The truth about Flamenco's Origins: Morocco, India, or something else?

PRESENTER: Flamenco is Spain's unique art form that encompasses passionate singing,

music and dance, fueled by guitars and filled with emotion.

But just how authentically Spanish is flamenco?

In this video, we'll delve deeper into the two disputed theories about flamenco's origin.

Let's start with the first one—North African influences.

Spain was ruled by the Moors from North Africa for over 700 years,

with Andalusia in southern Spain

experiencing the longest-lasting impact of Moorish culture.

This has led many to believe that the soulful singing and

flamenco drew inspiration from Arabic vocal styles,

characterized by emotionally elongated vowel sounds

often associated with the Mawwal genre.

If you watch these clips closely,

you might be able to spot some similarities [MUSIC] [FOREIGN]

Arabic and North African influences also seem woven into flamenco dancing.

Belly dancing has been a significant North African tradition for centuries.

If we examine the fluid movements of flamenco and those of belly dancing,

you may notice some parallels.

Roma Gypsy influences.

Now, let's shift our focus to the second theory,

the Roma Gypsy origin.

Many Spaniards attribute flamenco's roots to the Roma Gypsies,

known as Gitanos or Gitanas.

These Roma people migrated from India's Rajasthan scattering across Europe and beyond.

By examining Romani culture in various countries in India,

we see how music and dance have impacted flamenco.

Vocal runs in flamenco resemble the Indian singing technique known as Gamakas.

Let's take a look at some examples.

PRATIBHA SARATHY: Instead of singing notes in a plain manner,

like [FOREIGN SINGING] we add

some curves and slides and make it sound like [FOREIGN SINGING]

[MUSIC]

PRESENTER: Romani dancing also seems to have influenced flamenco, too.

This is most noticeable when we compare how men

dance in both Romani cultural dances and flamenco.

The dance style features quick footwork,

tapping on the thighs and feet and fluid leg movements.

Women's dances also share common traits like

the graceful handling of long skirts and delicate hand gestures seen in these examples.

Which theory holds more weight?

Firstly, it's worth noting that India and

the Arab world have had historical links through the ages,

which have resulted in comparable cultural styles of expression.

Similarly, flamenco likely emerged from

a blend of cultures resulting from multicultural coexistence.

In the 1400s, Roma Gypsy settled in Andalusia while it was still under Moorish rule,

sowing seeds for cross-cultural interactions

that shaped the modern Spanish traditions we see today.