generally the tempo is somewhat slower than was previously the case. It is a composition with an "ad lib"
time signature
( "compás" ), and the lyrics are frequently about rustic life. A verse consists of four octosyllabic lines which sometimes become five through repetition of the second line."Baile" (Dances)
In dance, having had no time signature at one time, the rondeña displays a rhythm of wild abandon. Some dancers have used the rhythm of the "taranto", which has many similarities but, being rondeña, more open and evocative.
Exponents
Entre sus máximos representantes se hallan: Miguel Borrull padre, siendo uno de los precursores y Ramón Montoya, siendo éste el primer gran intérprete que engrandeció el estilo.
Ya en el siglo XX destaca Manolo Sanlúcar en el toque y cantaores como Fosforito, Antonio de Canillas, Alfredo Arrebola, Jacinto Almadén, Juan de la Loma, Enrique Orozco, Antonio Ranchal, Rafael Romero, José Menese y Cándido de Málaga.
Popular rondeñas
Rondeñas vienen cantando,
sobre la cama me siento,
porque, en oyendo rondeñas,
se me alegra el pensamiento.
Las rondeñas malagueñas
cántamelas, primo mio,
que al son de las malagueñas
me voy quedando dormío.
Recommended bibliography
*"Diccionario Enciclopédico Ilustrado del Flamenco". Ed. Cinterco.
*MANFREDI CANO, Domingo. "Geografía del Cante Flamenco". Ed. Serv. Publicaciones de la Universidad de Cádiz. 1988.
*NÚÑEZ, Faustino. "Todo el Flamenco". Club Internacional del libro, Madrid. 1988.
*DVD: "Paso a Paso. Los palos del flamenco. Rondeña"
Sources
* [http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rondeña Spanish Wikipedia]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
