Flamenco

is one of the great European nonacademic musical forms. More than simply a type of folk music, flamenco embodies a complex musical and cultural tradition. Although considered part of the culture of Spain in general, flamenco is really specifically a product and part of the culture of one region in Spain - Andalusia. However, other areas, mainly Extremadura and Murcia, have contributed to the development of several flamenco musical forms. There are many questions remaining about the roots of flamenco, but it is generally acknowledged that flamenco grew out of the unique interplay of native Andalusians, Islamic, Sephardic, and Gypsy cultures that existed in Andalucia prior to and after the Reconquest.

Once the seeds of flamenco were planted in Andalucia, it grew as a separate subculture, first centered in “baja” (lower) Andalucia, but soon spreading to the rest of Andalucia, incorporating and transforming local folk music forms.