Gypsies and Flamenco: The Emergence of the Art of Flamenco in Andalusia, Interface Collection Volume 6 [Paperback]

Bernard Leblon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003 | Series: Interface Collection (Book 6)

This is a new edition of an account of the contribution of the Gypsies of Andalusia to the development of flamenco. It provides a fuller explanation of some of the technical terms and a biographical dictionary of the foremost Gyspy flamenco artists of the past.

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About the Author

Bernard Leblon, retired professor of Hispanic studies at the University of Perpignan, is a member of the Andalusian Flamenco Foundation, a member of the Gypsy Research Centre of the Université René Descartes, and of its associated Research Group on European Gypsy History. His first work on flamenco, Gypsy Music Styles and Flamenco was awarded the 1988 Andalusian Flamenco Foundation prize.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: University Of Hertfordshire Press; 2nd edition (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1902806050
• ISBN-13: 978-1902806051
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #928,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important History and Reference Book, July 3, 2010

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Dr. Debra Jan Bibel "World Music Explorer" (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gypsies and Flamenco: The Emergence of the Art of Flamenco in Andalusia, Interface Collection Volume 6 (Paperback)

While this book may be small, it is loaded with information that any fan of flamenco music must have. Developed from first informal and then formal studies by the author with gypsies that led to a doctoral dissertation in 1980, this history is an eye-opener. Leblon traces the path of gypsies from northwest India through Europe and finally to Spain, documenting how they took the role of musical entertainers that was nearly left vacant by religious and social injunctions on the indigenous populations. (Jews also served as musicians, especially in Muslim lands.) Their mobility was viewed as a threat to social order, particularly in Christian Spain, which has had a long history of intolerance. After the Jews, then the Muslims, and then the converted Muslims (who were trusted less than converted Jews) were forced into exile, Spanish authorities then placed a series of horrific restrictions from the 16th to the end of the 18th centuries against the gypsies that make the American treatment of native tribes seem liberal, enlightened, and compassionate. A discussion on the specific origins of flamenco music itself ensues (as well as its name, derived, he concludes, from the gypsies who fought for Spain in the Flemish war.) The book includes musical and historical comparisons with the gypsies of Hungary. Leblon's attacks on Spanish historical ignorance, although justified, does wear thin. As for the musical origins, details are obscure, though certain milestones are noted, and he ignores the adaptation of palmas (hand-clapping) and the characteristic foot-tapping dances entirely. The second part, an annotated list of 200 flamenco artists (musicians, dancers, singers), is itself a valuable reference; it provides stage and family names, relationships, and accomplishments. A glossary also is added. The student of flamenco will consult this book often. It is an important addition to ethnomusicology.