Flamenco Styles: Malagueñas

Teatro Flamenco Málaga would like to present malagueñas, a style of flamenco full of history which bears the name of our city, Málaga.

The malagueñas are a style of flamenco full of emotion and feeling in each of its songs and dances. 

The Origin of the Malagueñas

Malagueñas, as a flamenco style, has its roots in Málaga. This musical style developed over time, blending different cultural and musical influences that come together in the Málaga region. 

To understand the origins of the malagueñas style of flamenco we have to go back to the 19th century, when flamenco began to evolve and diversify into the different styles we call today palos. Although today's malagueñas come from the old fandangos of Málaga and other provinces in Andalusia, there are differing opinions about their origin. The first of those, and one of the most widely considered, is related to the flamenco singer, Juan Breva, and his mid-century fandangos, except the dance which is not included in the modern malagueñas.

Another of the theories most supported by the public links this flamenco style with the flamenco singer, Juan Reyes, “El Canario”. In this period the malagueñas begin to distinguish themselves from the fandango, with a slower more sustained touch. 

In this flamenco style the guitar plays an important role giving the melodies rhythmic freedom that, together with the voice of the flamenco singer offers the malagueñas a distinct personality, recognisable from the first few seconds of the song. Over time the guitar has continued to grow in importance until finally it takes over from the dance which disappears from this flamenco style.

What are the Malagueñas like?

The song of this flamenco style is made up of octosyllabic four or five line verses with cross rhymes, where the first and third line and the second and fourth line rhyme with each other. The four-line verses become six as the first and third line are often repeated.

The lyrics tend to be poetic and full of sentiment in which the beauty and splendour of the city of Málaga and its most emblematic monuments are themes of the songs, although, there are sometimes tragic lyrics, such as those composed by Manuel Machado, the poet that was interested in cante jondo and dedicated lyrics such as these:

“Las penas que tú me das

son y no son penas: 

que tienen cositas malas, 

y tienen cositas buenas”

“The pain that you cause me

 is and isn’t pain:

 it has its bad points

and it has its good points”

The most well-known malagueña style songs are “Maria de la O” and “Malagueña Salerosa”. 

These songs are a true reflection of Malageñan and Andalusian culture and history, as well as being proof of the richness of flamenco.

The most important performers of Malagueñas

There have been many different singers of this style of flamenco, such as, Antonio Cruz Garcia, better known as Antonio Moreno or El Niño de Mairena, a famous Sevillian flamenco singer. This flamenco artist marked the before and after in flamenco art, thanks to his knowledge and continuous learning. One of his most well-known songs is “A Mi Me Da El Sentimiento” which can be translated as You Make Me Feel Sad.

“De quererte toa mi vida

a mi me daba sentimiento

de yo quererte toa mi vida

pero yo paso el tormento

de que no eres mía

y así voy pasando el tiempo”

“From loving you all my life, 

I felt sad. 

From loving you all my life, 

but now the storm has passed 

and you are not mine 

and so time passes for me.”

There is also Pepe de la Matrona, flamenco singer from the Triana area in Seville. He stood out for the purity of his traditional style and was a reference point for flamenco fans and a source of inspiration for those who wanted to learn authentic flamenco singing. As well as standing out in the malagueñas style, he was emblematic in other styles such as bulerías, cantiñas, deblas, fandangos, peteneras, seguiriyas, serranas, soleás, tangos and tonás. A prodigy in all the flamenco styles, he left us some real works of art in his songs.

If you can’t resist the urge to see fantastic, live flamenco, we will welcome you to Teatro Flamenco Málaga, a must-see in Málaga for all flamenco fans who are looking for a unique experience and authentic, live flamenco in the centre of Málaga. 

At Teatro Flamenco Málaga we aim to show the authentic art of flamenco by maintaining its Spanish and Andalusian identity. We believe that it is of the utmost importance to conserve and promote the wealth and variety of flamenco.

We invite you to experience a unique moment, full of emotion with a line-up of top-notch flamenco artists. Get your Málaga flamenco show tickets here.