Flamenco, Body and Soul

"An introduction to the enigmatic and fascinating world of flamenco", says the introduction, and the book fulfils this function very well. Few are better qualified to write such a work than Sr. Serrano: born in 1934, he was at the time of writing both old enough to have played for the great singers and dancers of the past (and to have been friends with the legends of the past such as Niño Ricardo and Manolo de Huelva), and young enough to evaluate newer artists and trends. Nor must we forget his own contribution, first as the young fenómeno in Spain in the 50's, then subsequently as one of the famous four (with Sabicas, Mario Escudero and Carlos Montoya) who raised Flamenco to such heights of popularity in the USA, and indeed world-wide. This is clearly a labour of love, and very well done. Commencing with Sr. Serrano's autobiography, it continues with a brief history and then surveys the various aspects of Flamenco in turn. Easily intelligible even to the uninitiated, the style is not merely serviceable but excellent, with many felicitous turns of phrase. But perhaps the happiest idea was the inclusion of a cassette illustrating the points made in the book with some of the great recordings of the past, and a couple made specially for the occasion by Sr. Serrano. Besides the photographs of artists such as Niña de los Peines and Manuel Torre, there are many interesting ones from the authors' private collections -- the most endearing of which is of an intent-looking Juanito, aged three. The point of view throughput is a personal one, and not all with agree with some of the evaluations (e.g. of the relative merits of Fosforito and Juan Talegas). There are some minor quirks as well, such as the reference to the latter (d. 1971) and to Niña de los Peines (d. 1969) in the present tense. However, this remains (with Donn Pohren's The Art of Flamenco) one of the best and most readable introductions in the English language. Highly recommended.

Flamenco singing, which is the heart of this traditional art, is almost unknown to U.S. audiences because of its intense personal style, which is frankly embarrasing to English-speaking audiences, and the relative inaccesibility of its lyrics. Serrano and Elgorriaga's book makes a figurative leap over these hurdles toward its readers through in-depth explanations of the singing technique and precise translations of the Spanish text. The first half of the book relates some of the major recent developments of flamenco through the biography of Juan Serrano, guitar accompanist, solo performer/composer, and co-author. The second portion gives examples of the phrasing, voice quality, and inspiration of the singers in text and on the accompanying cassette (highly recommended). I would give five stars to this book had it included a section on some of the brilliant new performers of today who represent a new direction in flamenco music.