Due to the place of my birth (Jerez de la Frontera), I have always felt a deep curiosity about flamenco. I remember that the first time I heard and watched it live and I felt a strong energy that came from those who were playing, singing and dancing at that time. There was a communication between the musicians that I noted as magical, everything seemed natural for those who were on stage. That curiosity has always remained within me, but due to the deep respect I have for this music, I never thought of going beyond merely listening to it, since, despite my musical training, it seemed complex for me to come into a field in which improvisation and the absence of scores are dominating. Later on, I found out that is the part I like the most about the knowledge of the language is deep inside the mind and body of the players, so they just listen to each other and adapt constantly, what makes this music so alive. Perhaps back then, was not the time and life just offered me the opportunity to introduce myself to this new language when I was ready for it. Finally, here I am, years later researching this art that, as the bailaor Antonio Gades said, is   "an extract of fire and poison."  

The beginning of this path hasn’t been easy because flamenco is a very broad genre and it was hard for me to find the focus of my research. At first, I wanted to learn everything about it but I soon discovered, to my disappointment,  that it was impossible to cover it in its entirety. Despite being aware that I had a long path in front of me, I found out that, as it happens with all languages, concepts are learned with patience and internalized through experience. So, I decided that the knowledge of this art that always aroused so much in me will never have an end;  enjoying the way and the little steps was the best option.

Through experimenting, listening, asking and speaking with people, I came up with the way of focusing my research. In the first place, I discovered great musicians who are dedicated to flamenco with classical instruments. They inspire and motivate me to discover what can I offer with my cello. I would like to mention some of them, because without their work and courage I don’t think I would have dared to investigate flamenco. Some of them are: Jorge Pardo, Juan Parrilla and José Joaquín Polanco de la Rosa with the flute; Carles Benavent and Ricardo Piñero with electric bass; Martin Melendez, Jose Luis Lopez and Bato Hangonyi with the cello; Sophia Quarengy and Samuel with the violin. Secondly, after verifying that it was possible to transfer the language of flamenco singers and guitarists to other instruments I started thinking about the best way to imitate the singing. Since the cello is a very similar instrument to the voice, because of the tone and limitations such as frets or keys, that makes it possible to imitate the melismas of the voice, a fundamental part of flamenco singing. Thus, speaking with flamenco singers and reviewing the extensive bibliography on flamenco singing, I discovered that the solea is ‘the mother of the singing’, for example,  José Blas Vega, a flamencologist who tells us the following about soleares: […] ''It is at the same time as a perfect beat, the poetic essence of Andalusia. It is in the soleá where the value and knowledge of the good cantaor is discovered, since due to its rhythmic and melodic conjunction, it is the brave bull of the stylistic deck. It is at the same time as a perfect heartbeat, the poetic essence of Andalusia.  […]1''

-That is how I arrived to the focus of this research-

ANALYSIS OF SECONDARY SOURCES

• Books, magazines, webs, etc.
• Two main books that are focus on soleares and an interesting webpage are the main sources for my research:
• Soler Guevara, Luis & Soler Díaz, Ramón (1992): Antonio Mairena en el mundo de la Siguiriya y la Solea.
• Blasco. García, Julio Andrés (2012): Lo que Karajan quiso saber sobre el flamenco (y no pudo) Volumen II-Las Soleares.
• Webpage that is key into finding trustworthy information (written by a flamencologist called Faustino Nuñez)- Flamencopolis
• A comprehensive reading of Alba Guerrero's thesis on flamenco singing.- Listen to the examples and explanations of vocal resources.
• Soleares audition with special mention to the webpage canteytoque

RQ: What are the melodic, rhythmical, harmonic, and structural characteristics of the cante por soleares and what tools can cellists use to imitate it in order to become a singing voice?

This research tries to make a proposal so that a cellist can imitate the voice of the soleares in flamenco singing.

In order to create the proposal, it is necessary to previously study different research questions that will help us answer the question posed in the most scientific and creative way possible, these are: 

1. What are the origins of the solea?
2. How and when did this style emerge within flamenco?
3. How is the rhythm? What is the best way of internalizing the pulse?
4. What is the typology of the Soleares?
5. What do they have in common between them and what are their differences?
6.  What is the usefulness of transcribing this singing?
7.  What is the best way to transcribe it without losing its essence of oral tradition?
8. What is their melodic scheme?
9.  How do the meter and the rhyme of the soleares work?
10. What are the lyrics about?
11. What resources do the different singers use and how can they be translated to the cello?
12.  What could a cellist contribute to this singing?

• Learning and experimenting with flamenco practitioners:

Lessons with flamenco interpreters to learn and internalize the language through experience (rhythms, melodies, way of communicating ideas…): Flamenco course with Juan Parrilla (Flamenco flutist), lessons with Faustino Nuñez, Sophia Quarengy (Flamenco violinist) and Ricardo Piñero (Flamenco bass).

• Practice to translate the singing from a flamenco singer to get some insights about techniques and ways of using the voice that can be translated into my cello technique.
• Transcribing to understand the language:
  • Transcription and analysis. (poetic, melodic, harmony, rhythm…) of different soleares to have a deeper understanding of them and have a repertoire of soleares to play.
• Experimenting:
  • Imitation of the different vocal resources of this soleares, searching for variety when they do not adapt perfectly to my instrument.

ANALYSIS OF PRIMARY SOURCES