Talk:Flamenco/Archive 1

Flamenco is not folk music or folk dance and never was
All Flamenco topics should actually not be in the "spanish folk music" category. Flamenco was created and has been formed by professional musicians. Even if the music has not been taken down in writing and the performers sometimes did not even know how to read and write, Flamenco music and dance has always been a highly sophisticated art form. You might as well classify Jazz or the Indian Raga as folk music. Martinvie (talk) 18:56, 14 September 2008 (UTC)
 * The 19th century amateur historians and folklorists who "traced" its origins back to the 15th century have been debunked in recent decades by professional historians as speculators and mythmakers. User:Provocateur  (talk)

By a narrower definition Flamenco is not folk ("old songs, with no known composers").

But it has either got to be classical music (like Indian Ragas, always performed by clasically trained musicians), popular music (like rock and roll or Motown) or folk music in a wider sense -- which includes Fado, the Blues, or Rebetico (with Jazz on the borderline between folk music and popular music; Jazz drew on popular dance music, a very "commercial" form, not represenative of a particular region or people).

(I'm satisfied with the line from the Wikipedia article proposing that "COMMERCIAL" is the opposite of folk: "(Folk) has been contrasted with commercial and classical styles", and would then say, you can label as "Folk" any indigenous music with a limited audience and much kinship between the ("professional") artists and that audience.)

"Folk" is used in the Rebetico article for a music comparable with jazz in that it was a sophisticated urban music invented by people who were already professional musicians in different styles: "Rebetiko, ... is a term used today to designate originally disparate kinds of urban Greek folk music which have come to be grouped together since the so-called rebetika revival, which started in the 1960s and developed further from the early 1970s onwards." 77.98.32.90 (talk) 20:47, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

Flamenco song forms
I've started putting in a list of the flamenco song forms. I think it's probably best just to name them here and give each one a separate page to describe its characteristics. On the other hand it might be better to have pages for cante jondo, cante chico etc. and use those to describe all the relevant forms. This page is still very much a work in progress and would definitely benefit from some more expert input. Magnus 12:11 Apr 18, 2003 (UTC)
 * Hi Magnus, I've reclassified the song forms. The previous form only had compás as its only criterium for classification, but the usual classification takes other things into account, like their origin: some forms are considered subclassification of other forms, as it happens with the palos inside the cantiñas group. Besides, some forms were not classified depending on their real compás: there was no category for the tango rhythm, for example. I intend to do some more work on this part of the article. I think this part of the article should be treated as a kind of map, with only titles and a very basic description of the groups, and then they should point to a more complete article on the palo itself. BTW, I've also started an article about malagueñas.GemmaMS 22:12, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

More deletions
Deletion: "The art of flamenco dance was immediately defined in the contrast between male and female styles." from the "Golden Age" section. I think this comment is out of the scope of this section. Also, I've never heard that this differentition must haev come at this particular time in history: it must be a lot older, and it's typical of many folklores. GemmaMS 18:10, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

Deletion: "Julián Arcas was one of the first composers to write flamenco music especially for the guitar." Julián Arcas never wrote "flamenco" pieces. He was always a classical guitarist. He wrote pieces some pieces which were inspired by flamenco, but composing flamenco pieces is quite different. In his turn, he probably influenced flamenco guitarists. But this sentence is misleading. It would be interesting, though, to write an article about the mutual influence of flamenco and classical guitar. GemmaMS 18:10, 13 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Regarding song forms, I notice that Tango points to the Argentinian Tango. I understand that that is a form quite distinct from the Tangos Flamenco.  Will check with my expert.  Any direct knowlege out there?  --Davout 14:04, 20 Apr 2004 (UTC)
 * Totally distinct! An article on flamenco tango has to be created (and a corresponding disambiguation page). GemmaMS 22:12, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Origins of flamenco

 * clarification:: although flamenco originated mainly in Andalusia, other regions such as Murcia and Extremadura have done an extensive contribution to some of its palos. Besides, at a later stage in its development it was "exported" to other parts of the Spanish state and even abroad: this involved a growing number of excellent flamenco artists who were not born in Andalucía, some of which have left a seminal legacy, like Ramón Montoya. On the aspect of race, flamenco, is not an exclusive creation of the gypsies, either, but certainly without their contribution flamenco would be a very different thing. GemmaMS 22:12, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
 * and I add: without the non-gypsies it would also be very differentGemmaMS 22:17, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Flamenco is the music of the gypsies and played in their social community. Gypsy Andalusian people who grew up around gypsies and the life were also accepted as "flamencos" (Paco de Lucía)." This sentence is not right. Flamenco is a complex mixture of musical roots. Gipsies wer quite important in flamenco's consolidation, but the roots form Spanish native roots has a similar importance. Some of the greatest singers and players - i.e. Don Antonio Chacon or Paco de Lucía - were or are not Gipsy. And Silverio Fraconetti, the first XIX century great singer, first with a structured vision o flamenco, had Italian roots.   And Today, Miguel Poveda, for example, no Gipssy, is one of the most important ´cantaores´. On the other hand, other regions as Extremadura or Murcia, which has neber been in Andalucía are really important for flamenco. Specially Murcia, where the mine variations area basic for the current dramatic  aspects. Even, tradicional music from Aragon, jotas, were impotant for the creation of the 'palo' called 'Alegrias', during the Spanish Independece war against Napoleon. Therefore, 'flamencos' is term which is imputed to those artist and persons which has a deep knowledge of the music, dance o interpretation and are close to this culture.

been reading up about origins of flamenco, and would like to point out that it has absolutely nothing to do with the sephardim. they left spain in 1492 (edict of explusion), well over 400yrs before flamenco emerged. according to a paper by alvarez cabellero read out at the flamenco history conference in 1997, flamenco history can be divided into 5 areas which i have summarised below:
 * (1) preflamenco (pre1765) andalusian gypsy, and popular non-gypsy influences
 * (2) the era of the "primitives" (c.1765-1860) not sure what he means by this
 * (3) the "Golden Age" (ca. 1860-1910) dance cafes
 * (4) the era of the opera flamenca (c.1910-1955) influence from the americas, flamenco on the concert stage
 * (5) the "renaissance" (c.1955-1985) guitar, singing, dancing as a performance art etc

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.68.248.253 (talk) 15:55, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

i take it back. i am not sure whether the music of the sephardim had anything to do with it...conversos remained after the edict of expulsion...documentation is complicated coz they would've been killed if anyone knew they were still practicing jews. hmmm... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.68.199.139 (talk) 13:41, 20 March 2008 (UTC)

Is no-one writing here aware that the term gypsy is highly derogatory to the Roma people? Not only does the form that is correctly credited to the Roma on the page get attributed to the Spanish, but the incidental credit that they do get is phrased as an insult - something akin to 'the blues is Ni..er music. Please think twice before you use the term. 81.107.147.216 (talk) 00:09, 3 October 2009 (UTC)


 * The careful work of modern historians, built patiently on facts, not speculation and myth, has debunked all that old romantic hypothetical "pre-1765" "pre-flamenco history", and "hermetic period" nonsense of earlier folklorists. Flamenco or pre-flamenco did not exist before the later 1700s.

Romani origins (Even Spanish government recognise it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvEUHW-qoTU 92.236.215.232 (talk) 14:52, 20 December 2011 (UTC)
 * Who cares what the Spanish government says? Cite only respected and up to date historians of the subject, NOT governments or tourist bodies or international bodies with a political axe to grind, PC or otherwise.

Other comments
I suggest that the term flamenco is too generalized. The article itself is losin

The article says that the style started with accompaniment and without. Any idea which is correct? No, it isn't, of course. Should be better explained.GemmaMS 20:58, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

"

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.175.205.42 (talk) 07:18, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Sometimes you write "Andalusia" and sometimes "Andalucia"... is this okay?

History: Overview
Still needs reworking, but I've removed some repetitions and inaccurate parts: - This is prejudice, in the period between 1955 and our days, these "harsh" voices have been predominant. But if you listen to the records between 1900 and 1955, most of the voices are in fact quite thin, incredibly supple and capable or reaching very high notes. Many types of voices have coexisted in flamenco since early times. In the book Escenas andaluzas by Estébanez Calderón, written in 1847, we can read a conversation between two of the most famous Gypsy cantaores: El Planeta, and El Fillo. The latter was known for his extremely harsh voice, so harsh that this type of voice has come to be known among flamenco fans as afillá. El Planeta, the older master, tells the young "El Fillo", talking about another harsh-voiced singer, El Broncano, that "Broncano's voice is harsh and unacceptable and his style is not elegant, and not from this land, so I beg you (...) not to walk in his waters: stay in the old path, and don't move an inch from it." The whole episode can be read (in Spanish) in the Instituto Cervantes virtual library: (deleted link, sorry, the Biblioteca Cervantes has exaggerated rules to link to it, including even the type of font which must be used (!!!). GemmaMS 20:58, 9 November 2006 (UTC)
 * "Flamenco singers are specifically renowned for their somewhat harsh and natural vocal quality. This style is meant to evoke the nature of suffering so closely related to the origins of the music."


 * Blas Infante was not an etymologist. He studied Law, and he is known as the founder of Andalusian nationalism. See http://www.fundacionblasinfante.org/mblas.html GemmaMS 22:39, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Fandangos, from Málaga?
I've deleted the following sentence: "It is almost certain that fandangos are folk forms which originated in Málaga, Spain." Strange, I've been into flamenco for years and I've never heard this theory. Certainly, the malagueñas and some other fandango styles come from Málaga. But there are many theories about the origin of fandango, and they're out of the scope of a general article about flamenco. GemmaMS 22:39, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

I've also deleted this one: "There are early song and dance forms that appear to be direct forebears of flamenco. These are the romances and jacaras, both of which guard one of the basic compas patterns of flamenco. As well, the zarabandas and the early fandangos guarded a compas "abandalao". The compas of the fandangos is still sung in the province of Málaga." The first part is about the romances and jácaras is a repetition of other ideas. I've never heard that zarabandas had compás abandolao: compás abandolao is a regular 6/8, totally different. And Málaga, again!! There must have been somebody from Málaga here! The eternal habit of flamenco fans (and many critics) to set the origins of everything in their backyard. GemmaMS

I always thought Fandangos were from Huelva?--Burgas00 (talk) 18:04, 14 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I agree with Burgas, I've always heard that fandangos are traditionally from Huelva. --Gibmetal 77 talk 17:41, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Palos
Deleted: "The most fundamental palos are: Toná, Soleá, Fandango and Seguiriya. These four palos all belong in the cante jondo category and form the rhythmic basis for nearly all the other palos." I've deleted this sentence for the following reasons:


 * It leaves totally out the palos in 4/4 metre, which are also considered "basic"... whatever "basic" means in flamenco (a rather controversial category).


 * Fandango is not traditionally considered "jondo", although this is controversial.GemmaMS 16:08, 11 November 2006 (UTC)

Also deleted: "The cante jondo, called the mother of flamenco, consists of 12 beats, with accents on the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th beats. Songs are composed of several falsetas with rhythms defined by the song form."

Cante jondo is NOT defined by its compás, but, traditionally on the basis of two factors: Tonás, for example are traditionally considered as "cante jondo"... and they have no recognisable "compás". GemmaMS 16:12, 11 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Its serious, pathetic nature
 * Its Gypsy, origin (by contrast with palos with Andalusian folkloric origin, with Ibero-American influences, etc.
 * Songs are not composed of falsetas: falsetas are not sung!

Deleted: "Flamenco cante consists of a number of traditional (and not-so-traditional) forms, with characteristic rhythmic and harmonic structures. The rhythm (compas) is perhaps the most fundamental distinguishing feature of the different flamenco forms." It is redundant information. GemmaMS 16:17, 11 November 2006 (UTC)

The rise of flamenco
This section was full of outdated theories, probably taken from books written in the sixties or earlier. Those theories have been exposed from modern research.GemmaMS 18:10, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

Flamenco guitar
Hi all. Any help with Flamenco guitar would be appreciated. 30% of the current page was written by me surfing the net and writing things as I thought they were important (no copy-paste, though).

-- TimNelson 11:01, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Flamenco Guitar
!!! DYLAN HUNT IS NOT A FLAMENCO GUITARIST !!!

I am not sure how to go about this (editing), but there is a comment on this page refering to guitarists not playing by themselves any more (which is arguable), "except for a few guitarists like "Dylan Hunt" and Gerardo Núñez". Who is Dylan Hunt? The link takes you somewhere that does not portray a guitarist (some futuristic movie).

Apologies if this is not the place or the procedure for this edit.

Juan Antonio Martínez
I can be reached at jams777 at hotmail 84.77.119.186 09:11, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

What weasel words is the tag referring to?
If the "weasel words" are identified, they can be discussed and rewritten. If no one can identify them, then I think the tag should go. --Antonio.sierra 04:54, 9 June 2007 (UTC)

flamenc=gitano??
according to the spanish article, Borrow mistaked flamenc with gypsies because of the colonies of germens and flemish (flamencos in spanish) that were placed there to combat bandoleers.Lots of them joined the criminals.As many bandoleers were gypsies to begin with...the term was confusing for Borrow.

''Durante el siglo XVIII el asistente Olavide pretendió combatir el bandolerismo instaurando colonias de catolicos alemanes y flamencos (tenidos por disciplinados y laboriosos) en el Alto Guadalquivir. El fracaso de adaptación de muchos de ellos engrosó las filas de las bandas de asaltadores en los que los gitanos ya eran numerosos, pudiéndose producir una confusión entre el término flamenco (que a la vez designaba también de manera jergal a la navaja) y las gentes marginales. Dicha confusión es registrada por Borrow en su viaje por España.'' --Brownarthur (talk) 18:38, 11 December 2007 (UTC)

WikiProject
¡Hola! I've been pondering for a while on the idea of having a WikiProject Flamenco. I think there are quite a number of flamenco related articles that could be grouped within the WikiProject in order to improve them and create new ones. Does anyone else think there's scope for this project? --Gibmetal 77 talk 15:52, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

Phrygian Mode etc
Hi, I was doing some research for my spanish A-level (a project on flamenco etc) and I noticed in the music section that it refers to guitarrists playing 'IN' the mode. A mode is certainly not a way of doing something like on an electrical item (where on say...a clock one might say that it is in 12/24 hour mode) it is a word of a similar meaning to 'scale' but thay are usually more obscure to western classical tradition where scales come from. I think the appropriate terminology would be: playing using the phrygian/dorian mode (not 'in' it).


 * The terminology of a topic as old as music cannot be expected to be very consistent, but it is very common for musicians to refer to a scale that a piece is written "in", not "on" or "using" (e.g., J. S. Bach wrote a "Mass IN B Minor", not a "Mass ON B Minor" or a "Mass USING B Minor"). As for "mode", it is indeed a scale in its own right, but the word "mode" indicates a specific relationship to another scale, often a scale of more fundamental importance. This usage of the word "mode" refers to what in mathematics is called a "cyclic permutation", e.g., given the scale C Major, C D E F G A B, a cyclic permutation involves taking the first note and moving it to the end, yielding D E F G A B C, which is as you indicate the Dorian mode. So is this D Dorian or C Dorian? I have seen both, but almost always this has been called D Dorian, the Dorian mode of C Major. Similarly, another cyclic permutation results in E F G A B C D, the Phrygian mode (these are the modern definitions of the Greek modes; there are indeed previous definitions that no one I know uses anymore, including things like "Hypodorian", etc.; see Helmholtz, "On the Sensations of Tone"). The complete set of cyclic permutations, starting with no permutation at all, generates the modern Greek modes: Ionian (same as the Major scale), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (same as natural minor), and Locrian. Just as there are several "minor" scales (natural, harmonic, and melodic), there are variations on the Phrygian mode, and in Flamenco, instead of E Phrygian being E F G A B C D, it frequently occurs as E F G# A B C D, which I personally call "Harmonic Phrygian", because it is a mode of A Harmonic Minor, but frankly I don't know anyone else who calls it that. The G may be sharp or natural in melodies, depending on what chord is supporting the melody at that point. Another variation is what I call "Moorish Phrygian", E F G# A B C D#, which can be found in flamenco styles called "Danza Mora", "Danza Arabe", "Zambra", to name a few. - John Fowler 71.107.51.12 (talk) 23:31, 7 June 2015 (UTC)

Just to clarify who I am to write about things like this, I am studying music A-level and have extensive knowladge of music and music terminology as it is something that really interests me anyway. I have knowladge of what a dorian mode is anyway and so I know I am right when referring to the terminology of this article. Adam2307 (talk) 18:12, 30 April 2008 (UTC)


 * It might be more appropriate to say that they play on a dorian/phrigian scale, rather than the mode. It is also highly doubtful that the mode they use is the same as the ones used in ancient Greek music. The medieval (more Renaissance) theorists borrowed the names from the Greeks to apply to different scales. It is also erroneous to say that Western melodies ascend rather than descend. The general form of Western (tonal) music uses and initial ascent which falls into the cadence (see the work of Schenker), and that aside, there are more than a few composers (such as Caccini and many of the monodist composers) who made it a point to use predominantly descending melodies. I love how the article states that the Dorian scale is based on the major scale, but also imples that the Dorian scale is older than the major scale... so, how is it based on something that it predates? Jmclark (talk) 07:01, 28 May 2011 (UTC)

Another Phrygian question
On the subject of the Phrygian mode... i don't know anything about Flamenco, but shouldn't there be a B in that scale? Is it left out in Flamenco? Might be worth mentioning in the article, or in the caption to the scale, if it's in fact not supposed to be there... 67.40.212.88 (talk) 02:36, 31 January 2010 (UTC)


 * Yes, there certainly should be a B. Paul Magnussen (talk) 23:05, 29 September 2011 (UTC)

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Please, let us be serious
I supressed this statement in the History section: While music in the north of Spain has a celtic influence dating from pre-Roman times, Is there anybody left still believing that commercial gimmick of Celtism? Anyway, congratulations to everybody for the great debulking work on this article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 153.109.42.97 (talk) 19:43, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

It's not a "commercial gimmick", look at the music and culture of Northern Spain, it's quite different then that of Andalusia.

Should it be mentioned that the Romani of Spain came down into Spain from Flemish lands?
The Romani of Spain were first recorded as a group of about 100 lead by Duke Andrew and went under a lie that they were from "Little Egypt". It is recorded they had with them around 40 horses. They are first recorded as travelling in the Nederlands in 1419ad. then into Belgium in 1420ad and back into the Netherlands in 1421ad. We then see the group still using the "Little Egypt" banner crossing the border of France into Spain where Don Johan & Duke Thomas of Little Egypt attained letters of protection from King Alfonso V of Aragon. In 1492 Spain united under one government which in 1499 ordered all Gypsies to stop travelling around and to settle into trades. We then find in the early 1500s possible reports of Gypsies being sent from Spain as musicians to perform to the King of Scotland and then were sent on into Scandinavia. In 1529 we find definite reports of a another group of dancers being sent from Spain to perform for King James V of Scotland and in 1540 the King grants them rights to live under their own laws and customs under Duke Faa of Little Egypt. Today we know the name that the Romani of Spain & Portugal use for themselves is "Kale" (Cale / Calo). The only other places where we can find Romani that also refer to themselves as Kale / Kaale is in the UK (Wales) and Scandinavia which seems no coincidence considering the historical records. The Romani of Spain are constantly known through history of Spain for their music. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tsigano (talk • contribs) 18:43, 20 September 2010 (UTC)

Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish Influences?
Given Andalusia's geography and its history, it is probable there are Jewish influences. Musicologists and dance experts would also detect other eastern Med, north Aftrican, perhaps Persian and certainly Indian (via Romani) influences. If we follow this logic we could as well go back to the first jungle drums and along the way implicate half the world's music as an influence. Going into these second, and third degree influences takes the article into speculation. Editors should note that citations of newspapers and general magazine articles like this  are not considered reliable sources. Provocateur (talk) 10:45, 23 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia does not specifically preference academic sources over newspapers, though it depends on the subject. However, I can live with that being taken out, because it's not the best written, most compelling article I've read...however, if we could find the "musicologists" that the newspaper author talks about, and provide sources from them, we'd have to include it. Heck, even if we found a newspaper account that quoted an expert, in that case we'd still have to accept it (unless you could provide a consensus of reliable sources rejecting that position). Qwyrxian (talk) 11:59, 23 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Newspaper articles have their place but not in something like this. The many influences in any music and dance are obscure and vast. It is amazing how often the Spanish foundations of this genre are overlooked - the seguidilla folk music and dance and the guitar. There was also an extremely experimental phase in flamenco's golden age, driven by professional musicians. And the whole flamenco thing going back to the fifteenth century is pure myth, flamenco's origins are modern. It's best just to leave it as Andalusian and Romani as these two categories cover all these others and they were the direct sources of flamenco. After all, it is a very distinctively Andalusian genre.  Provocateur (talk) 00:40, 27 May 2012 (UTC)

Introduction update
The Spanish version of this entry appears to be an excellent model for framing this article's introduction. I see some arguments on the "talk" page which may (potentially) be somewhat resolved with the update. However, if updates are made, some existing information will need to be deleted. What is the process for doing a fairly major update of the introduction to create more of a parallel with the Spanish version? 206.126.86.182 (talk) 15:49, 9 June 2013 (UTC)
 * That isn't a good idea. The introduction (which WP usually calls a "lead") should reflect the body of the article. Thus, we can't make a major change to the lead unless we first change the body. Additionally, we have to take care, because the rules/policies of the various language Wikipedias are not the same; for instance, English Wikipedia is usually stricter about what constitutes a reliable source than other language Wikipedias. Thus, a better approach is to just make revisions here, based on the information cited in the en.wiki article. You can make a major change directly, though you could also try discussing it here first if you think there will be objections. Qwyrxian (talk) 21:21, 9 June 2013 (UTC)

Ambiguity in Compás section
Can anyone explain to me why someone cared to divide the palos into three different Compás, soleá, seguiriya and bulería, and then created a numbered list where the soleá and bulería are under the same number, seguiriya on its own, and two completely different palos under the third?

And then, can anyone explain to me why, under each of the three categories, someone has pasted rhythms with the exact same beats and accents?

I am very confused. romnempire (talk) 05:39, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

Harmony, Compas and Structure
These sub-categores under Music are very much lacking in solid references/ sources. For references, there is the book Analytical Studies in World Music, but it only has a chapter breaking down a Soleares. Other sources are defunct websites, Spanish websites (which themselves have no sources and are scant), a Mel Bay method book, and some obscure magazine articles. For sources we have El Cante Flamenco, but that deals with singing for the most part, not scales, modes, harmony, rhythm as mainly presented by guitar. Flamenco Guitar Innovation and the Circumscription of Tradition deals with the shift to neo-flamenco with DeLucia. Flamenco Guitar: History, Style, and Context has little on the categorization of scales/ modes and rhythms that different palos uses. The rest of the book sources are Spanish, but from the titles are books about cante. So, where did all this information come from here- particularly the scales/ modes and rhythms for each palos? Does anybody know of a book in English (or Spanish if none in English) that does what this Wikipedia article does- break down each palos to its scales/ modes, chords, and rhythms and structure? Any article or book that attempts this should itself have some history and evidence to back up its analysis, such as referenced recordings (Montoya?, or early accompanist Mel de Marchena?, or others). I have searched high and low and am having difficulty in finding such a resource. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.43.140.44 (talk) 21:16, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

Folk music
Flamenco is of the people, traditional, passed on orally and by example and indigenous. There's more to folk music than Bob Dylan. Mutt Lunker (talk) 09:37, 24 December 2013 (UTC)
 * Let's see what a dedicated historian of Flamenco says about available records going back to the late 18th century:
 * "...the theatre movement of sainetes (one-act plays) and tonadillas, popular song books and song sheets, customs, technical studies of dances, and toques, musical scores, newspapers, graphic documents in paintings and engravings...in continuous evolution together with rhythm, the poetic stanzas, and the ambiance". Ríos Ruiz Ayer y hoy del cante flamenco, Ediciones ISTMO, Tres Cantos (Madrid), 1997
 * Furthermore, recent scholars like Rios cast doubt on the highly improbable story of the "hermetic period" of flamenco, where it was transmitted orally for centuries without ever being noticed. Flamenco is largely of nineteenth century vintage, was always performed by professionals for money but took its inspiration from the folk forms that existed in Andalucia, like the Sevillanas, the Fandango and the singing of the Romani. This is definitely not a "folk" tradition. Provocateur (talk) 22:07, 25 December 2013 (UTC)
 * Out of context and incomplete, it is unclear what the quote refers to, means, or is intended to demonstrate; to me at least. I'd be interested to see the source stating it was always performed professionally. Origins in its current form in the 19th century, if that is correct, inspired from other folk forms; folk musics evolve, this isn't problematic.


 * Britannica discusses "bastardization" in the 19th century and Lorca and de Falla's "timely attempt to prevent the further debasement of an authentic folk art". Mutt Lunker (talk) 00:43, 26 December 2013 (UTC)
 * Golden age of flamenco from 1780? It was first recorded only six years earlier. The quotation  from the highly respected historian of flamenco Rios Ruiz above, refers to the perfectly clear history of flamenco through the "hundreds of data" that are available to modern scholars that shows its beginnings in the 18th century. Lorca and de Falla were great artists in their own right but they were not flamenco artists nor were they noted historians and flamenco's commercialization was reality even before they were born, let alone when they were complaining about it. Their actual contribution to flamenco was  to spread myths about flamenco's history. For instance they ignore the major contribution of Silverio Franconetti of the middle decades of the 19th (the golden period), who gave up tailoring and became the most famous flamenco performer of his day and the biggest owner of cafés cantante (singing cafes) where it was performed. I will not argue any more over whether or not it is "folk music", though this description is ridiculous; I thought "a genre of music and dance" to be uncontroversial given flamenco's high art pretensions and its professional performers. But this is the Wikipedia after all. Have a good new year. Provocateur (talk) 17:57, 29 December 2013 (UTC)

An example of an article full of empty guesses and theories on the origins of Flamenco but light on any good data and modern scholarship to back them -

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There is a dearth in quality sources in English language on what flamenco actually is and its origins. I think this article should be rewritten following Spanish wikipedia. It is a complex topic and Spanish wiki should be starting point, otherwise it is highly confusing for the reader.Asilah1981 (talk) 13:53, 4 August 2015 (UTC)

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No early history of Flamenco
There is no history section in this article. I'd like to know more about pre-1765 flamenco, but know little about it. The harmonies occur at least from the C16 (e.g: Mudarra). Nick Michael (talk) 11:07, 8 September 2017 (UTC)

Nick Michael Nick, this is a complicated topic. But the roots of Flamenco are old in Andalusia, even if they were not known as "Flamenco" as such. Some of the modern day Flamenco "palos" are extremely old in origin (pre-Islamic) and some are quite recent (late 19th century). They are grouped together in what is known today as "Flamenco", an artificial concept in a way, which simply refers to the traditional music of Andalusia which has evolved (and continues to evolve) rapidly over the past two centuries, all of which are influenced by earlier traditional forms. How this can be explained in the article, I don't know. The history of Sevillanas for example, is largely post-1950s, yet it is extremely rich. In a way Flamenco is an exponentially growing artform like RnB or other such American musical styles. It is a living musical style, unlike much of European folk music which is effectively dead has been replaced by Anglo-American pop music. The only equivalent in Europe I would say is "Ottoman" pop music present in Turkey, the Balkans and the Middle East/North Africa. Gaditano23 (talk) 11:32, 23 September 2017 (UTC)


 * Thank you for this Gaditano, quite useful: but you only whet my appetite for more information on the early history of the form! Of course I see that it would be difficult to explain in the article, as would the 'history' of any traditional music. I hear clear similarities to Arabic scales and harmonies, and I always imagined that the roots of Flamenco were in Muslim Spain; but you say that some 'palos' are even pre-Islamic. I suppose the early - and perhaps later - influences are largely unknown. I see that the article Music of Andalusia touches on the subject, and that is helpful. Do you think it would be useful to include in the article something of what you write above? Nick Michael (talk) 20:40, 24 September 2017 (UTC)


 * Nick Michael Not sure if I can source what I wrote above! Reg. your other questions, well the Islamic period was indeed long in south Spain (six to eight centuries) and of course any aspect of Andalusian culture cannot ignore that fact. But its wrong to assume a continuity or an introduction of the art form from abroad. There is no real link with music of the Maghreb or wider arabo-muslim world except in that it sounds vaguely oriental to Western ears. Flamenco developed progressively after Spain became a country and upon the "ethno-genesis" of the Andalusians, which coincided with the arrival of the gypsies from Europe and the adoption of the Spanish language and Catholic religion as main vehicle of culture and identity by a people who had belonged to the Islamic civilization for centuries. This ethno-genesis also practically coincided with the discovery of America, where Andalusia was the main point of contact and population exchange with the Spanish Empire. As you say, origins are obscure and influences probably too many to count. But looking further back: What are the origins of the Chacarrá? Seguiriya/Seguidilla? Of the Verdiales? of Fandango?(examples of Andalusian folklore on which Flamenco was built?) I'm not a musicologist but I imagine the common theme might be the Andalusian cadence as a starting point. Btw the role of gypsies should not be forgotten. The misconception is that "gypsy music" is at the origin of Flamenco. It is not, the music itself is Andalusian. However, Andalusian gypsies from the lower Guadalquivir valley (Seville, Jerez etc..) have played a preponderant role in its development/innovation - particularly during the late 19th century. Hope that helped a bit more!Gaditano23 (talk) 23:44, 24 September 2017 (UTC)


 * Fascinating Gaditano, and thank you for reminding me that it is wrong to assume a 'foreign' continuity or introduction: the same must apply to many art forms. Unlike languages, where external influences can easily be detected, musical evolution can hardly be documented. It seems analogous to dance movements, the origins of which are quite intangible. Many thanks for your wise and erudite observations. Nick Michael (talk) 09:30, 25 September 2017 (UTC)

Etymology
I don't know if there's any documentation for this, but my impression was that flamenco got its name because the Romani in Andalusia claimed they were Flemish (I also heard or read that the Rom were called Gypsies because they sometimes claimed to be from Egypt). No mention of the Flanders story in the etymology section; should I then assume there's nothing to support it? Don G Taylor (talk) 17:24, 17 September 2017 (UTC)

However, Brownarthur's talk entry "flamenc=gitano??" might have some bearing on my question. Don G Taylor (talk) 17:21, 24 September 2017 (UTC)

Edit of 28 of June
I have reverted this poorly sourced edit from the 28th of June which pushes the POV that Flamenco originates in India and that this is now the "mainstream" or "dominant" view. This is not supported by the bulk of academic sources specialized on the topic. The source provided seems to be an opinion piece by a self-described Romani translator.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flamenco&diff=1030806931&oldid=1029883859

Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:20, 4 August 2021 (UTC)

Hello your revert was dishonest as there was more than one source backing the claim. The principal source came from the Encyclopædia Britannica which has a popular and critical reputation for general excellence. The author of the entry, Ninotchka Devorah Bennahum, is also an expert on the subject matter. That was the principal source for the claim not Ronald Lee, and the Encyclopedia Britannica reflects the current academic consensus. Multiple academics such as Bernard Leblon, have connected Flamenco with the traditional folkloric traditions of the Roma relating to the Kathak dances of Rajasthan and the various Romani dances around Europe such as the Vlax Roma dances of Hungary. (published in the peer reviewed University of Hertfordshire Press) As explained by Madeleine Claus, in the very strictest sense, Flamenco originated in the folkloric traditions of the Romani people of Andalusia, yet in wider senses can include non-Roma Spanish traditions as well. In addition, Ronald Lee is a published academic, not only a translator, he has published works under reliable sources such as the University of California Press and is considered to have a excellent reputation when it comes to Romani culture and history. WP:BLOGS has an exception for previously published academics that have a reputation for excellence in their subject matter and also Lee did provide sources for all his claims. Nevertheless, I replaced his source with other sources reaffirming the new consensus established in the Encyclopedia Britannica. Cheers! TagaworShah (talk) 04:42, 16 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Reliable sources on Flamenco are Spanish flamencologists and experts in the field of which there are plenty. Most are in Spanish language which I assume you do not speak if you are turning to German Romani activists or American assistant professors in performing arts. The sources you present are simply sub-standard. The POV you push is simply wrong. There is literally no link between Flamenco and Romani music elsewhere in Europe - theories on Indian, African, Byzantine, Jewish, Berber etc music are just that, theories. Nothing can be said with certainty except that flamenco grew out of the musical traditions of Andalusia (fact) and that gitanos played an important role in its development over the past three centuries (fact). I would explain this to you in detail but your sourcing is so nefarious it is nearly pointless. I think you are out of your depth on this topic.Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 23:32, 16 August 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah An example of a reliable source on the origins of Flamenco is this: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/822/82201015.pdf an actual specialist academic in the origins of flamenco: Gerhard Steingress. Besides his position as researcher on issues of education, politics and the ideological currents of the 20th century, Steingress is the author of numerous publications and conferences dedicated to the sociology of culture and art, ethnomusicology, nationalism, popular music, especially flamenco as a sociocultural and ideological phenomenon, ethnomusicology as well as issues related to globalization and postmodernity. Transculturality and transnationality in popular and folk genres are two other topics in her works. In 1987, the Austrian Foundation for the Sponsorship of Scientific Research (Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung) sponsored his Flamenco and social change project that he carried out in Jerez and received the support of the Andalusian Flamencology and Folk Studies Chair of Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz) and the Andalusian Flamenco Foundation. In 1990 his translation and commented study of Los cantes flamencos, by H. Schuchardt (1881) was published by the Machado Foundation in Seville. He obtained the III Research Prize of the Andalusian Flamenco Foundation in 1991 for his work "El cante flamenco: un arte post-romantico". Lately he has devoted himself to the study of cultural changes caused by the processes of globalization, especially in the case of mixed couples. Some of his books and articles have been published in German, English, French and Turkish. Lives in Seville and Salzburg.


 * These are RELIABLE sources on a topic you are not familiar with since it does not pertain to your ethno-linguistic domain. Read at least this one, even if you need to use google translate or find an English language version of the study. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 23:49, 16 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Incidentally TagaworShah this Ronald Lee article breaches notability guidelines. See WP:NOTE. Certainly a candidate for deletion. Its sources seems to be an ecosystem of blogs and self-promotion pages. A Canadian activist, not an academic who knows anything about flamenco.Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 00:00, 17 August 2021 (UTC)

Since you are a fairly new editor on Wikipedia let me remind you on how conflicts are resolved, we do not revert heavily sourced content from the stable version of the page, which is how you found it, until we reach a consensus; that defeats the purpose of a consensus. I kindly ask you to revert your edit until we reach a consensus. Also please avoid the use of Ad hominem attacks, like “you are not familiar with since it does not pertain to your ethno-linguistic domain” or “Indian nationalist” or even pointing to the ethnicity of any academic as a reason for their works not being reliable. We should always assume the good faith of other editors, we are all working together to improve these articles. I don’t understand why you keep bringing up Ronald Lee when he is no longer used for any reference in the article while subsequently ignoring all the sources provided. The vast majority of the work of academics in defining the precise nature of the origin of Flamenco has largely rested on the Romani-Indian context. This trend has likely been furthered by the focus within Romani studies on the Indian origin hypothesis in recent years; Ian Hancock, David Gresham and his colleagues, George C. Soulis, Radu Iovita and Theodore Schurr, among many others, have emphasized the question of this hypothesis in their work on the Romani people of Spain. The ethnicity of a researcher does not give them more reliability than others, that is a running rule of wikipedia. The Encyclopedia Britannica is considered one of the most reliable sources available for use in Wikipedia and the editor of that article is also an expert on Flamenco. I’m a fluent Spanish speaker and i’ve looked over your source but as many Spanish flamenco specialists tend to do they undermine the importance of the Calé Roma in the creation of Flamenco. In addition it is simply outdated as a new academic consensus has arises in the decades following his work as more research on the Romani people has been conducted. This is why we need balanced sources. I’ve provided 8+ RELIABLE sources from peer reviewed sites such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, University of North Carolina Press among others. None of my sources are considered subpar according to wikipedia reliability guidelines especially the Encyclopedia Britannica. While the previous academic consensus discounted the part of the Roma in the creation of Flamenco, the new consensus among scholars does not and that should be reflected in this article. This seems to be a case of WP:IJUSTDONTLIKEIT, also the Ronald Lee article does meet notability guidelines but, if you have any further concerns, I would take that conversation to the talk page of that specific page not here. Cheers! TagaworShah (talk) 00:43, 17 August 2021 (UTC)

Also for a more recent study on the origin of Flamenco by a specialist in the matter, we can look at Sandie Holguín, and her book titled “Flamenco Nation: The Construction of Spanish National Identity”(published by the peer-reviewed University of Wisconsin Press) where she attributes the origin of Flamenco, in the very strictest sense, to the Calé Roma(gitanos). Her work was met with positive praise by critics who cited her work as one of the best in-depth studies on the complex origins of Flamenco. A synopsis of her work can be seen here. In addition, Hologuín reaffirmed her stance that Flamenco was created by the Roma of Spain in this article she wrote for the Smithsonian Magazine. Also to reaffirm my position, nowhere in my edits did I say that Flamenco being descended from the Kathak dance is a fact, I said it was a prevailing hypothesis birthed from new research, however, still a hypothesis. What I do hold as an indisputable fact is the origin of Flamenco within the folkloric traditions of the Calé Roma of Andalusia, it is directly linked to the oppression the Romani people of Spain faced and was birthed from that cross cultural exchange by the Calé Roma. That is an academic consensus from modern academics. This article requires balanced sources, which I provided, in order to reduce bias. A single Spanish researcher from the 90s has a clear bias in this situation. I have even more sources to add to better the history section of the article which is lacking as well. TagaworShah (talk) 03:18, 17 August 2021 (UTC)

Per Wikipedia guidelines on content removal I have added back my good faith additions until we can reach a consensus. I have also improved the references so that they all come from either peer reviewed University Presses or the critically esteemed and also peer reviewed Encyclopedia Britannica. All the sources meet the standards of WP:RS, I have added a new source from Oxford University as well. Cheers! TagaworShah (talk) 05:03, 17 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Let me explain to you how Wikipedia works, which I have edited on and off since 2006. The policy is WP:BRD. You were bold with your 28th of June edit. It was reverted due to poor sourcing and frankly plainly incorrect information. The origin of Flamenco does not lie with the folkloric tradition of the Cale of Andalusia it lies with the Folcloric tradition of Andalusia itself, which predates the arrival of Romani people to Andalusia. This is the consensus view and is not really disputed by any modern specialist flamencologist, although there is no doubt that Romani tradition and intepretative style had a unique impact on Flamenco. We can find sources which claim that Ancient Greeks were black african or that the Chinese discovered America, the problem is that they are not reliable nor quality specialist sources.


 * According, to Steingress, I cite, The Andalusian flamenco is a musical hybrid created since the 19th century under the influence of European romanticism and Spanish-Andalusian essentialism. Notwithstanding, its musical origins indicate toward the reinvention of musical traditions narrowly related with the History of the Mediterranean cultures. Based on the indications given by Pedrell, Falla and others referring to the origins of cante jondo, there is an influence of the byzantine chant in popular music styles and, as its consequence, in the modal structure of cante jondo as a key musical tradition and technique of flamenco. Its apparent "orientalism" is considered to be the consequence of the perseverance of the west-gothic, byzantine liturgic chant and its stylistic enrichment by the medieval music of al Andalus, as it charactarizes part of the traditional popular music and especially the musical structure of the ancient saeta as a secular expression of popular religiosity. For that reason, an explanatory model of musical hybridization in the historical evolution of popular music in Spain is constructed that refers to its place within the musical culture of the Mediterranean.


 * You are trying to push the view in this article that the origins of Flamenco are in the Romani people of Spain or that there is a "prevailing hypothesis" that it is a romani musical tradition. It may be appealing to you if you are interested in Romani people but it is simply counterfactual since the origins of Flamenco are traced to musical traditions which predate the arrival of this group to Spain by many centuries. The cale in Spain have played a huge role in its development, innovation and professionalization but the origin of the musical tradition does not lie with them. This can be seen even in the name of the "palos" none of which have romani etymologies. Some - such as "Zambra" have very clear Arabic etymologies. Sources which claim otherwise seem to be non-specialized or linked to Romani activism and are simply a displayal of ignorance. Again, if you do not speak Spanish, or are not willing to translate and read specialist sources I suggest you give this article a break and do some research. I am willing to assist you on the topic. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 16:09, 17 August 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah Si preferies podemos seguir conversando en castellano, usted dira. But I have trouble believing you are a fluent Spanish speaker if you are pushing a fringe view from third grade non-specialist academics from the US and the UK and Romani activists rather than actual Spanish-language specialists in the field of Flamenco and musicology but anyways, I provide another excerpt (in Spanish) from Steingress which also draws from the main theorists on the topic:

Primero.– Creo haber ofrecido unos argumentos razonables que permiten establecer un modelo explicativo del desarrollo musical desde la música El trasfondo bizantino del cante flamenco litúrgica cristiana temprana hasta la modalidad moderna de tipo oriental empleada en el cante jondo. Voy a resumirlos en las siguientes conclusiones: – Consideramos el cante jondo como la peculiar interpretación de la poesía popular andaluza basada en el “tono bizantino”. – Las raíces del tono bizantino, hay que buscarlas en el canto mozárabe como la variante genuina hispano-visigoda de la liturgia cristiana temprana fuertemente influenciada por el canto oriental, concretamente sirio, hebreo y armenio. – Esta tradición, asimilada y transformada por la música árabe y andalusí, se mantuvo hasta el siglo XII, momento en el que fue sustituida por el canto gregoriano y la liturgia romana. Tras la expulsión de los musulmanes y como consecuencia de la introducción del sistema temperado y la anotación musical en la liturgia, las estructuras musicales del canto mozárabe y, consecuentemente, del tono bizantino, perdieron su influencia en la liturgia hispánica, pero persistieron en el pueblo asimiladas en sus saetas primitivas y otros estilos del canto llano popular, como es el caso de los romances y tonadas (tonás). Durante el siglo XIX, debido a la influencia del tradicionalismo, orientalismo y gitanismo, la modalidad bizantina de la saeta antigua se convirtió en el modelo estético principal de toda una serie de nuevas derivaciones musicales y estilos híbridos que condujeron a lo largo de la segunda parte del siglo a la aparición del cante flamenco. Como en el caso del rebético, el recurso a los gitanos y el supuesto cante gitano deberían justificar la reorientalización del repertorio de cantos populares españoles en vista de la creciente demanda por parte de la emergente industria musical así como de la necesidad de reconstruir la identidad cultural de España. La hipótesis bizantina, introducida por Pedrell y aplicada por Falla al cante jondo, nos dio una orientación respecto a los elementos intermediarios entre el cante jondo y el canto mozárabe, aunque hay que aplicar el concepto de “música bizantina” con mucho cuidado, ya que se trata de un sistema musical muy complejo y variado a lo largo de su historia. A pesar de todo ello, la actual presentación puede haber servido para demostrar en qué sentido numerosos estilos musicales de la región mediterránea – incluyendo especialmente la tradición greco-oriental del rebético y la del cante flamenco– todavía conservan elementos que han perdurado durante los mil años de existencia del Impero Romano Oriental.

Segundo.– Se ha demostrado la relación de la siguiriya y del amanés greco-oriental a partir de su carácter como derivados musicales de los lamentos funerarios ante la muerte, la tragedia del Hombre y la pasión de Cristo como hechos existenciales, expresiones del fatum que en el marco de las dos culturas recibieron el influjo de la música y cultura bizantina, esparcida en toda la región del Mediterráneo. De este modo y en consonancia con los objetivos del análisis socio-musicológico, no sólo se ha precisado la tesis bizantina de Pedrell, Falla y Turina sobre los orígenes musicales del cante jondo, sino se han descubierto, además, las funciones sociales y homologías estructurales de esta modalidad musical en el caso del flamenco y el rebético greco-oriental.Concluyendo: el debate sobre las raíces musicales del flamenco, del cante jondo y la saeta, iniciado hacia finales del siglo XIX, con sus múltiples referencias a la música hebrea, árabe y el canto llano cristiano, no se resuelve con una simple especificación de los diferentes elementos que entraron en el escenario musical andaluz. Más bien se trata de explicar la dinámica de esta configuración y sus resultados genéricos a partir de las características que compartieron todas estas músicas en un grado culturalmente definido. Según nuestra opinión, esta graduación se estableció principalmente como reacción a la influencia de la liturgia bizantina anclada en la tradición oriental del canto como denominador común de la diversificación musical en la región del Mediterráneo.

Now translated for you in English:


 * ''First.– I think I have offered some reasonable arguments that allow us to establish an explanatory model of musical development from music
 * The Byzantine background from early Christian liturgical flamenco singing to the modern oriental-type modality used in cante jondo.
 * I will summarize them in the following conclusions:
 * - We consider cante jondo as the peculiar interpretation of Andalusian popular poetry based on the “Byzantine tone”.
 * - The roots of the Byzantine tone, must be sought in Mozarabic chant as the genuine Hispano-Visigothic variant of the early Christian liturgy strongly influenced by Eastern chant, specifically Syrian, Hebrew and Armenian.
 * - This tradition, assimilated and transformed by Arabic and Andalusian music, was maintained until the 12th century, at which time it was replaced by Gregorian chant and the Roman liturgy. After the expulsion of the Muslims and as a consequence of the introduction of the temperate system and the musical notation in the liturgy, the musical structures of Mozarabic song and, consequently, of the Byzantine tone, lost their influence in the Hispanic liturgy, but they persisted in the wider population assimilated in their primitive saetas and other styles of popular plain singing, as is the case of romances and tonadas (tonás). During the 19th century, due to the influence of traditionalism, orientalism and gypsyism, the Byzantine modality of the ancient saeta became the main aesthetic model of a whole series of new musical derivations and hybrid styles that led throughout the second part century to the appearance of flamenco singing.
 * As in the case of rebético, the use of gypsies and the supposed gypsy cante should justify the reorientation of the repertoire of popular Spanish songs in view of the growing demand from the emerging music industry as well as the need to reconstruct cultural identity from Spain. The Byzantine hypothesis, introduced by Pedrell and applied by Falla to cante jondo, gave us an orientation regarding the intermediate elements between cante jondo and Mozarabic song, although the concept of “Byzantine music” must be applied with great care, since it is a very complex and varied musical system throughout its history. In spite of all this, the current presentation may have served to demonstrate in what sense many musical styles of the Mediterranean region - including especially the Greco-oriental tradition of Rebeetic and that of flamenco singing - still conserve elements that have lasted for a thousand years. existence of the Eastern Roman Empire.


 * Second.– The relationship of the siguiriya and the Greco-oriental amanés has been demonstrated from their character as musical derivatives of the funeral laments before death, the tragedy of Man and the passion of Christ as existential facts, expressions of the fatum that within the framework of the two cultures they received the influence of Byzantine music and culture, spread throughout the Mediterranean region. In this way, and in line with the objectives of the socio-musicological analysis, not only has the Byzantine thesis of Pedrell, Falla and Turina on the musical origins of cante jondo been specified, but the social functions and structural homologies have also been discovered. of this musical modality in the case of flamenco and the Greco-oriental rebético.Concluding: the debate on the musical roots of flamenco, cante jondo and saeta, which began towards the end of the 19th century, with its multiple references to Hebrew music, Arabic and Christian plain singing, is not resolved with a simple specification of the different elements that entered the Andalusian musical scene. Rather, it is about explaining the dynamics of this configuration and its generic results based on the characteristics shared by all these musics to a culturally defined degree. In our opinion, this graduation was established mainly as a reaction to the influence of the Byzantine liturgy anchored in the eastern tradition of song as a common denominator of musical diversification in the Mediterranean region.

Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 16:23, 17 August 2021 (UTC)

Please stop reverting my edits and saying “take to talk” we are already in the middle of a talk page discussion. Per wikipedia policy well sourced good faith edits are to remain in the article until we reach a consensus. Also see the Wikipedia:Revert only when necessary guidelines. You did not address any of my references and just, without base, said they’re wrong because you’re POV supported by a Spanish researcher is right. We cannot engage in discussion and reach consensus if you continue to assert that everything you believe is fact and everything that opposes your views is misguided. As of now, I’ve provided 10+ exceedingly reliable sources on the origin of Flamenco from balanced sources such as peer reviewed reputable academic presses and the critically esteemed Encyclopedia Britannica. You have not addressed any of these sources but continue to assert that only your POV is fact. The fact is there are multiple recent studies by international Flamenco experts that say contrary to your POV. Also to say that there is an academic consensus on the matter you need exceptional sources to make such an exceptional claim. Multiple reliable sources agree that Flamenco originated in the Folkloric traditions of the Romani people, and not one of them is from a Romani themselves. They are uninvolved specialists, Spanish flamencologists have a clear bias in favor of Flamenco coming from their own traditions because Flamenco has become such an important part of Spanish national identity. We need balanced sources to reduce POV, which I have provided. In my recent edits I’ve replaced all the sources with only the most reliable and backed by critics. I have proven the reliability of my sources. This is a discussion, saying your POV is fact is not productive and gets us nowhere. My sources are from experts in the matter not third grade academics as you say, they would not get published in such esteem publishing houses such as the Encyclopedia Britannica or Oxford University Press if they didn’t have extensive knowledge of the matter. I have already read your source, it pushes a clear POV that Flamenco originates in the folkloric traditions of Andalusia and not the Calé Roma. European sources often discredit Roma for their contributions and this is another example, this is the Spanish POV but, that doesn’t mean it is necessarily the correct POV. Also, this is English wikipedia there is no reason for us to have our conversation in Spanish on a public discussion board. Please let’s keep this conversation civil. TagaworShah (talk) 16:38, 17 August 2021 (UTC)

WP:BRD is an optional dispute resolution process it is not policy and you seem to be missing the cycle part of it “Cycle. To avoid bogging down in discussion, when you have a better understanding of the reverter's concerns, you may attempt a new edit that reasonably addresses some aspect of those concerns. You can try this even if the discussion has not reached an explicit conclusion, but be sure you don't engage in any kind of edit warring.” I have vastly improved my sourcing and edit to include only the most reliable sources. Please do not make any more unnecessary reverts to my edits until we reach a consensus as that can constitute edit warring. TagaworShah (talk) 16:41, 17 August 2021 (UTC)

To dispute your argument that the authors of my sources aren’t qualified, Bonnie C. Wade is an ethnomusicologist and professor emirata of Music at the University of California, Berkeley. She has been a professor since 1975 teaching ethnomusicology at esteemed universities such as Brown University and UC Berkeley. She has published 133 works in 390 publications in 3 languages for esteemed publications such as Oxford University Press and University of Chicago Press. I have already discussed the qualifications of the Encyclopedia Britannica and Sandie Holquin. As for Bernard Leblon, he is a French specialist on the Romani people who has devoted his life to the study of Romani people in relation to Flamenco, publishing his lifelong research here. His book was meet with widespread critical praise. His work was also published in the peer reviewed University of Hertfordshire Press. Madeleine Claus has published 10 works in 42 publications with a specialization in Flamenco and European Dance.[] As you can see none of these are “third grade academics” as they all have the proper qualifications to be a reference in this article. TagaworShah (talk) 17:36, 17 August 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah Firstly, I have reverted your edits back to the stable version of this article which you should respect until compromise is reached.
 * Secondly, if you think someone named Gerhard Steingress is "Spanish" we have a problem. Gerhard Steingress is Austrian although he is one of the most important flamencologists in the world. No offense but I am quite convinced you do not speak Spanish, you have never been to Spain nor know anything about Spanish/ Andalusian culture or Flamenco. Yet you insist on pushing a false narrative in this article because of your interest in Romani activism and need to appropriate flamenco for your particular cause. And you accuse an Austrian academic of being biased because he is "Spanish"?
 * Moving on... Madeleine Claus is literally a hippy blogger and I'm still trying to work out what on earth worldcat.org is. Regardless she does not qualify as an academic. Leblon is fine - you can add his position (I will include Steingress among others) but make sure to include an actual reference and page number.
 * I have reverted your edits back to the stable version of this article because 1) The content is demonstrably false 2) The style clearly aims to push a fringe POV 3) the sourcing is sub-standard. 4) Your arguments supporting your edits are just nonsensical. If you want a section on the origins and roots of flamenco - all the way back to the Romans and Byzantine period we can draft it. No lack of sources to do so. But don't expect sources to claim Flamenco came to Spain with the gypsies. They simply don't and neither will the article.
 * I will NOT revert your edits if you take an incremental approach, i.e. try to find a good citation from Leblon for example and add it. We will have to create/expand a section on origins where all views are included, since this seems to be a matter of controversy for some. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 22:25, 18 August 2021 (UTC)

I have now informed you multiple times what the Wikipedia policy concerning reverts and consensus is yet you refuse to listen, this is Wikipedia and here all editors are expected to follow policy. You continue to use rude and condescending language towards me and my background, such as “you are in out of your depths”, “this is beyond your ethno-linguistics domain”; “Indian nationalist; calling me a liar and all my edits as badly sourced and false without any proper sourced argument on why that is so. You cherry pick my sources to find the least reliable one while completely ignoring the 8+ reliable sources that i’ve provided. This is not how disputes are handled on Wikipedia, civility is expected and required. We are all here to improve the articles, we are here to work together not against each other. Besides Madeleine Claus and Ronald Lee, which both sources were the very last and least important of their kind you have not been able to prove that any of my sources are unreliable, you continue to say they’re poorly sourced when WP:RS guidelines completely disagree with you. I have not only provided reliable sources from peer reviewed well respected academic publications written by experts in the field, but also review articles of critics praising their work. Your claim that my edits introduce “false” information is completely WP:OR as you have yet to provide sourcing as to why the WP:RS i’ve provided are “false.” As for Steingress, Im well aware that is not a traditionally Hispanic name, however, he is a Spanish national and has lived in Spain since 1990, that’s what I meant. I have proven the reliability of all my sources per Wikipedia guidelines, Bonnie C Wade was an esteemed professor of Ethnomusicology at some of the top universities in the United States, her work was published in the peer reviewed and very well respected Oxford University Press. The Encyclopedia Britannica, including it’s online version has an incredible reputation of fact-checking and reliability. They recruit editors who they recognize as specialists in the domain and have extensive peer review by the editors. Just like any Encyclopedia, it relies on the current academic consensus and it being updated fairly recently provides that this is the current academic consensus. Ninotchka Devorah Bennahum Ninotchka Devorah Bennahumis an associate professor of communication studies, performance studies, and theater at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University. This means she is in her tenure track and has a reputation to uphold which according to Wikipedia reliable sourcing guidelines makes her a reliable source. She has also been a professor at UC Santa Barbara. She is a specialist on Flamenco co-authoring the book “Flamenco on the Global Stage: Historical, Critical and Theoretical Perspectives” as well as writing the books “Antonia Mercé "La Argentina": Flamenco and the Spanish Avant-Garde.” and “Carmen, a Gypsy Geography” also about Flamenco and from the well respected Weseleyan University Press. Encyclopedia Britannica has recognized her as an expert in Flamenco so unless you have any evidence to dispute that, that’s what she is. Sandie Holguin is a European cultural and intellectual historian with a focus on modern Spain. Her research is supported by the US National Endowment of the Humanities. She agrees that the dance was birthed in the 18th-19th century by the Calé Roma mixing various Gitano and Non-Gitano traditions as my edits suggest. Her work Flamenco Nation, published in the peer reviewed and well regarded University of Wisconsin Press, was met with widespread critical praise. a Flamenco dancer and scholar wrote this about Holguin, “I did not have to read very far to find reassurance in the depth of not only her research, her mastery of primary and secondary sources, but also her understanding of Flamenco as a complex and multifaceted art form. Now, Holguin does make clear that Flamenco is not a purely Romani dance, as does my edit, but she does recognize the part of the Calé Roma in birthing the dance by combining various cultural elements. I would be happy to include her stance in an origins sections that: “While Flamenco originates in the folkloric traditions of the Calé Roma, it incorporates aspects of various non-Roma Andalusian dances, as well as, dances from continental Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and, later, from African American dance forms.” I think that would be a proper compromise. I’m also willing to work with you to create a broader origins section here on the talk page. You seem to agree that Bernard Leblon is reliable so I’ll skip discussing him. Finally, the “stable version” is only something for Uninvolved administrators to apply per WP:STABLE: “Maintaining a stable version is, by itself, not a valid reason to revert or dispute edits, and should never be used as a justification to edit war. Stable versions are not superior or preferred to disputed edits in any way, boldly making changes to articles is encouraged as a matter of policy, and obstructing good faith edits for the sake of preserving "stable" content is DISRUPTIVE” and WP:REMOVAL “It is preferable that good-faith additions remain in the article pending consensus”; so please do not revert my edits again as that can be seen as edit warring and is not productive to our conversation whatsoever. TagaworShah (talk) 01:36, 19 August 2021 (UTC)

Here is a compromise of the lead section based on the provided sources that better showcases the complexities of Flamenco: Flamenco, in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain. While Flamenco began as a tradition of the Calé Roma, commonly known in Spanish as Gitanos, of the region of Andalusia, but also having a historical presence in Extremadura and Murcia, it combined various Romani and non-Romani Andalusian folkloric traditions. In a wider sense, the term is used to refer to a variety of Spanish and Roma musical styles. The oldest record of flamenco music dates to 1774 in the book Las Cartas Marruecas by José Cadalso. Although Flamenco is often associated to the Gitanos of the Romani ethnicity who have contributed significantly to its origination and development, its style is uniquely Andalusian and flamenco artists have historically included Spaniards of both gitano and non-gitano heritage. TagaworShah (talk) 01:55, 19 August 2021 (UTC)

There is a problem with your compromise suggestion TagaworShah, its that Flamenco does NOT originate in the folkloric traditions of the Calé Roma. It originates in the folkoric traditions of Andalusia. The gitanos however have played a huge contribution in its development and professionalization. They do not lie at its origins. I will start editing this article with a new "origins of Flamenco" section and provide adequate sources and citations. I will not revert your edits for now simply add sourced material. The development of Flamenco is difficult to grasp and this entire edit conflict is beginning to annoy me. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 14:57, 19 August 2021 (UTC)

Again your claims are purely WP:OR, multiple reliable sources prove that: while Flamenco is a combination of various folkloric music traditions, it did in fact originate among the Calé Roma. The article is now protected by only administrator access for a week because of the edit warring I warned you about several times, that leaves us plenty of time to reach consensus on an origins section. Since there is controversy among secondary sources on the origins of Flamenco, Wikipedia policy suggest using a Tertiary source like the Encyclopedia Britannica to summarize in the lead, as it is presently. We can include the controversy among the sources in the origins section, however, it’s important to scope out bias and have independent sources not in a conflict of interest. Therefore Spanish nationals like Steingress should be included as such: “However, Austrian-Spanish Flamencologist Gerhard Steingress argues that…” That proper attribution is necessary to ensure NPOV since he isn’t an independent source as he works for a public Spanish university. We can also include Calé Roma Flamencologists such as Rosamaria Cisneros-Kostic who argues that “The Spanish Gitano community laid the foundation for what we now call flamenco. The amalgamation of the cultures which existed in Spain informed the genre.” This would accurately give the perspective of both sides, Spanish and Calé, on the debate. Then we can finish the section off with what independent researchers such as Bonnie C. Wade, Bernard Leblon, and Sandie Holguin have to say about the conflict and their personal research. However, I hold that my previous edits remain as they use a very reliable tertiary source to summarize the situation. Cheers. TagaworShah (talk) 16:54, 19 August 2021 (UTC)

Rosamaria Cisneros-Kostic is and ACTIVIST from somewhere in the midwest. They are basically hippies which are the only sources you seem capable of providing. Please give me a break. These people are not reliable. They teach dancing and hippy stuff in third rate universities in the US. Find actual reliable sources. Professors in Flamencology which are cited in the literature on the topic. Ideally from Europe. Thanks. As I Bernard Leblon is fine, although you need to cite him to support your POV. Sandie Holguin is very borderline. Claiming anyone who has worked with a public Spanish univeristy (Flamenco is from Spain) is POV is ridiculous. I am now convinced of your bad faith in your edits. reverting you and taking this to arbitration and/or POV noticeboard. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 17:46, 19 August 2021 (UTC)

Cisneros is a dance historian and critic, Romani scholar, flamenco historian AND peace activist. Just because someone is an activist doesn’t negate their qualifications. None of the people provided are “hippies”, Bonnie C. Wade is a professor emirata at the University of California, Berkeley, the top public university in the United States and she has also taught at Brown university, an ivy league school. Ninotchka Devorah Bennahum is an associate professor of dance in Brooklyn and has also worked as a professor of music at the University of California, Santa Barbara; also a top public university in the United States. She has published much research about Flamenco and was recognized by the esteemed Encyclopedia Britannica as an expert. Sandie Holguin is far from borderline either, her work was extensively praised by experts. For Bernard Leblon, I provided his whole chapter on the “Obscure origins of Flamenco” but if you want a single page number than i’ll direct you to page 47 where he gives a brief summary of the section. I will be reporting you for your constant personal attacks, disruptive editing, and refusal to reach a consensus with me arguing that only your POV is fact. I’ve tried long and hard to work with you but, you have shown that you refuse to work with me. All my sources are extremely reliable and you have not provided a shred of evidence to contradict that instead relying on your WP:OR assertion that they are “hippies.” And since Flamenco is an important aspect of debate among Spanish and Romani people, it’s is completely within reason to assume that a Spanish national, writing in a Spanish journal that is reviewed by other Spanish nationals, has a clear bias. That’s why I didn’t include people like Cisneros in my sourcing, because while she is a respected Flamenco historian, she is of the Calé Roma ethnicity so that may be a conflict of interest. Also calling every Romani activist a “hippie” and discrediting all their credentials is highly problematic and clearly rooted in Anti-Roma racism. TagaworShah (talk) 18:28, 19 August 2021 (UTC)

TagaworShah You are pushing a WP:FRINGE view which goes contrary to the mainstream. The positions of all reputable flamencologists on this particular issue will have to be included in this article after this page is unprotected, including all of the most respected flamencologists such as Hipolito Rossy or Manuel García Matos. Your arguments (anyone who has worked for a Spanish university is biased) show you are not a good faith editor. The more you edit war on the article, the more sourced content we will have to include negating your fringe opinion. In the long run, its a lost cause. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 19:00, 19 August 2021 (UTC)

Thoughts from an uninvolved third party
Hi, I saw a message at WP:SPAIN and thought I would drop by. This discussion is very difficult for other potential participants to follow. Could each of you summarize who supports your view, what their qualifications are (Google scholar links to their academic profiles would be helpful if they have one, so we can evaluate what they have published and where and how much they have been citesd), and maybe an excerpt of what they say about the origins of flamenco? Like a bulleted list for each of you. I will say that Britannica is a pretty poor source (we should be using expert secondary sources rather than generalist encyclopedias). Also, hyperbole like characterizing Claus as a "hippie blogger"--when her book on flamenco is held by nearly a thousand libraries--is not helpful to anyone. Finally, I agree that scholars of flamenco are the people whose views count, and that those sources may well be in Spanish. Calliopejen1 (talk) 20:52, 19 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Thank you for your neutral involvement Calliopejen1. I will do as you request as soon as possible. Sorry for the "hippie blogger" thing - may come across as a bit harsh. But from the hispanosphere, I cannot find one single Spanish-language reference to her anywhere, let alone an academic reference. As is to be expected, Flamencology as an academic field which is overwhelmingly published in the Spanish language. I will compile the relevant list. This is a very good idea and way to move forward. Gracias. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:52, 19 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Thank you so much for stepping in as a neutral party so we can finally reach a consensus, your work is much appreciated. I will be preparing a synopsis of my sources and position in the coming hours. Cheers. TagaworShah (talk) 00:18, 20 August 2021 (UTC)


 * You people talk about being a "hippie blogger" like it's a terrible thing.;-) Seriously, it's possible to be a hippie blogger, and a respectable academic too. Carlstak (talk) 00:34, 20 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Well said! Dr. Rosamaria Kostic Cisneros may be a “hippie” blogger and activist but she is also a Dance Historian and Critic, Roma Scholar, Sociologist, and most importantly, a Flamenco Historian, Her research is even funded by the EU. The quote came from her published works not her blog which is purely her personal life. TagaworShah (talk) 01:00, 20 August 2021 (UTC)

Alright, I have prepared a synopsis of my position and my reliable sources here:

Tagaworshah’s Position
I think my position on this matter can best be summarized by Flamenco historian Dr. Rosamaria Kostic Cisneros, she states that: “The Spanish Gitano community laid the foundation for what we now call flamenco. The amalgamation of the cultures which existed in Spain informed the genre.” Note that this is not one of the sources i’m using to back up my claim, although it would suffice WP:RS guidelines regarding theses, being published, cited by 7 and from a specialist, there are a multitude of way better sources that I have, so her quotes throughout will only be used to establish my personal position on the matter and aid me in properly explaining my sources.

Tagaworshah’s WP:RS
“Whereas flamenco began as a tradition of the Roma subculture of Spain, over the last century it has evolved into a national supercultural tradition intimately connected to a collective Spanish identity. This was published by the well regarded and peer reviewed Oxford University Press and has been cited by 126.
 * Bonnie C. Wade is not only an ethnomusicologist and professor emirata of Music at the University of California, Berkeley. She is also the chair of the department of music at the University of California, Berkeley, where she founded the ethnomusicology program in 1975. She has been a professor since the early 1970s teaching ethnomusicology at esteemed universities such as Brown University and UC Berkeley. She has published 133 works in 390 publications in 3 languages for esteemed publications such as Oxford University Press and University of Chicago Press. Her work cited in this article states:

While I hear your concerns about using a general information encyclopedia, in cases of controversy of secondary sources, such sources may be appropriate. Especially given that she is a Flamenco specialist, and she also has the aforementioned secondary sources above that we can always use instead of the Encyclopedia Britannica. But let me reiterate her position: “The roots of flamenco, though somewhat mysterious, seem to lie in the Roma migration from Rajasthan (in northwest India) to Spain between the 9th and 14th centuries” This was published in the Encyclopedia Britannica which has an excellent reputation for fact-checking and peer review. Also it does have a named author which makes it generally more reliable that other sources on this site. However, I completely understand if you’d prefer her secondary sources instead. This is her work on google scholar, as you can see she is a Flamenco historian and has had her works cited by multiple reliable sources.
 * Ninotchka Devorah Bennahum is an associate professor of communication studies, performance studies, and theater at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University. This means she is in her tenure track and has a reputation to uphold which according to Wikipedia reliable sourcing guidelines makes her a reliable source. She has also been a professor at UC Santa Barbara. She is a specialist on Flamenco co-authoring the book “Flamenco on the Global Stage: Historical, Critical and Theoretical Perspectives” as well as writing the books “Antonia Mercé "La Argentina": Flamenco and the Spanish Avant-Garde.” and “Carmen, a Gypsy Geography” also about Flamenco and from the well respected Weseleyan University Press. Encyclopedia Britannica has recognized her as an expert in Flamenco.

For a secondary source, here in her book, published by the very well regarded Wesleyan University Press, “Carmen, a Gypsy Geography” basically details that “flamenco puro” aka Flamenco at its origins, is a “gypsy style” that combines various Romani and non-Romani traditions. and reviewed by Suki John in the Dance research journal published by Cambridge University Press.


 * Bernard Leblon is a French Historian who has spent his life researching Romani people and their relationship to Flameco. This book is literally his LIFELONG research. Bernard Leblon adamantly opposed the POV provided by certain European academics and upheld in this discussion by that Flamenco is entirely an Andalusian creation and Romani people simply contributed in its development. Here is a quote from his book:

“there are now enough demonstrative arguments and formal musicological data available to easily refute those who claim, for example, that when the Gypsies arrived in Europe in the fifteenth century they possessed no musical tradition of their own at all, or they are utterly incapable of artistic creativity.” (Leblon, 64)

This is a summary provided by Dr. Cisneros on what Leblon had to say: “When looking at such a complex history disputes are expected. Within the flamenco debate, individuals make claims that are often historically inaccurate. Leblon warns that one needs to be cautious and critical of the manner in which information is interpreted, because discourse has been influenced by affirmations that have not been supported by factual evidence. He also suggests that these types of claims against the Gitano flamenco connection are in reality associated with the racist, stereotypical and the controversial images that have surrounded the Roma community for centuries. “As we know, ignorance is at the root of all racial prejudice. It is ignorance which has given rise to diametrically opposed attitudes towards the Gypsies: attraction and repulsion, fascination and hatred.” (Leblon,64)” Bernard Leblon is why I warned of the POV provided by Gerhard Steingress, his work is exactly what Bernard Leblon claims as baseless cherry picked history; Leblon describes Steingress perfectly like how he warns of historians that try to relate Flamenco back to Byzantine times etc. Anti-Roma racism is rampant in Europe and should not be ignored in this discussion, as many of my sources point out, multiple European academics, especially those with relations to Spain may purposefully undermine the position of the Calé Roma in developing Flamenco. Antiziganism should definitely be taken in consideration with this article.

Bernard Leblon states that Flamenco is deeply rooted in the Romani tradition and was created as a combination of the Romani dances dating all the way back to the Kathak dances and relating to the Vlax Roma dances of Hungary in combination with the folkloric music traditions present in Andalusia at the time of the arrival of the Roma. His work was published by the peer reviewed and well regarded University of Hertfordshire Press and has been cited by 99. These are his other works on google scholar.


 * Sandie Holguin is a European cultural and intellectual historian with a focus on modern Spain. Her research is supported by the US National Endowment of the Humanities. She agrees that the dance was birthed in the 18th-19th century by the Calé Roma mixing various Gitano and Non-Gitano traditions as my edits suggest. Her work Flamenco Nation, published in the peer reviewed and well regarded University of Wisconsin Press, was met with widespread critical praise. a Flamenco dancer and scholar wrote this about Holguin, “I did not have to read very far to find reassurance in the depth of not only her research, her mastery of primary and secondary sources, but also her understanding of Flamenco as a complex and multifaceted art form. Now, Holguin does make clear that Flamenco is not a purely Romani dance, as does my edit, but she does recognize the part of the Calé Roma in birthing the dance by combining various cultural elements. A summary of her stance, written by me, is that “While Flamenco originates in the folkloric traditions of the Calé Roma, it incorporates aspects of various non-Roma Andalusian dances, as well as, dances from continental Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and, later, from African American dance forms.” This is a quote from her smithsonian article:

“The music, born of gypsies in the country’s southern regions, was embraced by foreigners long before it became a national symbol” This is her works on google scholar

This review article published in the peer reviewed Journal of Spanish cultural studies also summarizes Holguíns POV: “In similar fashion, flamenco originated among a despised underclass, Roma, in socially liminal spaces, thriving in a conflicted interface…”

“Flamenco is folk music and dance created by the gypsies of the Andalusian region of Spain in the 19th century.” I removed this citation from the page since better citations exist from more well known and specialized people as i’ve demonstrated above but since admin mentioned it, It thought i’d explain it. Her work was cited by 3
 * As for Madeleine Claus, she has published 10 works in 42 publications in 3 languages and 1,106 library holdings and as admin said her book on Flamenco is held in over 200 libraries. Most information about her seems to be in French,] from what I see here she is a historian and vice president of some kind of historical society, albeit I could be wrong, however, she’s definitely not a hippie blogger and her work was published in a subsidiary of the peer reviewed Rowman and Littlefield called Amadeus Press which focuses on Music. Her stance is as follows:

Her stance is quite evident in that like Leblon she connects Flamenco with the Kathak dance of India through the Romani people.
 * Miriam Phillips is a research scholar for the Irish World Academy of Music & Dance, University Of Limerick and this is her google scholar profile. Her work published in the peer reviewed Ethnomusicology journal at the University of Illinois Press was cited by 12

“Flamenco music, which typically involves singers, dancers, guitarists and, most recently, percussionists, originated in the most economically and socially marginalized Gypsy community in Southern Spain, Andalusia” They cited a source for this claim as “Aoyama, Y. (2007). The role of consumption and globalization in a cultural industry: The case of Flamenco. Geoforum, 38, 103–113.” Here is the google scholar page for Yuko Aoyama her work on Flamenco was cited by 144
 * Here is a quote from the journal: Group Processes & Intergroup Relations (GPIR), peer-reviewed and published bi-monthly, is a scientific social psychology journal dedicated to research on social psychological processes within and between groups. They go through rigorous peer review. This is their stance in their journal cited by 42.


 * Finally, we have Michelle Heffner Hayes who holds a PhD in Critical Dance Studies from UC-Riverside. She is a professor of Theatre & Dance at the University of Kansas, where she teaches modern dance, improvisation, choreography, dance studies, arts administration, and flamenco. Her source was already in the article before my edits. She writes in her book that Donn Pohren, the most famous Flamenco aficionado and the only non-Spaniard to receive the title of flamencologist by the Catedra de Flamencologia, instantly associated the Flamenco dance with the classical Indian Kathak dance and that this is an emphasis of Romani influence on page 36 of her book. She gives this as one of many hypotheses. Her work was cited by 46.

Evaluating Bias in Spanish Flamencological sources: In talking about Antiziganism, Lou Charnon-Deutsch, a renowned professor emirata of Hispanic Languages and Literature from the State University of New York—Stony Brook, these are some of her contributions. She made it clear that the work of certain recent Spanish Flamencologists is biased due to Anti-Roma racism and ignorance. This is a valuable quote from her book: “Writers eager to diminish flamenco’s gypsy origins ascribed to a less racialized notion of gypsy ethnicity and chose instead to elevate Andalusia to the status of true mother of flamenco.”(page 217) She then goes on to mention both Steingress and Leblon by name. She describes how Steingress tries to artificially and counterfactually de-racialize the gitano identity in order to disassociate it from Flamenco. She is very critical of Steingress’ work and instead prefers that of Leblon who provides deep insight in how Flamenco is related to Romani traditions around the world. In addition, this book describes the recent trend of non-Gitano flamencologists to try and de-racialize Gitano identity to use counter factual data to disassociate Gitanos from the origination of the dance. They say that this is a recent trend rooted in racial purity ideas since Flamenco is such an important part of Spanish identity, these Spanish flamencologists are on an “assault” to disassociate the style from Gitanos. This runs contrary to what older flamencologists said. For example, one of the most important flamencologists Demófilo(Antonio Machado y Alvarez) states that “the original Flamenco song style was Gitano at source and only corrupted by Andalusian influences.”(page 163) For this reason, I suggest taking in account the Non-neutral POV of many Spanish flamencologists and thus attributing them by name or using independent uninvolved sources.

As you can see this is clearly not a fringe theory and has received significant scholarship. I can add way more sources but this post is already way too long so i’ll leave it at that. Hopefully, this can clear up my position and why my sources fit WP:RS guidelines and why i’m wary of European academics with relations to Spain who denounce the part of the Calé Roma in originating the dance per Bernard Leblons stance that these observations run contrary to fact and are rooted in deep Antiziganism. My compromise is to say while Flamenco was birthed in the tradition of the Calé Roma, it combined various Romani and non-Romani Andalusian folkloric traditions. Cheers and I apologize for how long this response is. TagaworShah (talk) 03:47, 20 August 2021 (UTC)


 * I'm not going to add anything controversial here, TagaworShah so no need to respond at length. You made a good effort to defend your case. I just one to point out a couple of things:


 * 1) Hypothetical connections to music of North India - or anywhere else (to Jews, Greeks, Arabs, West Africans, Latin America, North India, Berbers etc) are not contested. They are valid enough theories. There are dozens of such studies exploring Flamenco's possible connections. However, we just as we can not use any of these to state Flamenco is CATEGORICALLY Nigerian or CATEGORICALLY Greek, we cannot do likewise with studies exploring connections to North India.


 * 2) You are correct that Demófilo (back in the 19th century) did support the idea of a gitano origin for reasons related to Spanish history and politics which are complex and I won't get into. His view (and those who disagree with him) should be reflected in this article.


 * 3) Lou Charnon-Deutsch supports your position that flamencology is "racist". I consider her a reliable enough source in the English-speaking world for her position to be reflected and attributed in this article. Her stance that an entire body of academia is wrong because "racism" is a common enough ideological current in US campuses and hard to avoid on wikipedia.


 * 4) Regardless of my own views, I accept those two sources as legit and should be enough for your position to be reflected in this article. But please no "Phds in critical dance theory from Lalaland Community College of Wichita" nor "Romani activists who enjoy wearing hats" - you don't need them to support your position. If we agree on this much - use of proper academia - a consensus is possible.


 * I don't have as much free time to immediately match your very fast effort but will provide a bibliography over the coming days. Sadly for me, it is extremely hefty since it represents a mainstream academic position. Again, good effort finding those sources. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 17:36, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Thanks, this is all very helpful. This is a good collection of sources supporting this position and explains why skepticism of certain authors might be warranted. I will say that I would disregard the GPIR/Aoyama sources because they are not musicologists/dance historians and are presumably just repeating what they have read from others, particularly given that neither of the articles is about the origins of flamenco. I also wouldn't give much weight to the Wade statement, given that it's in a generalist publication and that she does not seem to have particular expertise in flamenco. Calliopejen1 (talk) 18:16, 20 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Calliopejen1 If you give little weight to Bonnie Wade (understandable, I do too), I think you should have a look at Rosamaria Kostic Cisneros, who Tagawor finds claims as his principal source. This is her . She seems to have recently taken up her first real job as an assistant professor in Dance in Coventry University (ranked 52nd in the United Kingdom). She obtained her PhD in Sociology (Universidad de Barcelona) 11 months ago. The subject of her doctoral thesis was on "Transferability of Successful Educational Actions of the Roma Women to the plural European Contexts" See here: This thesis "outlines the gaps that exist within Feminist and Roma Studies in relation to the inclusion of grassroots Roma women and girls and highlights the ability that the community has to approach their problems from an intersectional perspective". That's a fine topic as a doctoral thesis but I don't see the relation to Flamenco music or the field of Flamencology. Another interesting thing about this character is that according to her CV on orcid  it took her 6 years (2000-2006) to obtain a Bachelor degree in Dance (Education) at the University of Wisconsin Madison (ranked 75th in the US) and  three years to obtain a Master's in "Dance History and Criticism (Dance)" (sic) a the university of New Mexico (ranked 75th in the US).


 * Its not that this person is not a "Flamenco historian", as Tagawor claims (she evidently is not). I just find it very strange why anyone would attempt to push this figure as a WP:RS on Wikipedia let alone "a Historian of Flamenco". Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:42, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
 * I don't think TagaworShah is relying on Cisneros other than to summarize what Leblon had to say (is there a problem with that summary?). I agree that Cisneros is not someone we should be looking to. Calliopejen1 (talk) 21:47, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Also, I thought more about Holguin. I'm not sure that she is someone who should be given much weight. Her book and other scholarship focuses on the construction of identity etc. rather than the musicological aspects of this question. Most of the book you're citing focuses on that, and it looks like one chapter discusses the origins of flamenco, and she is presumably just summarizing others' work there because it's outside her area of expertise. Calliopejen1 (talk) 21:58, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Thank you for dedicating the time to this issue Calliopejen1. I can see you are looking into this neutrally with good faith. Yes, I agree with you that scholars of identities, intersectionality etc should be treated with extreme caution here. I have a specific question for you: Is there a Wikipedia sourcing policy which prioritizes specialist over non-specialist sources? This is key here. I'll try to find the hours to put into this, God knows I don't want to, but I want this article sorted out for good with proper sourcing. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 22:19, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
 * , generally speaking, WP:HSC (which references scholars working in their areas of expertise) and WP:HISTRW are informative. It would be nice if there were sources discussing the historiography of this issue, but I don't know that any exist (at least I haven't noticed any above).... Here in my view we should be looking for musicologists/music historians with expertise in flamenco (preferably the origins of flamenco) writing about their research, or surveying the work of other musicologists/music historians (and the latter would be better). Once these sources have been identified, it's a matter of writing a summary of the views of these scholars that gives due weight to the present scholarship. It seems like we have at least one expert on each side -- Leblon and Steingress -- so I don't think it's appropriate to disregard either side entirely. As a sidenote, I'm not sure exactly how WP deals with sourced claims of bias in the literature... that's a tricky issue. Calliopejen1 (talk) 22:53, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Another comment: the only review of Leblon's book that I found in an initial search says this about it: "Handsomely printed and well illustrated, this book summarizes the lifelong research of French gypsiologist Bernard Leblon into the origins of Spanish flamenco music. In prose accessible to a general audience Leblon argues that Spain's gitanos are "Gypsies," and are responsible for the invention of flamenco. These arguments are seriously flawed, to the point that this book, and Leblon's research as a whole, represent an obfuscation rather than a clarification of flamenco's origins." He calls the book "a contribution to racial mythology rather than a deconstruction of it". There is a quotation from a positive review that seems to have been published in the journal Brio' that is being promoted with the book, so maybe it didn't only get panned! Calliopejen1 (talk) 00:27, 21 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Calliopejen1 This is the closest I found to what you are looking for - an overview of historiography - although it seems more focused on classical theories. I will research some more and compile a list. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 10:02, 21 August 2021 (UTC)
 * , the problem is that's self-published so really just a guide to the reliable sources you could use. In terms of historiography it's not something we can use at all. Calliopejen1 (talk) 05:56, 22 August 2021 (UTC)

Yes evidently. Just helps with the research. --Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 18:16, 22 August 2021 (UTC) Hey, thank you for the honest and impartial feedback! I found another very recent source, 2021, by William Washabaugh, note he has been working on this since at least 1995 where he published part of this book in a SAGE research journal here, that specifically talks about this argument and presents both the sides and I are supporting. It basically goes over the 2 arguments, their leaders, and criticisms. One is that Flamenco originated in Andalusia because gitano is a catch all term and identity that could mean multiple Andalusian groups, aka a de-racializtion of gitano identity in order to paint Andalusia as the true mother of Flamenco, this movement was led by people such as Steingress and Timothy Mitchell, while the other side emphasizes the position of the Calé Roma as a racialized and historically persecuted group and that the purest and original forms of Flamenco were in fact Calé in origin and were only later corrupted by outside influences, this view was spearheaded by Demófilo and Antonio Mairena and is sometimes called Mairenismo. These 2 stances are also reiterated in the book “Flamenco on the Global Stage: Historical, Critical and Theoretical Perspectives” by K Meira Goldberg and the aforementioned Michelle Hefner Hayes and Ninotchka Devorah Bennahum. Now, to address the negative review on Leblon, I wouldn’t give it much weight. The author accuses Leblon of ascribing to a “racial mythology,” he is one of the people who believe race, and it’s subsequent social ramifications, are nonexistent. There is a clear academic consensus that such a position is absurdly false and the concept of race has had and continues to have intense social ramifications and thus his view would be WP:FRINGE. Additionally, many international academics have heavily criticized the first view of a de racialization of gitano identity as simply counter factual. This can be seen with Lou-Charnon Deutsch above and with Josephine Labayni, director of Romance studies at the University of London and Professor of Spanish literature and culture at New York University, where she directs the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center and is a founding editor of the Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies. They discuss people like Mitchell and Steingress whom they properly assert are not qualified to speak on issues regarding the Calé Roma ethnicity, in response to them denying the extent of Roma persecution and racialization in Spain. Deutsch specifically mentions that de-racializing gitano identity is contrary to fact and rooted in racial denialism. I think their stances as independent uninvolved parties in this debate should be taken into consideration. Also in reference to Cristosdelosgitanos’ claim that we shouldn’t give much weight to people who specialize on Identity and it’s consequences, I highly disagree. National identity, racial identity, and ethnic identity have been at the core of this debate since it’s conception and is present in almost all of the arguments presented here. That’s why I see people like Sandie Holguín as a valuable source. Since we do have 2 clear sides, would it be appropriate to invoke WP:INDEPENDENT and use these 3rd party sources above to summarize the 2 arguments and their leaders and then provide the criticism from independent specialists?TagaworShah (talk) 13:57, 22 August 2021 (UTC)
 * TagaworShah:


 * 1) There are more than "two sides" to the debate on the musical origins of Flamenco. There are many theories and some partially agree with each other. This is a complex topic and it goes beyond Andalusian vs Gitano. There are even theories that the Indian influence came through Armenian-Byzantine lithurgical traditions and a lot has been written on the Jewish influence.


 * 2) The idea that Flamenco is a "gitano art form" is as WP:FRINGE as the theory which states that gitanos had no influence whatsoever on its development. The bulk of specialist academia (which does NOT include colorful characters such as Kostic-Cisneros) have intermediate positions. Mairenismo is not a position held by any contemporary specialized flamencologists - more of a historical current now largely forgotten.


 * 3)From your profile, I continue to assume you are not a Spanish speaker. if so, tell us now/ I will not use it to diminish you when discussing here in good faith. But it is important to know so we can help you with Spanish language sources. Even English language non-specialist sources draw from specialist sources the bulk of which are in the Spanish language.


 * 4)I also strongly urge you to desist from following the argumentative line that Spanish academics are inherently biased about Spain's culture and history and therefore Spanish language academia cannot be trusted. It is not just borderline racist and offensive, it is also destructive. We could argue the same thing about "Anglo-saxon" or "White American" sources you draw from having anti-hispanic bias and refuse all sources from the United States. There is plenty written on hispanophobia in US academia, trust me. Questioning academia on grounds of ethnicity or nationality will lead to no consensus since every single reliable source potentially being deplatformed by a "woke" attitude to Wikipedia editing contrary to policy.


 * 5)We must focus on what specialist sources have to say as per WP:HSC, giving priority to Professors ("catedraticos") in flamencology, regardless of nationality and language. Preferably those who have worked with the two only university departments in Flamencology which exist in the world: Seville and Jerez de la Frontera.


 * 6) This is important: please stop attributing your own opinions to academics and misportraying content of sources. Labayni does not mention at any point "people like Steingress" nor does she say what you say she does. This is WP:OR at the most glaring level.


 * 7) We cannot use opinions of non-specialists which we feel are closer to our own views as somehow "independent" auditors of historiography. They are not. Nor are they specialists in Flamenco. The ones you have been tabling tend to be non-specialist sources who see everything through the prism of race and identity - a recent ideological craze emanating from certain campuses in the United States or, in some cases, not even academics at all.


 * 8) We pretty much have what most specialist sources have to say on the matter covered, its just laborious to write out. I will compile a list of sourced extracts and we can move on from there by summarizing the historiography on the matter. Should be a simple process. Calliopejen1 I'm delaying since I'm working these days but will provide it under this sub-section. Let me know your thoughts.Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 18:16, 22 August 2021 (UTC)


 * 1) There are 2 clear sides when it comes to the ORIGINATION of Flamenco, whether it was born from the Calé Roma specifically or developed out of a greater Andalusian tradition. Cultural influences are a completely different thing, this discussion here is about the origination of Flamenco, both Andalusia and Gitanos have cultures that combine multiple cultural influences, let’s stick to what the experts say.


 * 2)The idea that Flamenco was birthed from the Calé Roma is definitely not a Fringe theory, I have clearly proven that above and continuing to call my position fringe isn’t aiding in consensus. Also please stop talking about Dr. Cisneros-Kostic like that, she is a serious academic with years of experience on this issue, she is not relevant to this discussion at all, I only used her to summarize Leblons points because she worded it better than me, and your continuous personal attacks to me, Cisneros and anyone else related to or advocating for the Romani people is of bad faith.


 * 3)As i’ve told you before, I’m a fluent Spanish speaker, I don’t appreciate getting called a liar on here. I mostly focus on english sources because they are preferred for English Wikipedia, if you provide a reliable Spanish source you can rest assured that I will be reading it.


 * 4)When did I ever assert that all Spanish Academics are biased? That would be counterintuitive as I use several Spanish academics in my sourcing. People like Steingress have been repeatedly called out for their bias by multiple experts, these are sourced claims of Bias. I only mentioned Steingress’ relation to Spain because it is a contributing factor to his own bias as pointed out in my sources. The assertion that Hispanophobia in the United States has anything to do with bias in this situation is completely original research and counterproductive, especially when most of these people are specialists in Spain specifically. I have sourced claims for the bias of many Spanish Flamencologists. Also just to add hispanophobia in the US is mostly directed at Latin Americans and Non-White hispanics, including Gitanos.


 * 5)WP:HSC covers almost all of my sources, you don’t need to have studied in Spain to be an expert in the ethnomusicology and identity of Flamenco. Stating that someone can’t be an expert in Flamenco without being crowned a “Flamencologists” by those 2 Spanish universities isn’t productive. My sources that were accepted by admin, are people who spend their whole lives studying Flamenco and most of their publications are related to Flamenco. Having Independent sources is important especially in cases of where the majority group of a country is debating with an ethnic minority that is fairly underrepresented in academia and when they are they get labeled “colorful characters.”


 * 6)I’m not attributing my own opinions to anything. Lou Charnon-Deutsch was the one specifically talking about Steingress, the word “they” in this context denotes multiple people and Lou Charnon-Deutsch was featured in Josephine Labayni’s publication.


 * 7)These independent sources are summaries of what flamenco experts from both sides do the debates have to say, we are not using them to add their opinions about Flamenco, just summarize the arguments of experts in a neutral tone, and most of them do have specialization in the issue, like William Washabaugh does specialize in Flamenco. And the discussions of race and identity are extremely important to this issue and are center stage, that is clear, the assertion that “American colleges are obsessed with race and therefore the important observations of people who specialize on race and identity in Spain shouldn’t be given weight” is completely OR and not helpful at all, dealing with the overall consequences of racism is not an “ideological craze” for the people affected by it.


 * 8)Overall, this comment was very unhelpful to reaching consensus, let’s focus on actually providing sources and letting uninvolved administrators evaluate them, preferably from published sources. Cheers.TagaworShah (talk) 19:19, 22 August 2021 (UTC)
 * , A couple thoughts. First, I have no special privileges as an admin in terms of evaluating sources -- I'm just the same as any other editor. I think the identity-type sources are not good because they are people who are studying the conception of flamenco over time (who is claiming it? how is it thought of?) rather than people who are studying where it came from (what other historical musical forms is it most like and who was practicing them at the time when it arose?). For someone to evaluate where it came from, they would have to expertise in music history/musicology -- to be able to compare it to other musical forms that existed at the time etc. I can't imagine that someone whose expertise is in straight history/sociology would be qualified to do that. Calliopejen1 (talk) 23:17, 22 August 2021 (UTC)

Hello, I believe that we should reconsider the source by Dr. Yuko Aoyama. Aoyama is an Associate Provost and Dean of Research for Clark University. One of her self described specializations is cultural geography and tourism in Spain. Her research on the cultural geography of Spain centers around Flamenco which she describes as “deeply embedded” within it. Her work from 2007 is actually not a repetition of what she has heard but based in her own research that she conducted in Seville, Spain where she consulted various Flamenco experts and sources. Her work actually does focus on how cultural tourism and geography influenced the origins of Flamenco. Judging by the sheer amount of times her work has been cited, 144 for her original research and 128 for her follow up also about the origins of Flamenco, I think we can safely say that this is a reliable source. Aoyama is someone with a very highly esteemed reputation and does outline that this is one of her many specializations. I doubt she would repeatedly publish misinformation multiple times with a reputation like hers especially when this is coming straight from her own research. This is a quote from the journal: “Flamenco, the art complex that typically combines song (cante), dance (baile) and guitar music, originated in the early nineteenth century from the most economically and socially marginalized gypsy (gitano) communities in the Andalusian cities of Cadíz, Seville, and Jerez de la Frontera.” She cites her own research from 2007 here. Also on your other point, the point of conflict isn’t really about the ethnomusicological aspect of flamenco as I think all of us here can agree that Flamenco combines various diverse cultural influences but more on the origination of Flamenco within a specific group and social context. That’s why comparing different dances to Flamenco, while helpful, doesn’t really reveal who originated the dance, as even within the Calé Romani culture themselves, they have various Indian, Moorish, Armenian-Byzantine, and Andalusian influences. This conversation focuses more on the social aspects of Flamenco as being birthed from a despised racial minority in Spain. This is why people who try to dissociate the origination of Flamenco from the Calé Roma go as far as de racializing their identity and trying to make the region of Andalusia in general as it’s origin. I’d like to use Aoyama’s source for one of my main sources cited in the article since she does have expertise in this domain, has a great academic reputation, and her work publisher in the peer reviewed Geoforum journal, which has been cited by many is based on her own research that she conducted at the spot of origination for Flamenco.TagaworShah (talk) 18:54, 25 August 2021 (UTC)
 * , I strongly disagree with all of this. Certainly her research is well-cited, but not for statements she's making about the origins of flamenco. From the abstract of the first paper: "This article explores one ... example [of the rise of cultural industries being in part facilitated by the rise of leisure and entertainment in the advanced industrialized economies], taking ‘ethnic’ art, flamenco, and examining the role of consumption in shaping flamenco, both as an art form and as an industry. The global reach of the flamenco industry is assessed by focusing on two major markets, Japan and the United States." This is simply not a paper about the origins of flamenco and does not suggest that she has any expertise in that subject. From the abstract of the second paper: "In this article, I seek to demonstrate how research on cultural industries and tourism combined yields insights into the contemporary dynamics of cultural survival in the age of globalization." "Contemporary dynamics of cultural survival in the age of globalization" has nothing to do with how flamenco arose. To the extent the dispute isn't about musicology but is about who did the combining of the various influences, I still do not view Aoyama as a particularly good source of late 18th-century history (the relevant time period here). Calliopejen1 (talk) 19:16, 25 August 2021 (UTC)
 * I’ll have to strongly disagree with this analysis of Aoyama’s work. Abstracts can be very broad and aren’t really an exact representation of what the body of work entails. For example, in the first quote you provided, “This article explores one ... example [of the rise of cultural industries being in part facilitated by the rise of leisure and entertainment in the advanced industrialized economies], taking ‘ethnic’ art, flamenco, and examining the role of consumption in shaping flamenco, both as an art form and as an industry.” She mentions how she examines the rise(origin) of cultural industries(Flamenco) which was facilitated by cultural tourism and the human geography of the region. Reading the body of the work, she does delve into the origins of Flamenco in relation to the geography and social conditions of Andalusia. In the second paper she specifically devotes her research to the ways cultural tourism impacted the origination of Flamenco and how it continues to keep the art form alive. She uses the origination of Flamenco as one of 2 cases studies, origins and modern times, on how cultural tourism has affected Flamenco. This is a direct quote from her first article that consists of the research she has done in Seville:

“In this paper I will explore the origins and development of flamenco art complex, with a particular emphasis on the role of consumption in shaping this art complex.” Also, her research has been cited for the origin of Flamenco, as shown in the GPIR journal and her own self citation for the previously provided quote. She does make clear that her 2007 research is on the origination of Flamenco, while the abstract may be a little abstract with her intentions, she makes her intention clear in her actual work; both of the journals are open access if you’d like to take a look at them. I don’t think it’s fair to judge an entire source based solely on the abstract. I also don’t really see a reason why Aoyama wouldn’t be a reliable source for 18th century history seeing as thats what her research is about, cultural tourism in Spain during that time period.TagaworShah (talk) 20:37, 25 August 2021 (UTC)
 * The Artists and Tourists paper says that tourism in Spain dates to the 19th century, so I don't know why you say her research is about tourism in Spain in the 18th century when she did not think tourism existed at that time. That paper is clearly about the modern tourist industry and makes a passing reference to the origin of flamenco to give context. I don't see the full test of "The role of consumption..." available online but have no reason to believe it is any better. Calliopejen1 (talk) 04:32, 26 August 2021 (UTC)

Here is an excerpt from her research so you can read it: “While the origin of Flamenco has long been attributed to the Spanish gypsies who arrived in Iberian Peninsula in the 15th Century, its emergence as an art form remains highly contested, and is as elusive as the origin of the gypsies. Flamenco, is a blending of Andalusian, North African, Latin American, and Indian influences (Leblon, 1995). Therefore, flamenco by its very definition is a product of fusion and hybridity across cultures. Flamenco in its modern form emerged only in the latter 19th Century, initially a rather shady art form that existed and practiced informally by gypsies through the patronage of Spanish aristocracy, before moving to a more public arena, such as local cafes and taverns. It is distinguished from other art complexes of Western Europe due to its strong Oriental influences in its music and modes of singing (particularly India, Persia and the Arabic world), as well as its dance form that incorporates movements of hands, which are characteristics of dances from India, Java and Japan. Just as the emergence of Memphis, which fused “the Afro-American blues of the Mississippi Delta and the white country music of the Appalachian hill country” (Hall, 1998, p. 519), cross-fertilization of cultures in flamenco took place in cities and towns of Andalusia, and initially had a distinct local character, such as those presented by the gypsy community in the caves of Sacro Monte on the hills adjacent to city of Granada, or Triana district, another gypsy community across the river from Seville’s city center. These locales today are still active in flamenco tourism, yet the art complex itself has long departed these places of origin to Madrid, which has become the center of art, music and performing arts in contemporary Spain. To become a famous flamenco dancer, singer, or guitarist today means making one’s name known in Madrid and the rest of the world before returning to these origins. Aspiring flamenco guitarists and dancers in Granada today dream of ‘making it big in Madrid’. Flamenco artists in the United States claim that it is important to “go to Madrid for techniques,” whereas in Andalusia, one learns “the art and soul” of flamenco.”2 It should be noted that Flamenco is difficult to acquire, its rhythm is complex with 12 beats divided into 2, 3, or 4. Unlike social and folk dance of some variety which may require only a lesson or two to start participating, flamenco dance requires expert coordination between hands, arms, with fast and rhythmical stomping of feet, combined occasionally with the rhythmical playing of the castanets. Flamenco guitar playing is considered to be one of the most difficult among various guitar music genres. Familiarity alone would not substitute for training exclusively for the purpose of acquiring this art form. Therefore it takes years if not decades to master the art of flamenco. Until mastery, most of the students of flamenco are consumers, few rising to the level of ‘practicing flamenco.’ As Steingress (2002) suggested, flamenco has been interpreted and reinterpreted, and its representation appropriated along with the historical evolution of the Spanish society of the pre-modern and modern era. Depending on the context, various elements have been emphasized or de-emphasized, including; Spanishness for national unity; Andalusian characteristics for the regional identity; gypsy influences as representing subcultural, marginalized, bohemian, or even post-conventional cultural values and resistance to authority and the mainstream. Because of its fundamentally hybrid and multi-cultural roots, multiple meanings were attached to what flamenco represents over the course of history. As a result, it can be argued that flamenco is particularly susceptible to consumer manipulation, and remain appealing to those whose music and artistic preferences runs toward romanticizing the fringes, the alternative, the uniquely trans-cultural, and the marginal. The suggestions of cultural fringe hybridity combined with political marginality serves as a powerful appeal to a particular group of consumers who actively seek out this type of market. It is precisely this foundation of flamenco, which rests on its trans-cultural hybridity, makes it strong and enduring. Douglas and Isherwood (1979, p. 57) argued that “consumption is the very arena in which culture is fought over and licked into shape.” Flamenco’s popularity is closely associated with the rise of tourism. As Memphis represented migration of the past (beginning with the slave trade), flamenco also represented the migration of the past, of the producers (beginning with the gypsies), the consumers (early French and British tourism, migration of Spaniards in the 1930s onwards) and of the market (export commodities for the US and Japanese markets). The barriers of race, class and geography played a defining role in shaping this art form and the localities where they are based, and from where they are now exported. Largely despised by the local population, the gypsies and its art form was exonerated by early international tourism of the 19th Century, in which flamenco was viewed as exotic aspect of Oriental mysticism, a distinct identity of the region of Andalusia. The French and British romanticism toward Spanish gypsies is evident in a number of references to this population by artists, musicians and writers of the time, and include prominent French writers such as Théophile Gautier (traveled to Spain in 1840) and Alexandre Dumas (in 1846), British travelers including Captain Samuel Widdrington Cook (in 1843) and Richard Ford (1830–33) (Charnon-Deutsch, 2004). A number of artists used Spanish gypsies as themes for their work in the 19th Century, including George Eliot, Lord Byron, and Bizet. As Baltanás (2002, p. 152) suggested, flamenco was “a manifestation of romantic orientalism and its preference for the exotic, which transformed the interpretation of popular songs, stylizing them as much in a sense of the Oriental as in that of the artistic freedom of the interpreter …”. The artistic myth privileged by the relationship between music and mystery, constructed upon the outsiders’ (whether non-gypsy Andalusians or foreigners) view on the romanticized, ‘free-life’ gypsies, therefore facilitated the rise of flamenco art in Andalusia in the 19th Century. In fact, flamenco became partly responsible for the romanticized, deformed, and often manipulated representations of the Spanish gypsies (Gamella, 2002). This suggests that in spite of its origin and subsequent formation of the distinctively regionally embedded identity, flamenco was also a product shaped and molded by consumers who were external to the region from the very beginning of its life. To some it represented the exoticism of the gypsy culture, and to others it represented the cry and the protest of the marginalized, nonetheless romanticized in the nostalgia for an aspect of Andalusia of the bygone era (Baltanás, 2002). Identity of gypsies and their art complex was therefore shaped and reshaped even in the 19th Century through the views of the consumers, Spanish and foreign, and through the market that voraciously consumed the exotic and artistic orientalism of the gypsy culture. This suggests that flamenco is in fact not the product of an ethnic group, but of the interplay between the producers and its consumers. In the process, flamenco was gradually transformed from a ‘regional tradition’ to an export commodity, from a cultural heritage of Andalusian suffering to exotic cultural entertainment. Thus, flamenco from its very origin represented hybridization and globalization, long before the emergence of modern cultural tourism. Tourism continued to play a decisive role in popularizing as well as transforming flamenco art. For example, flamenco was originally centered around singing (cante), yet international tourists without Spanish proficiency provided a growing market for dance (baile), thereby decentering cante and popularizing baile in its contemporary form.3 In the post World War II, Franco promoted flamenco along with tourism as a way to earn foreign currency for otherwise depressed Spanish economy, starting in the late 1950s. Franco’s enduring regime may have contributed to the relatively slow onset of contemporary globalization in Spain, and prevented early dilution, while tourism provided financial support to maintain this art complex. Post-war tourism altered flamenco from a ‘uniquely Andalusian cultural expression’ to a ‘quasi-national performance symbol’ for the entire nation (Malefyt, 1998). By early 1970s, tourism became the leading industry in Spain, with gypsies being one of its key touristic formulae (Quintana, date unknown). Tourism in the post-Franco era positioned southern Spain as a newly opened and affordable destination, which further helped diffuse the knowledge of flamenco. International tours of major flamenco artists have often been supported by the Spanish government, particularly the Ministry of Culture and the Foreign Ministry. A number of music recording studios in Spain emerged that distribute flamenco music locally and globally. In addition to Spanish firms such as Nuevos Medios, Dial Discos (Madrid), Pasarela, Senador, and Fods (Seville and Utrera), it is notable that Madrid-based multinational firms (EMI/Hispavox, Universal Music/Polygram Iberica), as well as a number of French firms (Harmonia Mundi, Auvidis) are involved in duplicating and disseminating flamenco music to the rest of the world. Gypsies, who traditionally self-employed themselves in activities such as metal working, horse trading, and fortune telling, opportunistically exploited the economic potential offered by flamenco art and actively trained their children at early ages to develop this expertise (Quintana and Floyd, 1972). Whereas gradual shrinking of the informal sector in the Spanish economy and technological progress have eliminated many of the traditional occupations of the Spanish gypsies, careers as flamenco artist-entrepreneurs offered an important alternative to otherwise progressive proletarianization of their community. In fact, cultural industries are among the few left in the developed world context that offer independence and relatively informal markets, which are consistent with the gypsy tradition and their way of life. As flamenco flourished, however, the connection between gypsies and the flamenco art complex has become increasingly ambiguous as the art became professionalized. Today a significant share of dancers, singers and guitarists are non-gypsies (payos). In sum, the origin and evolution of flamenco shows close interactions between the producers and the consumers in shaping, reshaping, and appropriating cultural contents that may have regional origins to suit prevailing market demand, in this case supported largely by tourism. Demand for cultural commodities that involve an aesthetic of exoticism combines two types of distances; one of nostalgia of the distant past, and another of romanticism of the culture that has a perceived distance from one’s own. The demand for flamenco has indeed been sustained by the preference toward the exotic prevalent in contemporary consumer capitalism. In the following section, I will explore how this regionally embedded art becomes interpreted, reinterpreted and adopted in overseas markets.”

As you can see here and in the quote from the Introduction, Aoyama does go into much detail on the origins and development of flamenco and is thus a very valuable source. This certainly cannot be considered a passing reference. Forgive me if I was ambiguous about the second journal, that was merely to show how she cited her own research for the claim that Flamenco originated with the Calé Roma although she does dive into the development of Flamenco in relation to tourism there too. Also, while she does cite both Leblon and Steingress, that is for the diverse cultural influences and impact on identity of Flamenco respectively and not for the quote I provided which she cited as part of her own research.TagaworShah (talk) 05:15, 26 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Agreed. Her work is out of scope of the debate at hand which is the origins of Flamenco. There are sufficient experts on this topic to seek tangential support from a non-specialist. TagaworShah I don't know what you are trying here. Its simple. Compile what are the main opinions/currents by specialists and reflect them in the article. The view that Flamenco is an art which originates in the Cale Romani is certainly far from being the mainstream view among experts, period. Therefore your modifications to this article are contrary to reliable sources on the matter. Your arguments to defend your POV are also becoming more and more convoluted. If you want to seek consensus you need to focus on common ground. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 00:00, 26 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Cristodelosgitanos I don’t think you saw my previous response where I demonstrated clearly that Aoyama’s research falls within the scope of the argument as it’s literally centered around the origin and development of flamenco. She literally says “In this paper I will explore the origins and development of flamenco art complex, with a particular emphasis on the role of consumption in shaping this art complex.” This is based on research she did in Seville Spain where she consulted the top Flamenco experts and sources. There are sufficient experts and she is one of them. I don’t know what your personal definition of a specialist is but Aoyama is a recognized specialist in the cultural geography of Spain which she clearly proves is deeply embedded in the origin and development of Flamenco. The view that flamenco originated among the Calé Roma is certainly not far from mainstream, it’s virtually a consensus among independent academic sources, Wikipedia RS guidelines make clear that independent third party sources are to be used in situations like this. As for finding common ground, i’d need to see your sourcing first as right now everything you say is unsourced and purely your own original research. Cheers.TagaworShah (talk) 02:37, 26 August 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah Beyond the adequacy of Aoyama as a source, she doesn't say Flamenco originates in Romani musical tradition or in the Romani people (yes that is somewhere between a fringe theory and a minority view although I would qualify it as plain ignorance). She, as is to be expected from someone who has done her research, shares the mainstream view that that Flamenco has multiple influences and explains how gitanos were instrumental in the proffesionalization of Flamenco, which no one disputes. You are again attributing false statements and/or misconstruing your own sources. For issues related to the professionalization of Flamenco in a history section of the article, Aoyama is an acceptable source. On its origin she doesn't say much since its not her field of expertise. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 11:29, 26 August 2021 (UTC)


 * I don’t think you read the entire excerpt, might I direct you to this line right here “As Memphis represented migration of the past (beginning with the slave trade), flamenco also represented the migration of the past, of the producers (beginning with the gypsies), the consumers (early French and British tourism, migration of Spaniards in the 1930s onwards) and of the market (export commodities for the US and Japanese markets).” We all agree that Flamenco was birthed from multiple diverse cultural influences, that’s not our point of conflict, the question here is who birthed it out of those influences. Aoyama like the majority of international scholars agrees that the Calé Roma are at flamenco’s origins. The view that Roma are only responsible for the professionalization and development of Flamenco and not at its origin is in fact a fringe theory proposed by non-Gitano Flamencologists based on the counter factual de racialization of Gitano identity. Aoyama even goes as far as calling non-gypsy Andalusians outsiders who contributed and adopted the dance because the dance is deeply connected to the persecution of the Romani people in Spain. As I provided in the quote from her introduction, she clearly states that her research involves the ORIGIN and development of Flamenco within her specific specialization. In her follow up journal from 2009, she cited her 2007 research for this quote “Flamenco, the art complex that typically combines song (cante), dance (baile) and guitar music, originated in the early nineteenth century from the most economically and socially marginalized gypsy (gitano) communities in the Andalusian cities of Cadíz, Seville, and Jerez de la Frontera.” As you can see Aoyama clearly holds the same position as me in this debate, that while Flamenco combines various cultural influences and is not an exclusively Gitano style, it’s origins do in fact lie with the Calé Roma. But, thank you for agreeing that Aoyama has done her proper research and is reliable, that’s very helpful. Cheers.TagaworShah (talk) 14:59, 26 August 2021 (UTC)


 * I don't know why you are putting so much emphasis on her citation of herself. In any event, she is not citing her own research re: the origins of flamenco; she is citing her own research re: the global-local paradox (the focus of her writings). "Flamenco, the art complex that typically combines song (cante), dance (baile) and guitar music, originated in the early nineteenth century from the most economically and socially marginalized gypsy (gitano) communities in the Andalusian cities of Cadíz, Seville, and Jerez de la Frontera.1 Given its humble origin, it is a wonder that this regional culture survived to thrive in the age of globalization. Indeed, production of culture today involves a complex global–local paradox (Aoyama, 2007)." Calliopejen1 (talk) 16:24, 26 August 2021 (UTC)


 * The whole quote you provided is cited from her 2007 research; Flamenco originating from the Calé Roma itself is part of said paradox as shown in the quote I provided for Cristosdelosgitanos above. I think you’ve misunderstood the point of the follow up journal, i’m not really giving it much emphasis, the source in emphasis is the 2007 research itself, the follow up journal like the GPIR journal is just an example to show that her work has indeed been cited for the origin of Flamenco. Her research from 2007, a good chunk of it but not all is provided by me above, does indeed go in depth to the origins of Flamenco through the lenses of her own specialization which she says is far understudied. That’s why I believe it’s a valuable source, so we can have balanced sources that deal with the ethnomusicological, socio-cultural, and socio-economic/cultural geography of Flamenco as well in order to receive the most comprehensive overview of the question. She does make clear that her 2007 research is on the origin and development of Flamenco which is crucial to this discussion. To be clear, the 2007 research is the source i’m arguing for, not the 2009 journal.TagaworShah (talk) 17:44, 26 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Again TagaworShah. No contemporary credible specialist source claims that Flamenco as a musical tradition is rooted in the gypsies. The musical traditions are not. What is rooted in the gypsies is Flamenco as a profession and "scenic art" (something hard to disagree with). But these are two different things. I think you need to understand this distinction and it needs to be clear in the article. This lady is specifically talking about Flamenco as a profession not about the musical roots of Flamenco. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 10:54, 27 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Again you are providing your own incorrect interpretation of a source’s material. Aoyama makes it clear that she meant the entire Flamenco Art complex is the creation of the Calé Roma. See this quote “Flamenco, the art complex that typically combines song (cante), dance (baile) and guitar music, originated in the early nineteenth century from the most economically and socially marginalized gypsy (gitano) communities in the Andalusian cities of Cadíz, Seville, and Jerez de la Frontera.” Per Wikipedia guidelines you shouldn’t add your own interpretation to works if something is not explicitly said in that work; that’s called Original Research. Aoyama like all my sources agree that while Flamenco combines multiple diverse musical traditions, the Calé Roma were the ones who originated it out of these diverse musical traditions. The only people who argue that the gitanos are only responsible for professionilization and development but not origination is a recent trend of non-Gitano “Flamenoclogists” who try to counter-factually deracialize the gitano identity. Indian, Andalusian, Moorish, Armeno-Byzantine etc. cultural influences are found within the Calé Roma culture itself, they try to deracialize it to a point where gitano can mean any andalusian in order to paint Andalusia as the true mother of Flamenco which is again counterfactual since Gitano has always been a very racialized identity. These people are the ones with the Fringe view. All my above statements are sourced from Lou Charnon-Deutsch. As I have shown, with sources, time and time again, almost all independent contemporary specialists agree that Flamenco originated among the Calé Roma.TagaworShah (talk) 14:11, 27 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Hmmm I don't even know what to say. I really don't think an editor who until a few days ago thought that Flamenco was a "dance" and has been pitching pseudo-academics as "Flamenco historians" should be the one to decide which sources are "independent". I guess by "independent" you mean non-specialist sources which support your POV? I remind you that, as far as I'm aware Lou Charnon-Deutsch has not written any book or study on the subject of Flamenco. Again (I'm tired of repeating myself) let's stick to WP:HSC and WP:HISTRW. Flamencology is not a "recent trend" nor are your conspiracy theories relevant here. That's like saying Biology is a recent trend peddling the false theory of evolution. I have warned you to stop attempting to deplatform specialized academia through nonsense arguments.  Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:51, 27 August 2021 (UTC)

Enough with the personal attacks, all you do is find new ways to attack me instead of contributing at all to reaching a consensus. I don’t know why you feel the need to bully and intimidate your fellow editors but, Wikipedia is not the place for you to do that. You don’t know me and what I know or don’t so stop making these baseless personal attacks. None of my sources are “pseudo-academics”, how about you look at what WP:INDEPENDENT has to say as people with clear sourced conflicts of interests in the debate are clearly not independent sources. All my sources fall under all Wikipedia guidelines of being specialists, your personal view that only a registered Flamencologists from 2 elite Spanish Universities are “Specialists” and any outsider is just a hippie pseudo academic is baseless and only hindering consensus. You haven’t provided any actual sources or comprise at all, just taken every opportunity to repeat the same personal attacks and intimidation methods in hopes that I would give up. I never once said that Flamencology as a whole was the recent trend, Flamencology until recent had an overwhelming uncontested academic consensus that Flamenco originated with the Calé Roma, the recent trend is non-Gitano Flamencologists counterfactually de racializing the gitano identity in order to paint Andalusia as the true mother of Flamenco. I never citied Lou-Charnon-Deutsch on the origins of Flamenco, her work was cited as a critique of how this recent trend counterfactually deracializes the gitano identity for political means, that of which, the gitano identity and national identity in Spainshe, she is an expert. All my sources are specialists who agree with the facts that I have provided, this just seems like a clear case of WP:IJUSTDONTLIKEIT. Btw WP:HSC and WP:HISTRW includes all of the following: University level textbooks that summarize the scholarly literature; Popular equivalents of the above published by historians who normally publish in the scholarly mode; Publications like the above, reviewed to scholarly standards by historians, that were authored by non-historians; Popular publications by non-historians that were reviewed favourably in explicit book reviews or review-articles by historians in scholarly peer-reviewed journals; Publications by non-academic historians in popular modes, demonstrated as accepted by the general scholarly community by repeated reviews over time of that non-academic historian's work in scholarly peer-reviewed journals; Publications by any of the above in politically sectarian presses, where such works have been reviewed favourably in scholarly peer-reviewed journals; Publications that are held in several academic libraries may be scholarly. The more libraries holding the work, the greater the implication that the work is held by academic libraries for its scholarly value; rather than as an example of popular opinion or fallacious scholarship. Correspondingly, when works are held primarily or only in popular or deposit libraries this may indicate that the work has not been judged by professional librarians to be a reliable secondary source. All of my sources fall well within these guidelines as I have proven above, that’s what historical scholarship as defined by Wikipedia means, please do not twist guidelines, I have proven time and time again how all my sources fit within these guidelines. Those guidelines you listed have to do with non-published or peer reviewed opinion pieces or primary sources, a good example of which would be that website you provided earlier.TagaworShah (talk) 07:10, 28 August 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah As I said no more walls of text which are not useful. Your personal political views are not relevant here. Please provide the relevant reliable sources and citations you want included in the article and which statement you want them to support. Please ensure they are reliable peer-reviewed studies which specifically deal with Flamenco as per WP:HISTRW, or at the least statements by experts in the field of Flamenco. There is an entire body of academia on the topic. Incidentally, the source you have included by Miriam Phillips is a false attribution. She does not claim Flamenco originates in Kathak dance. It is simply a comparative study between the two. Once we have your sources, page number and citation we can move forward.


 * I copy paste WP:HISTRW here for your convenience:


 * To determine scholarly opinions about a historical topic, consult the following sources in order:


 * 1)'Recent scholarly books and chapters on the historiography of the topic (History of Flamenco)'
 * 2)"Review Articles", or historiographical essays that explicitly discuss recent scholarship in an area (Flamenco).
 * 3)Similarly conference papers that were peer reviewed in full before publication that are field reviews or have as their central argument the historiography (of the origin of Flamenco)
 * 4)Journal articles or peer reviewed conference papers that open with a review of the historiography (on the origin of Flamenco).
 * 5)Earlier scholarly books and chapters on the historiography of the topic (Flamenco)
 * 6)Single item "book reviews" written by scholars that explicitly discuss recent scholarship in an area (Flamenco).
 * 7)Introductions to major scholarly works on the topic or introductions to edited collections of chapters often represent a survey of the historiography (on views on the origin of Flamenco)
 * 8)Signed articles in scholarly encyclopaedias (about Flamenco)

Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 13:06, 30 August 2021 (UTC)

Let’s make one thing clear, the only thing that’s not useful and unsourced here is your constant negative comments and personal attacks. Everything I say is backed up by sources and sometimes that will be more thorough because it is a complex subject, it is your responsibility to read through it all as a Wikipedia editor. In addition, I have provided from the start a clear position(Tagaworshah’s Position) and sources(Tagaworshah’s WP:RS), if you look at the reflist below that includes proper citations and page numbers for all the sources, as well as, direct quotes and detailed explanation of why these sources fit within any and all reliability guidelines. You have not provided a single usable source or clear position, we can’t move forward until you do that, I don’t know why you feel the need to use condescending language towards me as if I’m the one preventing consensus. Finally, I don’t know what “verification” you were looking for in the Miriam Phillips source, she was simply cited that there exists similarities between Kathak and Flamenco and because of that certain scholars have devised hypotheses surrounding their origin, which she details in the abstract and pages 415-418 under the subsection “The Quagmire of Why?” where she describes that people have different hypotheses on why Kathak and Flamenco are related with the most popular being that it came from the Roma migrations from Northern India, she does provide her speculations on that but, neither confirms nor denies any hypothesis. Nowhere in my edits did I state Flamenco coming from Kathak is a fact nor is it part of my official position, that’s just a hypothesis and really we don’t need exceptional sources to prove a hypothesis exists. We can remove the source or find a better one but it does verify what my edits say. I also don’t know why you”purged” the encyclopedia Britannica source, I proved that source is reliable per WP:BRITANNICA and why it is appropriate to use a tertiary source in this situation above, and i’ll prove it again below. Even though I have already consistently proven the reliability of my sources through all these guidelines, I’ll do it one more time for arguments sake using these specific quotes:
 * Leblon and Holguín: 1)'Recent scholarly books and chapters on the historiography of the topic (History of Flamenco)'


 * Hayes and Lou Charnon-Deutsch: 2)"Review Articles", or historiographical essays that explicitly discuss recent scholarship in an area (Flamenco).


 * Aoyama: 4)Journal articles or peer reviewed conference papers that open with a review of the historiography (on the origin of Flamenco).


 * Demófilo: 5)Earlier scholarly books and chapters on the historiography of the topic (Flamenco)


 * Washabaugh: 7)Introductions to major scholarly works on the topic or introductions to edited collections of chapters often represent a survey of the historiography (on views on the origin of Flamenco)


 * Britanica(Ninotchka Bennahum) 8)Signed articles in scholarly encyclopaedias (about Flamenco)

I’ve provided full citations to each of these sources below in the references list, please refer to that. Also, refer to my original comments along this subsection for specific quotes from the material and explanations. All my sources fit within these guidelines and are considered reliable, all of the people above are specialists, Wikipedia and the scholarly world does not share your personal opinion on what a “Specialist” in this domain is. All my comments have been sourced while yours have come purely from personal political views. I recommend following my lead and providing a clear position and sources along with detailed explanations of the author’s credentials. On Wikipedia talk pages, you’re going to have to read long comments, other encyclopedic editors have to read much longer comments, everything I say is important to my claim so spare me the complaints. I will also be adding Britannica back, there was no reason for you to “purge” it.TagaworShah (talk) 23:44, 30 August 2021 (UTC)

I’d also like to add this source by Peter Manuel. “Flamenco, regardless of its ever-growing acceptance by foreign as well as Spanish middle classes, has evolved as a product of the Andalusian urban lower classes and, in particular, the settled gypsies of Seville and Cadiz province”

This was published in the peer reviewed Ethnomusicology journal which is the official journal of the society of Ethnomusicology. Peter Manuel is an ethnomusicologist and professor of music at John Jay College and CUNY Graduate Center He is also a Flamenco guitarist himself and has published extensively on the musicology and ethnomusicology of Flamenco. Here are some examples of his many works concerning Flamenco. As you can see he has published much about Flamenco for reliable sources such as Cambridge University and Columbia University. Here he is described as a Flamenco scholar. The work goes in depth on the origins of Flamenco from both an ethnomusicological and societal perspective. It has been cited by 141. I think this is a really good source to add. I know you desired to see a source like this, do you agree that it is reliable? Also for Cristodelosgitanos, this work satisfies WP:HISTRW as a peer reviewed journal article that opens with a historiography of Flamenco.TagaworShah (talk) 14:10, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
 * , I haven't looked that much to determine how good this source is generally (seems potentially good but not really in-depth), but it does not include a historiography. (Do you know what historiography is?) Historiography is a meta-description of the body of historians' work about the history of a certain thing. So a historiography of the origins of flamenco would be something like X author wrote Y thing about the origin of flamenco on Z date, then A author wrote B thing on C date, and there are D, E, F views that are held by historians, and D is the view that has become more widely held over time. Also, I don't think this source is really contrary to what Cristodelosgitanos has been saying above. Calliopejen1 (talk) 15:48, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Also, your list above where you characterize your sources is also all wrong because of this apparent misunderstanding of the definition of historiography. Calliopejen1 (talk) 15:50, 31 August 2021 (UTC)


 * My apologies, it seems both me and cristodelosgitanos wrongly categorized historiography as just a synopsis of the history of Flamenco. English is not my first or primary language either. Some of them do actually go into historiography as you describe like Hayes, Washabaugh, Deutsch, and Aoyama, but I would say all the sources I provided fit Wikipedia reliability guidelines, wouldn’t you agree? As for cristodelosgitanos’ position, unfortunately he has not yet provided a concrete position or sourcing but from our conversation, he has made it explicitly clear that he holds the position that gitanos simply contributed to the professionalization and development of Flamenco but do not lie at its origins. Manuel explicitly disagrees with that and agrees with my position that gitanos do in fact lie at the origin of Flamenco. Also, as for the source by Manuel he does go fairly in depth, he certainly does not simply summarize, I don’t necessarily believe it’s a necessity for sources to go extremely in depth for them to be considered reliable, he definitely goes a fair bit in depth and doesn’t skimp out on any important details. Also, I have narrowed down my sourcing for the article to 3 main sources, Leblon, Aoyama, and Manuel. I have now completely finished reading Leblon’s book and have some things to add on his background and conclusions. “Bernard Leblon’s first contacts with the Gypsy world and with Flamenco, in Seville in the 1950s, had a profound influence on his life. Since the 1960s he has been engaged in research into the history of the Gypsies of Spain, culminating, in 1980, in a doctoral thesis on the subject. He set up a specialized research centre at the University of Perpignan, where he was professor of Hispanic studies until his retirement in 1994.
 * A participant in flamenco congresses since 1982, and a member of the Andalusian Flamenco Foundation since it’s inception in 1987, he was a member of the board of directors of the Gypsy Research Centre of the University Rene Rescartes and of its associated research Group on European Gyspy History.
 * Leblon’s first work on Flamenco, Gypsy music styles and Flameno(this research was later included in the book), co published by Etudes Tsiganes and Harmattan was awarded the 1988 Flamenco foundation prize.”
 * As you can see by all means Leblon is a specialist in Flamenco and the Romani people of Spain. Again this book is his lifelong research. Leblon examples the various origin hypotheses of Flamenco, Arabic, Jewish, Byzantine and concludes that Jewish music did not have a great impact on Flamenco and that Arabic and Byzantine “oriental” influences come from the Calé themselves (Leblon 2003, 66-72). In his conclusion he says “the initial period of flamenco’s gestation and development was essentially Gypsy” (Leblon 2003, 73). He says “The Gypsy community, with its own particular genius and extraordinary facility for adaptation, finally brought these cultures in harmony” (Leblon 2003, 72). Essentially he confirms my position that the Calé Roma were responsible for creating Flamenco out of the mixture of various cultures that we all agree on. In addition he also speaks on how certain Andalusian reject the Roma origin of Flamenco because Flamenco is so important to their identity and it being “Gypsy” is a shame to them: “The fact that Andalusians have come to recognize themselves in ‘Gyspy’ music, once universally rejected, but which they have so taken to heart that they now dispute the ancestry of their Calé compatriots reveals a great deal about a collusion that has been going on for centuries, and which no once can really disavow” (Leblon 2003, 78) As you can see Leblon supports my position and gives explanations to why other origin stories are wrong and their roots in the complex political and identity issues surrounding Andalusia, Europe, and Antiziganism.TagaworShah (talk) 17:22, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
 * I agree that Cristodelosgitanos has not provided sources that support his position, but I assume that they are forthcoming. (We'll see!) Where there is a dispute in the historiography (which there appears to be here), the recommendations are to look to sources that describe that dispute. I agree that Leblon is a reliable source, but his book is definitely advancing a thesis that appears to be disputed, and therefore I think we need to look at whether other scholars agree with him or not and how this debate should be fairly summarized. I just added a note below about a source that I think is a good one (literally without having read it to see what side it takes!) and I think we should examine that one closely. Calliopejen1 (talk) 17:28, 31 August 2021 (UTC)

Another suggestion

 * I found this source, which is a signed entry in a recent (2017) specialized encyclopedia and summarizes the scholarly debate over the history of flamenco. The entry on flamenco is 50 pages long (much more thorough than the Britannica piece) and is written by Cristina Cruces Roldan, who appears to be a noted flamenco scholar. I have honestly not even read what the source says, beyond the headings, but it seems like a high-quality source we should be looking to in the first instance rather than attempting to dig up obscure sources that fit our own POVs. Calliopejen1 (talk) 17:23, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
 * This source is a 2021 edition of a 1996 book in which chapter 2 discusses the historiography of flamenco. It may not to account for post-1996 developments (I've only skimmed), however, failing to mention Leblon. So maybe this is not quite as good of a source. Calliopejen1 (talk) 17:45, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Yes I agree that a signed encyclopedia is a great source to summarize this apparent dispute. The only one I currently have access to is Britannica which also appears to come from a Flamenco expert but admittedly not as in depth as the encyclopedia you provided. The encyclopedia you provided seems like a promising source but the Flamenco article is unfortunately not included in the free preview. I checked my local libraries but none of them appear to have the book. Do you happen to have access to the book? TagaworShah (talk) 17:58, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
 * , if you turn on your email, I can email you a PDF of the relevant pages. Calliopejen1 (talk) 18:16, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Yes please, I have turned on my email and would love to read the source. Thank you!TagaworShah (talk) 18:43, 31 August 2021 (UTC)


 * One more: This book has some historiographic content, but I can only see select pages, so I can't tell if the author is providing a neutral summary or is taking a position to advance his thesis. Calliopejen1 (talk) 18:52, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
 * The problem with this book is while he does address some popular theories regarding Flamenco he states that the debate whether Flamenco originated in Spanish or Gitano Andalusian people is not his primary concern so he doesn’t really do an in depth historiography of that issue focusing more on other aspects of the development of Flamenco. So I wouldn’t really consider him a particularly good source for this debate since he says it’s not his primary concern. Although, he does cite William Washabaugh as the most influential historiography on the topic. Also, I have responded to the email you’ve sent, I hope you’ve received it.TagaworShah (talk) 19:27, 31 August 2021 (UTC)


 * One more source: This 2021 book attempts to advance a novel theory about the origins of flamenco, which obviously should not be given much space if any until we see if it is more widely accepted. But it does say the following about recent research: "En los ultimos veinte anos la investigacion en torno a la historia del flamenco le ha dado vuelta al concepto de historia del flamenco que nos lego la flamencologia del siglo XX. Gracias a las investigaciones de Jose Luis Ortiz Nuevo, Jose Manuel Gamboa, Faustino Nunez, Gerhard Steingress, Antonio y David Hurtado Torrez y Jose Miguel Hernandez-Jaramillo [footnotes off of each of these authors], entre otros, tenemos hoy una vision mas rigurosa y veraz de la historia de este arte. El cambio de paradigma fundamental en este tiempo, y con el que se alinea mi tesis, es que el flamenco es ante todo un arte escenico, a diferencia de lo que proponia la flamencologia tradicional, que lo consideraba principalmente un arte de no profesionales y consideraba mas relevante el ambito intimo y familiar que el ambito publico." [Apologies for lack of accents and potential typos...] We may want to look at those works if we're going to be relying on the Washabaugh historiography, which hasn't been updated since 1996. By the way, it's unclear if these relate to the early origins of flamenco. Calliopejen1 (talk) 19:51, 31 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Sounds cool Calliopejen1. I have been slowly collecting sources and citations but if you have something which does it for us summarizing the historiography all the better. I agree with this paradigm shift. Flamenco in its narrowest sense can refer to a scenic art i.e. its process of professionalization. Before delving into the origins of Flamenco we have to be clear how we are defining it. A high quality dealing with this issue would certainly be helpful. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 20:09, 31 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Yeah I wouldn’t rely primarily on Washabaugh either due to the age especially since before Leblon no experts on the Spanish Romani people delved into the issue. I have added an additional citation by the aforementioned Peter Manuel from Columbia University, he basically confirms the lead here that while Flamenco in its strictest sense, ie flamenco puro, originated with the Romani people, flamenco in a wider sense can mean various musical styles that can be either of Spanish or Calé Romani origin. Here is the pdf .TagaworShah (talk) 20:14, 31 August 2021 (UTC)

Hi, thank you for sending me the source, I have read through the source you’ve provided and I think it’s great. She does go over the major arguments about the origin and identity of Flamenco but ultimately comes to the same conclusion as Britannica and Manuel which is: “Flamenco appeared as a contemporary art form in a period during which various urban subaltern groups, Gitano communi· tics and journeymen converged in a flamenco proletariat, marked from its inception by the Gitano brand. It was from here that the most importilnt interpreters cmc.-rgc.-d, and with them a singular art form, which. in its musical and lyrical tragedy, became part of a collective memory. (Moreno 1996: Cruces 2003; Chuse 2003).” She does go in depth on the debate on the origins of Flamenco but ultimately comes to this conclusion that gitanos lie at the origin of flamenco herself. I didn’t see people like Leblon mentioned though she mostly focused on Spanish sources like Demófilo, Steingress and Mairena but her conclusion does seem to line up with my edits. Let me know what you think of her work, maybe i’m misinterpreting it but that’s what I got out from it and it seems this quote is her own personal assertion as she doesn’t seem to attribute it to anyone besides her citations.TagaworShah (talk) 20:32, 31 August 2021 (UTC)

TagaworShah Her conclusions seem to be the exact opposite of your your edits. She says the various Andalusian subaltern groups (i.e. the Andalusian working class, which included gitanos) converged in a flamenco proletariat. Something no one would disagree with and is largely aligned with what the article looked like before your edits. And the "gitano brand" is exactly that - a brand. Your edits are saying that Flamenco is Romani music not Andalusian and that it was imported into Spain in the 15th century. This is patently untrue. I have added some sources you requested.Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 20:48, 31 August 2021 (UTC)


 * My edits say nothing of the sort. It literally says the style is uniquely Andalusian and that it originated among the Calé Roma of Spain in the late 18th-early 19th century Andalusia as a combination of various cultural influences. Adding your own interpretation of my edits to make them seem more out of pocket will not help your position. The article before my edit explicitly said that Flamenco in its strictest sense is not gitano at origin which is simply untrue and many sources dispute that. You should ask CalliopeJen to send you the source before you jump to conclusions.TagaworShah (talk) 21:09, 31 August 2021 (UTC)

, I think you are oversimplifying what she writes. She also writes: "The documentary sources that have been discovered make it necessary to revise the earlier Gitano theory of flamenco that was imposed in the middle of twentieth century by the poet Ricardo Molina and the flamenco singer Antonio Mairena. ln their influential work Mundo y formas del cante flamenco (1963) these authors used three structuring criteria to hierarchize what they considered pure or Gitano-Andalusian forms of flamenco and others that were simply 'flamenco'.... According to Molina and Mairena's idea of 'disembodied reason' ('razon incorporea'), flamenco is the fruit of the isolation and oppression of Gitanos, which, after a first 'hermetic' stage (1800-60), in which flamenco prospered by being 'kept at home and jealously guarded,' was displayed in pure form next to other forms that already belonged to tje public domain, such as fandangos, sevillanas and jota [cite]. This so-called Mairenian hypothesis figured to a greater or lesser extent in numerous subsequent works of reflection and investigation [cites], and the Mairenian ideology still maintains a position of great influence among flamenco fans. Recent research, however, has contested the hypothesis on the grounds of its one-sided gitanismo and of historical inconsistencies on the question of origins, highlighting the role of Antonio Mairena, co-author and also a cantaor himself, in the final configuration, naming and classification of the styles. Several scholars hold that such Gitano origins only take a definitive form when they respond to the audience's desire for a new, commercial genre, and that they introduce the idea of the Gitano as a historical invention rather than a racial or ethnic heritage (Mitchell 1994), a kind of 'imagined community' (Steingress and Baltamis 1998, 183, following the concept of Benedict Anderson)." Why don't you and Cristodelosgitanos write up a fair summary of the sources rather than each simply trying to find support for your position? (And if she's not mentioning Leblon, it may be because he is not the be-all-end-all on this topic... She does cite him in a different section of the entry, on the geography of flamenco.) Calliopejen1 (talk) 20:55, 31 August 2021 (UTC)


 * The thing is she is specifically mentioning Mairenismo there which is not what i’m arguing for at all. Also the sources cited are Timothy Mitchell and Steingress, the 2 people criticized by Lou-Charnon Deutsch because they call the Gitano identity a “catch all term“ and amit a racialized term which is simply untrue. My edits really make it clear that while at the source, Flamenco was born from the gitanos, it came from a mixture of various cultural origins. Like Leblon said the Calé were the ones who mixed said different cultures to create the art complex. Mairena would outright disagree with that, to be honest he probably wouldn’t even agree with being associated with other Roma. I’m definitely not on the side that she is talking about. As for Leblon, he is the only major scholar who has specifically devoted his time to the history of Romani people in Spain from the only academic press that talks about Romani history. Romani people are vastly underrepresented in academia and this should be taken into account. As I said before, Antiziganism plays a large part in this discussion and shouldn’t be ignored.TagaworShah (talk) 21:09, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
 * , I am not persuaded. Is there anyone other than Charnon-Deutsch who criticizes Mitchell and Steingress on these grounds? I also don't think we need to privilege Leblon over everyone else, particularly when the Cruces Roldan encyclopedia article cites his work (showing she is familiar with it) but barely mentions him. And I don't think we privilege Charnon-Deutsch's critique when Mitchell and Steingress seem to be widely cited, and Charnon-Deutsch is (comparatively) not. Calliopejen1 (talk) 21:30, 31 August 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah Actually in Spain the main issue is anti-flamenquismo not anti-tziganism. Certain early scholars wrongly ascribed a "gitano" origin to Flamenco because they desperately wanted to disassociate it from Spanish culture. During the bourbon period and well into the 20th century there was a strong dislike among Spanish elites for those elements of its culture deemed "exotic" or "oriental". Flamenco and Bullfighting were the two main manifestations to be "erradicated".Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:27, 31 August 2021 (UTC)

Thanks for find this amazing source Calliopejen1. This is pretty much all we need to draft an origins section. --Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:01, 31 August 2021 (UTC)

More sources on Origin of Flamenco
Calliopejen1, TagaworShah. A few sources as requested. There are plenty more in this line but I don't have much time to spend on wikipedia. I'll be collecting them whenever I have a minute. Source 1 Luis López Ruiz, Doctor in Musicology with the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the University of Valladolid. He is known for the Guia del Flamenco (now in its 5th edition) which explores the origin, birth and development of Flamenco, analyzing its key periods. https://www.scribd.com/book/390663406/Guia-del-flamenco-5%C2%AA-Edicion-Corregida-y-Aumentada '“Andalusia had suffered numerous invasions in past centuries such as the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians and the Moors making of it a melting-pot of culture. The open spirit of the Andalusians welcomed the gitanos leading to a deep symbiosis.”' Guida del Flamenco p12. '“The gitanos’ role in the development of Flamenco was not creative. They assimilated, integrated and, simultaneously, made their influence patent.”' Guia del Flamenco, p12. '"Numerous ethnic groups lived together in Andalusia and it was in closed family groups that these groups would provide in music the echo of their suffering. With undeniable Moorish and Jewish influence and, above all, based on the mutual assimilation of Andalusians and Gitanos would be born the first wails which would become “Cante”. For this reason it is said that Flamenco was born of necessity.”' Guia del Flamenco, p13. Source 2 Barbara Thiel-Cramer, Swedish musicologist and author of “Flamenco: The Art of Flamenco, Its History and Development Until Our Days”. The most well-known study on the origin of Flamenco written in the English language. '“The gitanos not only lived together with Andalusians but they lived in a community with the poor peasantry of Andalusia as well as the moriscos who had remained after the expulsions.”' '“These three groups understood each other since they had a lot in common. Their lowly social position, their extreme poverty, their hunger as well as music: Popular Andalusian music, the melodies and rythms of the giranos as well as the North African and oriental Melismas. Melismas are found mainly in Gregorian music in western countries and in the folk music of Arabic countries. It is also a characteristic of India musical tradition. Over time, these traditions mixed and were known as Gitano-Andalusian song.”' Thiel-Cramér, B., Flamenco: su historia y evolución hasta nuestros días, Remark AB, Suecia, 1991, p.26. https://www.amazon.com/Flamenco-History-Development-Thiel-Cramer-1992-04-25/dp/B01N4HY2Y1 Source 3 Arcadio de Larrea Palacin, one of Spain’s most important musicologists of the 20th century. Investigator and expert in Flamenco. Author of Flamenco at its roots (Flamenco en su raiz).

'“Despite gitanos, being known for their music they were not creators but rather adapted the music they found to which they contributed their own elements.”'

Flamenco en su raíz, Signatura Ediciones, Sevilla, 1974, p. 27. https://www.revistalaflamenca.com/libro-el-flamenco-y-su-raiz-2/ Source 4 Manuel Bohorquez, Andalusian writer and flamenco critic. National Price in Flamencology from University of Jerez Flamenco Catedra. '“Mairena was from the theory that flamenco is an art of the gypsies, something that is not true. Gypsies have contributed a lot to cante jondo, but it is not their creation. The musical systems of flamenco had been operating in Andalusia for 2,000 years.”'

https://www.diariodesevilla.es/rastrodelafama/Flamenco-Gitanos-Creacion_0_1427257508.html
 * A couple initial reactions here: For the first one, any book that is in its fifth edition is likely to be fairly authoritative. Also, the book literally begins as follows (after the introduction): "La vinculacion de los gitanos al flamenco es total. De ahi que, cualquier analisis que quiera hacerse acerca del flamenco, implique el estudio previo del pueblo gitano. Cuanto mejor conozcamos a los gitanos mejor podremos entender el misterioso mundo del flamenco." This does not suggest to me that the author is under the spell of anti-gitano bias that keeps him from recognizing their contributions to flamenco. I would not appeal exclusively to the authority of the listed author, however, because it seems like earlier editions have other listed authors (?). The work does not appear to have the goal of advancing a novel thesis, and it is cited in the encyclopedia article I provided. Source 2: I don't know how I would verify that it is the most well-known study of flamenco's origins in English. It is cited in the encyclopedia article I provided, which is somewhat promising. Source 3: This is somewhat outdated (1974) but seems to be a good source, also cited in the encyclopedia article I provided. Source 4: This is just an interview and I would disregard it. If this same author were published in a peer-reviewed source, it could be different. Side note: given that sources 1-3 are all cited in that encyclopedia article, it might be best just to work from the encyclopedia article. Let me know if you need a copy of the relevant pages or if you can see them on Google Books. Calliopejen1 (talk) 21:20, 31 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Agreed, Calliopejen1 Source 4 I would also disregard, among other things because the interview has some rather flippant remarks which I disliked. I would definitely use your encyclopedia entry as basis. If you can provide here with relevant citations it would be a huge help to all of us and increase ten-fold the quality of the article. After this is solved I want to work on the different "palos" of Flamenco. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:33, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
 * , if you enable your email, I can send you the PDF of the relevant pages. It's too much to post here. Calliopejen1 (talk) 21:40, 31 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Done! Thanks!Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:46, 31 August 2021 (UTC)

Origins draft
, I have drafted an origins section from the sources provided. I tried to make it as neutral as possible summarizing the historiography of Flamenco. Please feel free to add to it or give any critques. I just added simple In text citations for now but when we get the final draft i’ll convert them to harvard citations. Feel free to suggest different citation placement as well.

Here is the draft:

The origins of the flamenco art has been the subject of a complex socio-political debate since it’s conception(Hayes 2009, 31-37). Early flamencologists like Demófilo, Donn Pohren, and Antonio Mairena argued that, at its core, flamenco was a gitano art that had simply been corrupted by Andalusian influences (Drummond 2011, Hayes 2009, Roldan 2017). This view, coined Mairenismo or Gitanismo, became the academic consensus until the 20th century. Mairenismo came under fierce opposition in the 20th century by influential Flamencologists such as Gerhard Steingress and Timothy Mitchell. Steingress and Mitchell viewed Andalusia as the true origin of flamenco, with the flamenco art being rooted in the 2000 year old musical traditions of Andalusia. In addition, they saw the term gitano as being a broad catch-all identity that could come to mean a variety of different ethnic groups. Because of this, they asserted that while gitanos played an important part in the professionalization and development of flamenco, they did not lie at its origins.(Mitchell 1994, Steingress 1998, Labayani and Deutsch 2002) This view was criticized by certain international specialists on the Spanish Romani people such as Lou Charnon-Deutsch who stated that the de-racialization of the gitano identity was counter factual. Deutsch saw the gitano identity as a deeply racialized identity that could not be separated from the Calé Roma (Deutsch 2004). In the late 20th century, when more research began to be published surrounding the Romani people, new hypotheses surrounding a Romani origin arose. Leading this view was Bernard Leblon, a French flamencologist and gypsiologist, who rejected the previous notions that the gitanos do not lie at the origins of flamenco. Leblon refuted the previously held notion that Romani people had no previously established music tradition before coming to Spain; comparing the flamenco dance to various other Roma dances around Europe. Leblon acknowledged the diverse cultural traditions found in flamenco but, credited the gitanos for its conception from those influences (Leblon 2003). In recent times, various hypotheses have arisen surrounding possible Indian, Byzantine, Armenian, Jewish, African, and Latin American cultural influences as well (Hayes 2009, Holguín 2019). What sources do agree on is that flamenco arose in late 18th century-early 19th century Andalusia among a disprivileged underclass. Whether that underclass was gitano, spaniard, or a more likely mixture of both is still up for debate among modern scholars (Roldan 2017, Washabaugh 2021).TagaworShah (talk) 00:50, 1 September 2021 (UTC)

Hey, I found a new source that could potentially be the best source we have yet, This scholarly book Flamenco on the Global Stage: Historical, Critical and Theoretical Perspectives is a fairly recent(2015) book completely and explicitly dedicated to the historiography of Flamenco. It is edited and contains essays by flamenco specialists K. Meira Goldberg, Michelle Heffner Hayes, and Ninotchka Devorah Bennahum as well as essays by other specialists such as Gerhard Steingress, William Washabaugh, and Roldan herself just to name a few. Per WP:HISTRW scholarly books that begin with a historiography of Flamenco should be consulted before encyclopedias as it’s certainly more in depth that the encyclopedia being an entire book. Also this source is very neutral and presents all major hypotheses, their merits and critiques as well as providing important contextualizarion such as anti-Roma racism. But, even though I am suggesting the source, it is not explicitly pro-Roma or biased towards Roma, it is very neutral. The preview includes 38 continuous pages and from that I can already tell that this is an in-depth and valuable historiography of the issue. They address the issue head on and provide multiple hypotheses as well as establishing what most scholars agree upon. I think this is probably the best source we are going to see so far as they include almost all the experts in an entire book dedicated to the historiography of Flamenco edited by experts and containing essays by multiple experts. I read the first 34 pages and think it would be perfect for an origins section, thoughts? My above draft doesn’t include this source but I think it would be way better using this source that Roldan.TagaworShah (talk) 05:54, 1 September 2021 (UTC)
 * I saw this source, but it is just a collection of essays/papers (there is no introduction as far as I could tell that would given an overview of the historiography). Which essay/paper do you think gives an overview of the historiography? Calliopejen1 (talk) 18:34, 1 September 2021 (UTC)
 * In the Introduction by K Meira. Goldberg, she starts off with a histories of Flamenco section and basically the whole introduction is a historiography of Flamenco research before the actual essays and then the first essay by Marta Carracci Benitez’s also goes into some historiography and contextualization and also the essay “Some notes towards a historiography of the Mid-Nineteenth century” by Kiko Mora. But the main historiography is the one provided by K Meira Goldberg in the beginning (pg 1-23). Along with these 2 essays that provide necessary and important contextualization.TagaworShah (talk) 20:12, 1 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah (pinging also ) I'm not going to criticize the overall spirit of your first draft. I also apologize for past personal attacks. Your writing does seem to be an honest attempt at neutrality. The problem is much of the content which shows a certain lack of familiarity with the historiography and subject matter.

I'm going to briefly summarize some info on the historiography for you, for your second draft.
 * Firstly, there was never any consensus on the origins of Flamenco and certainly no consensus that Flamenco was of Gitano origin. Initially, there were three traditional competing views on the origin of Cante Jondo (considered a form of proto-Flamenco). The questions is thus not what the origin of Flamenco is but what is the origin of Cante Jondo (deep song, in English).
 * Those of the three main classical musicologists of the beginning of the 20th century who study this matter:
 * 1) Felipe Pedrell: His hypothesis was that the origin was in oriental lithurgical music linked to ancient civilizations which influenced Andalusia.
 * 2) Manuel de Falla: Who saw in the gypsy siguiriya the most emblematic and authentic form of the Cante Jondo and thus saw Flamenco as a truly gypsy art.
 * 3) Joaquin Turina: Who gave more importance to the ancient Saeta and thus also considered the origin of Cante Jondo the result of popular music and orientalized lithurgical music.


 * The idea of a "Gitano" chant was however first introduced in 1881 by Antonio Machado y Alvarez, in contradiction with the theory of Blas Infante which saw in Flamenco the chant of the Islamic-Andalusi landless classes - this second view is very much aligned with his Andalusian nationalism for which he was killed during the civil war. As for Machado-Falla view, this was not even considered a mainstream (let alone consensus) view until 1950 when Manuel Molina and Antonio Mairena coined the concept of a hermetic or pure Flamenco of the gypsies Interestingly, regarding Mairena who was also a singer, Gail Holst-Warhaft explains how this "true" or pure Flamenco was not a real musical tradition bu part of a wider process of "orientalization". Whereas in Greece, Turco-gypsy music became en vogue in the 1940s and 50s, something similar happened in Andalusia where after a century of Flamenco opera, Mairena invented an artificial "pure" style which he marketed as "gypsy". Interestingly Turina (who was to a degree an anti-flamenquista, also saw a degree of artificiality in Flamenco born from professionalization). Anyways, by the mid 20th century, the gitanista theory was of particular appeal to a certain segment of aficionados who preferred to see Flamenco as a purely "gitano" art.


 * A generation of musicologists subsequent to Falla and Turina began deepening in their analysis. An example is Hipolito Rossy who in 1966 provided an analysis of the relationship between Cante Jondo and other musical traditions, such as the lithurgical music of the Byzantine Church, Jewish and Muslims chants and other native chants of the Iberian peninsula.


 * It is also worth mentioning the composer and musicologist Jose Romero Jimenes who provided an extensive study on the semitic musical tradition of Andalusia and its importance to the history of Flamenco. Following the hypothesis of Pedrell, he highlights this semitic/oriental character.


 * I could go on but I think you get the picture. Overall I would like to point out that the ethnic composition of Andalusia's popular classes is not a major point of interest or contention among academics of Flamenco. Southern Spain is quite immune to identity wars striking other parts of the western world. The Spaniard-Gitano dichotomy does not make much sense since Gitanos are Spaniards - in fact for much of the Romantic nation-building period of Spain they were considered "model Spaniards" which embodied the national spirit. But this is perhaps unrelated.


 * As for your additional "supporting materials" on anti-gypsy racism. I honestly don't think they are relevant to this article nor even to the subject of Flamenco. Any attempt to force them would be, in my view, WP:OR. There is too many specialized sources with competing views. As you can see, the topic is far more complex than your Gypsy-non-gypsy dichotomy and reducing the debate to this will give us a childish and inane article. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 14:08, 1 September 2021 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the draft, . I agree with Cristodelosgitanos that it is probably oversimplified in terms of gypsy/non-gypsy. I also think it may give too much space to Charnon-Deutsch and Leblon relative to how influential they are. (The flamenco encyclopedia entry barely mentions Leblon and may not mention Charnon-Deutsch at all, but I don't recall offhand.) Im somewhat concerned with Cristodelosgitanos' comments because they don't seem to be tethered to reliable sources, but who knows, maybe he can supply them eventually. There is a library semi-close to me that has the Washabaugh book. I'll see if I can get a copy of it sometime soon for another perspective on the historiography up to 1996. Calliopejen1 (talk) 18:45, 1 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Calliopejen1 My summary is largely taken from here, which has a rather large section summarizing historiography on the origins of Cante Jondo and Flamenco. So most certainly tethered to a reliable source. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/822/82201015.pdfCristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:49, 1 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah Incidentally, I just checked out your new source, Flamenco on the Global stage. Absolutely no objection to it. Its a solid source for historiography and for development of Flamenco generally and I would accept it as the main English language source for this article on the whole. I had a read through and doesn't seem to get too much into the topic of the origins of Flamenco though. Calliopejen1 This source is certainly a basis for consensus building and its bibliography can be useful for identifying other reliable sources. I still remain strongly opposed to Charnon-Deutsch as a source for Flamenco. She may be an expert on how the Spanish gypsies were fetichized throughout Europe, but I don't think her expertise extends to the subject at hand. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 22:23, 1 September 2021 (UTC)

Consensus paragraph in lede
TagaworShah there are some factually incorrect elements in your edits to my proposed consensus version. Out of courtesy to you I am not going to revert your edits nor do I want to initiate an edit war. But I would like to discuss them with you here. Is that ok? Calliopejen1 your support as a neutral third party is still appreciated here. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 15:44, 10 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Of course we can discuss it here, I appreciate you not reverting it and coming to talk. The problem is we never reached a consensus yet you added one to the page under the presumption that we did. Your edit was purely your own position that you’ve held from the start and not an actual consensus. Trying to paint your position as the “dominant view” is OR. I have tried to neutralize it by using one of the sources that was already in use for this article for years and is undoubtedly reliable, my edits come straight from the source although i’m open to hearing your objections so we can reach consensus. I believe how I have it now is fair and factually accurate, Flamenco in its strictest sense, Cante Jondo, did originate in the Calé subculture in Andalusia, Peter Manuel repeatedly states that they lack counterparts in Andalusian folk music, but in a wider sense, Palos such as the Fandango family have roots in Andalusian folk music.TagaworShah (talk) 16:00, 10 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Briefly, since I have limited time this week:
 * 1) No need to include any source in the lead to support a specific position. We have dozens of sources in talk page supporting various positions. Sources are for the relevant section when we write it. The lead should reflect consensus and Lowest Common Denominator of consensus among sources - the result of our discussions on Talk.
 * 2) Mozarabic is not "redundant" nor is covered by Moorish. In fact, Mozarabic is literally the opposite of Moorish. It refers to the Christian minorities in Muslim Spain during the medieval period. You need to be acquainted witch such term and not assume "it must be something related to Arabs".
 * 3) Indigenous should not be replaced by Andalusian. Sources referring here to ancestral music from the area. Andalusia as an ethnicity and culture only exists since the past 5 centuries and it draws from Moorish, Jewish, Byzantine all the way to ancient Phoenician contributions. And when sources say "indigenous" they refer to these most ancient influences - the first civilizations of the Cadiz area. Andalusian Romani are Andalusian so there is no possible Andalusian vs Romani dichotomy.
 * 4) No source has "disproved" Jewish influence on Flamenco just as no source has "disproved" Romani influence on Flamenco. Mainstream scholarship does not deny this influence or any other of the listed influences for that matter. Hipolito Rossy did not "disprove" Jewish origins in Cante Jondo which is supported by a number of academic studies on Flamenco and traditional scholarship. We are also lacking mention to Sub-Saharan African influence which is also supported by some sources.
 * 5) Oriental is not outdated when referring to musical styles. It refers to musical style characterized as greco-oriental by sources.
 * 6) There is certainly no consensus that Cante Jondo originates in the Roma or Romani subculture. You are misconstruing sources here or, at the very least, not taking the sources in their totality.
 * 7) No palo of Flamenco is considered "Cante Jondo" I think you don't yet fully grasp what Cante Jondo is exactly.
 * 8) If you want consensus Tagawor you have to look at ALL reliable sources and gauge what the mainstream position is. Where sources tend to agree overall. I know this is a complex topic and that you are trying to head around it. But please be more cautious and less emotional with your edits. We are trying to improve this article and move away from this "who owns Flamenco" edit war. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:18, 10 September 2021 (UTC)


 * We never reached a consensus, ever, just because I have been absent from this discussion for a few days due to personal reasons does not give you the authority to insert your own POV into the article as a “consensus” when it completely ignores my position and just supports your original position. That is not an will never be a consensus. Also, I thought we were past the personal attack, you keep on making these not so subtle digs at my intelligence and cultural awareness and I am beyond tired of it. You have already had a formal warning from an administrator, I have chosen not to take your attacks to ANI because I thought we could handle this like adults, don’t make me regret my decision. Focus on the edits not the editor!!

1)There is no origins section, all content on Wikipedia needs to be sourced to be included. You cannot make up your own OR consensus based on some imaginary sources from an Imaginary origins sections. Until we construct an origins section, TOGETHER, we keep only sourced content in the lede. The only sources cited in the talk page “references cited” are the multiple I provided that directly contradict the POV you are pushing. 2)I am well aware what Mozarabic is. That little dog at my intelligence that I just saw Arab and thought it was related to Arab was absolutely uncalled for and rude. The Mozarabs where Indigenous Iberian Christians with a minority of Moorish Christians who lived in the Al-Andalusian historical time period. Their music would fall under Southern Spain’s indigenous music as well as having moorish influences therefore it is redundant. Unless you can prove with SOURCES, that Mozarabic music is distinctly different and had a direct influence on Flamenco, which it didn’t because Flamenco arose way after the Al-Andalus period so any Mozarabic influences would come indirectly through Andalusian influences. 3)Indigenous is a very ambiguous word and can carry a lot of different meanings. Most sources say Andalusian so let’s just stick to what the sources say, In fact, we should take the list of initial cultural influences from a reliable source instead of your own personal assertions, save a lot of time arguing. 4)You must have misunderstood my position about Hipplitio Rossy, Rossy proves that Jewish influences to Flamenco came later and were not at its origins, this is all in Leblon’s book I would be happy to send you a PDF, this part was in reference to the initial creation of Flamenco not any later cultural influences which includes various different cultures around the world including Sub-Saharan but these do not lie at the origin but came in later phases, most sources agree on that. 5)Oriental is very much outdated and nobody uses greco-oriental either. This is an english language encyclopedia so we should use language that is mainstream in English. Not a single English language source uses the term Byzantine-Oriental, just say Byzantine. 6)I’m taking word for word what Peter Manuel says, literally almost copy and paste, he clearly asserts that Cante Jondo originated in the Calé subculture and lacks alternatives in Andalusian folk music and he’s one of the biggest authorities in the English language world on Flamenco. 7)I do know what Cante Jondo is and that line was taken straight from Peter Manuel, does Peter Manuel not know what Cante Jondo is?? 8)If you want consensus YOU need to look at all the reliable sources instead of inserting your own position which I have proven with multiple reliable sources is far from a “dominant” view. Stop insulting my intelligence, I have studied this topic for years, stop commenting on my intelligence or I will report you, let me make that abundantly clear, I have not given countless hours of my time researching to make this article better for you to insult me. The Only Source we all agreed upon was the Roldan source, let’s focus on constructing a consensus based on that rather than going on long childish unsourced rants about my intelligence which only take us farther from reaching consensus. I don’t know where you are getting anything about “owning” Flamenco, nobody is arguing that and you need to lose that mentality, the edit war was created due to you refusing to follow guidelines on dispute resolution. A consensus is built on the talk page, so let’s create an origins section together before editing the article and leave the personal attacks out of this, I am not editing “emotionally” this is a professional atmosphere, I am editing by what the sources say not my own OR, if you want a response bring sources and bring a fair consensus that properly acknowledges both sides as outlined by Roldán in her article, where she specifically acknowledges two major sides, about the Gitano-Andaluz debate.TagaworShah (talk) 03:04, 15 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Can you elaborate which source exactly claims that Jewish influence came "later" and what they mean by later? Jewish communities in Spain were converted to Catholicism or expelled in 1492 nearly 300 years before we first hear about Flamenco. I would like to know your citation on that matter. "Oriental" is used extensively as is the term "greco-oriental" in the sources we are using when referring to Byzantine influence on Flamenco, notably, but not only, by Steingress.Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 09:07, 15 September 2021 (UTC)


 * In Leblon’s book, he talks about the theory of Sephardic Jewish music being at the origins and boldly asserts that it was put down by Rossy because Rossy demonstrated how the Sephardic influences are from more recent developments in Sephardic music and therefore could not have been at the origins of flamenco but a development that came later, this is all in Leblon’s book if you want, I could send you a quote. Oriental is considered outdated in the english language and somewhat offensive. It also wouldn’t make sense to American readers because as the Wiki article asserts “In contemporary American English, Oriental usually refers to things from the parts of East Asia traditionally occupied by East Asians and most Central Asians and Southeast Asians racially categorized as "Mongoloid". This excludes Jews, Indians, Arabs, and most other South or West Asian peoples.” In Latin languages like Spanish, Oriental would simply refer to all of Asia including West Asia which is what Byzantine-Oriental would include. Therefore, to avoid confusion, just saying Byzantine is fine, that’s how most English language sources would address it as, Oriental is really used in English the same way as it is in Spanish anymore.TagaworShah (talk) 16:42, 15 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah Ok that is a fair point, you are right that "oriental" has different connotations in American English. Although we could also substitute oriental for something like "Near Eastern", "Eastern Mediterranean" or "West Asian" in the text. This would encapsulate all these different origins including Greek, Armenian and Jewish. Technically modern day Armenia is not in the Eastern Med although as a people they have historically inhabited the area. I see a lot of emphasis on the Armenian connection in some of these sources. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 20:52, 24 September 2021 (UTC)


 * West Asian or Near Eastern would probably be the best fit although it is a rather broad classification. The Armenian connection is interesting although most sources I have seen so far haven’t mentioned it. I don’t know if it’s a significant enough viewpoint to include in the lede, coming from both an Armenian and Romani background myself, I don’t see any part of Flamenco that would be directly derived from Armenian dance, it’s rather probably derived through the Romani influence as it is a well known fact that Roma migrated through and spent a decent enough time in Armenian inhabited areas to significantly impact the Romani language, so it would be plausible that Armenian influences derives from there. Again, that is only speculation about what sources might say, of course we need to actually consult the sources in order to decide what to include, in my personal opinion I think in the lede itself we should only put the cultures that directly contributed to the creation of Flamenco and leave the indirect contributions to the origins section.TagaworShah (talk) 04:56, 27 September 2021 (UTC)

Structural changes
TagaworShah I'm going to do some serious structural changes to the article which won't immediately have a direct our past debates - I mainly want there to be a coherent logical flow to the article. I request a little patience and let me work over the next few days and then we can resume discussions on content stuff. I have deleted entire sections (e.g. etymology) but will reinclude them in a few days so no worries. Thanks. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 13:08, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * While structural improvements are always appreciated, your edits are inherently disruptive to our discussion and our established consensus on the lede and is clear POV pushing. Let me remind you that this is a group effort, you can’t just tell another editor to back off if they disagree with your edits, I’ll be courteous and leave all your edits except the lede which we already discussed and I do not agree with how you “contracted” it. Th Etymology section was also well sourced but if you think you can make it better, make sure you run it by the talk page first, and don’t forget, we are collaborating to create an origins section on the talk page before prematurely implanting it in the article. creating all those blank sections was unnecessary and severely impacts readability, a general rule of thumb is edit in your sandbox and wait until you are finished to implement complete edits, I will not revert your edits but I suggest you do so yourself and work on those structural changes in your sandbox and implement them when you are done. This article needs to be readable at all times, copy the wiki text in your sandbox and finish your changes and implement them when you are done. The lede will stay as defined by our previous consensus, there is multiple problems with the way you contracted it, first of all, Spanish Roma is incorrect, not all Spanish Roma are Calé, it is a Calé creation, not an Erromintxela, Manush or Kalderash creation. We have spent weeks defining that section, it will not be changed without discussion. It flowed just fine, but I’ll make it flow even better just for you.TagaworShah (talk) 14:01, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * So far, the only think I found which you objected to is your inclusion of the phrase in the lead that flamenco originates in the romani people. There is no consensus on that question - as you well know - therefore under no circumstance should that statement be in the Lead.Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 15:01, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah More generally the paragraph read Flamenco originates in Andalusia and the Romani people played an important role in its origin" and you have changed it to Flamenco originated in the Romani people of Spain and the Romani people played an important role in its origin - which is nonsensical. I suggest you let me work a few days on the article and then provide your input rather than start a preemptive edit war. This article is a mess and I have a lot of work to do on it. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 15:07, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * We have been over this a million times, that’s literally what the whole discussion started from is that statement. That statement is extremely well sourced not only in the article but also in the talk pages “references cited” category, I have told you a million times that good faith additions that happened before our discussion are to remain pending consensus. That is Wikipedia Policy, I will not repeat myself again. That is literally what the 3 sources in the lede say, that is what i’ve been arguing for months, this just proves that your “structural changes” are of bad faith to our discussion. We have not reached any sort of consensus regarding that first paragraph yet, so don’t delete the greatly sourced content until we do, that’s how wikipedia works. This is a TEAM effort, I will not “back off” while you make contested edits to the article without discussion, your edits directly affect it and they are highly contested. Nothing about the way the lede was worded is nonsensical. You need to stop editing the article drastically without finishing our conversation as that is what starts edit wars, we are in this together and this article will be bettered together. We have been at this for months now, I would’ve assumed you knew better after the countless times I informed you on the discussion policy.TagaworShah (talk) 18:12, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Also, not to mention that is inherently disruptive to change the wording of a sourced statement to mean something else other than what it is intended for, for example Manuel specifically says Spanish and Roma(gyspy) musical styles and that is what he is cited for, you can’t just change that based on what you want it to say, that’s OR. Instead of being quick to revert and edit war, leave the established pre-discussion good faith edits in the lede and discuss it here so we can actually reach a consensus before editing it further, leave the lede alone until we reach a consensus, I am more than happy to discuss alternatives and reach a compromise, what I do not support is getting my month long well sourced hard work getting reverted without proper discussion.TagaworShah (talk) 18:30, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * We have indeed been over this a million times. As mentioned, there is no consensus among reliable sources that Flamenco originates in the Roma people. Hence you cannot include this as a fact in the lead. Simple as that. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 18:42, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Key word consensus among RELIABLE sources, that of which I have proven exists. You again refuse to have a discussion, choosing to edit war my additions that I have spent a month extensively proving with a multitude of reliable sources. That is not how discussions work, you have continually shown how you refuse to have a simple discussion with me, this is a group effort, not an individual effort, you disruptively changing the lede to be something that the sources directly contradict is called disruptive editing, especially when I have warned you several times about edit warring and wiki policies. If you refuse discussion and continue editing without discussion i’ll have no choice but to report your conduct which I don’t want to do even though it is long overdue. I suggest you revert the lede back yourself and resume discussing it and reaching consensus before damaging our discussion by changing the lede. Good faith well sourced and verifiable additions remain in the article pending consensus, that is the actual guideline, follow it instead of edit warring.TagaworShah (talk) 20:08, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * there is no consensus among reliable sources that Flamenco originates in the Roma people. In fact, as we have seen in these discussions that is rather a minority and now largely discredited view known as "mairenismo". Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 20:14, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * I have edited the article substituting "flamenco is often associated to (gitanos)" for "flamenco is closely associated to gitanos" since the former implied the association was somehow incorrect. This I concede was off the mark. The debate on origins requires us to complete and agree on the origins section which is currently empty. The starting point cannot me a maximalist one as you are trying to impose here. Let's try to work towards improving this article. It seems your only interest here is romani people appropriating Flamenco. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 20:28, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * The view is neither in the minority or discredited and I have made it abundantly clear that it is not Mairenismo which is a historic hypothesis that is not accepted, that is not what was in the lede, what was in the lede was the modern consensus among sources which I have proven FOR MONTHS NOW. You literally completely ignored our entire discussion and now you’re purposely misinterpreting the stance that I have made abundantly clear and that is supported by the reliable sources provided. Wikipedia policy is wikipedia policy, the sources say what they say, this is a clear case of WP:IJUSTDONTLIKEIT, I have provided over 15 reliable sources proving that this view is in the majority, I cannot say the same for you. Again you are refusing discussion, well sourced edits pre discussion stay in the article pending consensus, you want that statement removed? work with me to create a consensus instead of edit warring, we have been over this. The sources in the lede are set up to support the statement you deleted, changing the wording is OR. If you continue to ignore our discussion, edit war, ignore policy, and refuse to reach compromise and consensus I will report your behavior, we have been over this, you have been warned by not only me but by Administrators too.TagaworShah (talk) 20:29, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Romani people appropriating Flamenco??!? Thanks for making it clear that your edits are of bad faith. My focus is improving the article to match what reliable sources say. Your personal views on Romani people “appropriating” Flamenco is not appropriate nor constructive and proves my assumptions all along that you are ignoring the sources and arguments provided and sticking to your POV.TagaworShah (talk) 20:34, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * I really don't understand what you are saying. You have read the academic sources presented above right? Proponents of Flamenco being Romani are basically Mairena (1976), Lefranc(2000) and Zern with others such as Steingress(2005), Katz(2001) and Mitchell(1994) being diametrically opposed. And yes they consider this view ethnocentric and thus an exercise in cultural appropriation. In addition there is also the question brought up by Samuel Thomas among others of whether the people described as "gitanos" in Jerez de la Frontera actually were ethnic Romani or simply the region's underclass who were just referred to as such. 40,000 people would be over 80% of the population of Jerez region.Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 20:40, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * The view that Romani people are somehow “appropriating” Flamenco is not supported by an reliable source. You want an actual comprise? say Flamenco originated in the gitano subculture of Andalusia, because that’s where it did, the debate is whether according to Mitchell and Steingress gitano was a catch all term for poor andalusians or according to experts on Romani people like Leblon and Charnon-deutsch, gitano in this sense is a racialized term that cannot be disassociated from the Calé Roma. Include Gitano subculture in the lede and then the debate on gitano identity can go in the origins section, Flamenco originating in sub form of gitano subculture is not disputed, again we are not talking about musical roots but actual physical origination.TagaworShah (talk) 20:42, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShahOk I think my last edit is fair. "coalescing around a gitano subculture".Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 20:46, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah thats two important edits of mine accomodating your POV. You can't accuse me of not trying to reach consensus. I actually think you are right about the gitano sub-culture and this has improved the lead. So let's call a truce here. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 20:51, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * That is not my “POV” that is verifiable fact that comes from a consensus of reliable sources, saying stuff like Romani people “appropriated” Flamenco is rather what POV looks like. I don’t know why you are mentioning Mairenismo, I have made it clear that is not the hypothesis I am supporting, I have provided the sources from which my claims originate, principally, but by no means exclusively, Leblon. Here is an idea? how about instead of assuming I will be ok with a compromise, you come discuss here with me and then we can implement it. You placed the statement about the gitano subculture in the musical roots section which is wrong, we have already defined that section. It should be in the first paragraph as the origin, for example: …originating in the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia.(Leblon,Aoyama, etc.) That actually matches the sources and reflects how other similar articles are set up without creating confusion by including it in the musical roots section which I have mentioned is not the same as physical origin. Also, we don’t need to call a “truce” we are not at war, we are working together to better this article, I will be here every step of the way ensuring neutrality until it is done. I’m still working on revising the previous origins section draft.TagaworShah (talk) 21:02, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * I'm seeking common ground here and room for compromise. I have again edited according to your latest comment and put the gitano subculture bit in the section you ask. I still don't understand why you are against having Jewish among origins. We also need to incorporate Latin American influence. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:10, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Again why don’t you just discuss the edit here first before implementing it? Would make things go a whole lot smoother and faster. What you added is not what I suggested, “flourishing” around a gitano subculture is redundant as that’s basically the same thing as gitanos playing an important part in the development etc. of Flamenco. It needs to be where the sources are and where we discuss physical origins, I will go ahead and edit it myself to avoid confusion. Also, I’m all for adding information about Jewish, Latin American, African influences etc. but those are verifiably influences that came after the origination of Flamenco so they do not belong in the musical roots part of the lede but rather a separate influences section in the history.TagaworShah (talk) 21:17, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Also while we are at it, the section sourced by Peter Manuel should say on a wider sense Flamenco includes both Spanish and Roma musical styles as that is what the source explicitly says and what he has repeated in multiple of his sources, some music that falls under flamenco is distinctly Roma, that’s pretty well established.TagaworShah (talk) 21:21, 28 September 2021 (UTC)

TagaworShah Please don't bring back amateur sitarists from tinpot colleges. Peter Manuel is not a reliable source on Flamenco. I chose the term "flourishing" carefully in the sense that a gitano sub-culture coalesced around Flamenco. There is a difference with claiming Flamenco originated in the Roma people. Incidentally, I suggest you read this article as well it is very interesting and helpful for our debate. https://www.deflamenco.com/revista/mas-flamenco/resena-del-libro-mundo-y-formas-del-cante-flamenco-1.htmlCristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:28, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * You have a mamximalist position TagaworShah. Im trying to compromise but you will not accept anything short of Flamenco originating with the Roma people. I think we shall just have to take this to arbirtration. Ill start the process. Cheers. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:31, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * are you really trying to present that blog as a reliable source? Again the sources LITERALLY say originating in the gitano subculture, we have already defined that there is debate on what “gitano” exactly entails, however, the sources clearly state what they state, Peter Manuel is considered one of THE foremost authorities on Flamenco in the english speaking world and has published numerous reliable studies and been asked to write the Flamenco article in the Oxford Encyclopedia of World Music. He is one of the most cited people when it comes to flamenco, calling him an “amateur sitarist” is simply childish and counterproductive.TagaworShah (talk) 21:35, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Hmmm I think you are again struggling with Spanish language sources. Deflamenco is not a blog but an online specialist publication. The article I provided for your interest is a review of "Mundo y formas del Cante Flamenco (1963) and a collection of citations from Reliable Sources on the question of mairenismo. Perhaps you should try reading it? Regarding Peter Manuel, there are two individuals writing about Flamenco one of which is certainly not reliable - this guy https://www.gc.cuny.edu/Page-Elements/Academics-Research-Centers-Initiatives/Doctoral-Programs/Music-(Ph-D-D-M-A-)/Faculty-Bios/Peter-L-Manuel. Which citation and study are you referring to? Because we have plenty outright denying that Flamenco "originates" in a gitano sub-culture. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 21:48, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * A magazine book review written by Norman Paul Kilman, who I can’t find a single academic credential for online is certainly not as reliable as a peer reviewed academic study published by a well regarded Academic press. Peter Manuel has been publishing studies about Flamenco since the 80s and is one of the most cited authorities on Flamenco in the english speaking world, his work got published ins one of the best ethnomusicology journals in the world as well as THE Oxford Encyclopedia of World Music, he is undoubtedly reliable. Also, literally all the citations provided support the claim that Flamenco originated in the Gitano subculture, Leblon, Aoyama, Manuel, the entire references cited section in this talk page etc… Why are you ignoring our entire previous discussion where I provided comprehensive analysis of these sources? There is not a single source in the article outright denying that, even Steingress and Mitchell claim that gitano is a catch all term to “prove” Flamenco isn’t Romani as said by Roldan. Flamenco originating in the gitano subculture is a general consensus among reliable independent sources on Flamenco and supported by the sources in the article.TagaworShah (talk) 22:25, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah Which Peter Manuel are you referring to? Can you provide your source as I requested? Flamenco as a profession and stage art certainly "originated" within the gitano subculture. No disagreement there. As a musical tradition, no.  Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 22:45, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * This Peter Manuel the same person who published all these reliable sources about Flamenco. and more. As you can see by his google scholar, he is well cited on ethnomusicology, the citation used in this article itself has 141 citations. He is definitely reliable. And I am well aware of your POV that flamenco did not originate in the gitano musical tradition, my sources and the majority of sources contradict that, that’s what this discussion is about, if we could actually have the discussion instead of edit warring and prematurely changing the lede without consensus that would be great.TagaworShah (talk) 22:56, 28 September 2021 (UTC)
 * TagaworShahFair enough, his publications look ok. Lets give it a break its late. I assume you are in Romania.Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 23:03, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * I will not be disclosing my location, however, I am very busy right now, so i’ll give it a break until tomorrow.TagaworShah (talk) 23:07, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShahSame here. Look you can revert me if you like. But I suggest we come up with a consensus version which is stable long term and we dont squabble over in a few days or weeks from now. We are just 2 or 3 words away from agreeing on a lead. My beef is just with "originating in" - im ok with the notion of a gitano subculture being the dominant vehicle of flamenco. I am willing to concede here. Just give it some thought - we can propose alternatives here. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 23:11, 28 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Ok what about instead of saying originated we say developed in the same position eg. “originated in the region of Andalusia and developed within the gitano subculture”?TagaworShah (talk) 15:19, 29 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah That is ok and a good compromise although I would change the particle "the" to "a". Developed within a gitano subculture. Partly because this subculture arguably developed in parallel with Flamenco or can even be argued to be the same thing. To put it another way, Flamenco is the driving element of this subculture. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 13:58, 30 September 2021 (UTC)


 * While I understand what you’re saying, changing the particle to “a” doesn’t really help clarify that, “a gitano subculture” makes it seem like there are multiple different gitano subcultures, the difference would essentially only be between singular and multiple, I think “the” would be best, that’s the way most sources word it, we can talk about how Flamenco is an important part of the subculture in the origins section. I’ll edit the article based on this, feel free to comment any changes you’d like to be made.TagaworShah (talk) 14:24, 30 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Also “the” helps clarify that we are talking about the gitanos of Andalusia and parts of Southern Spain.TagaworShah (talk) 14:26, 30 September 2021 (UTC)

Alright, I implemented the compromise and made it more concise. I think this should be fair especially since the latter part says “gitanos of the Romani ethnicity” implying that not all gitanos are necessarily Romani in this situation even though that’s debated and will be discussed later in the article. I think we should also add “Spanish and Roma” to the wider sense part, that’s what Peter Manuel says and you agreed that he is reliable. I am working on the origins section right now based on the Roldan source.TagaworShah (talk) 14:32, 30 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah I don't agree with the addition of "Spanish and Roma" to musical styles. This worsens the lede and obfuscates the definition. Flamenco is neither a Spanish nor a Roma musical style. It is not the music of all the people of Spain nor all of the ethnic Roma of Spain or Europe. It is simply a musical style. Your other edit is fine. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 14:56, 30 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah To put it another way, stylistically its problematic, since you are attempting to touch on origin/ethnicity in each sentence which is not required. The first sentence refers to geographic/local origin and the following sentence to origins and ethnicity. This is the natural flow of the paragraph.Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 15:03, 30 September 2021 (UTC)


 * That section is talking about Flamenco in a wider sense which includes derivatives of Flamenco and musical styles that are distinctly Spanish and distinctly Roma but for the sake of a stable lede, i’ll leave it at that. Alright this is the stable lede we agreed upon with consensus so no changes to it unless we have another discussion. I will remove the second Manuel source since that was specifically for the “Spanish and Roma” part. TagaworShah (talk) 15:07, 30 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah Thank you and I will only periodically work on the "palos" section of the article which I assume is non controversial for you. One thing, you changed the caption under the picture (the girl in the dress) to highlight her roma ethnicity. I understand you doing so in the heat of the edit conflict but don't you think it looks a bit weird? The object of the picture is just the dress, and she is not a particularly well known artist. Anyways, have a nice week. Im off wikipedia for a few days. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 15:30, 30 September 2021 (UTC)


 * That’s fine, make sure you keep the descriptions short though because each palo has it’s own article for a reason, also avoid talking about origins as that can be controversial. Belén Maya is pretty well known, I mirrored the Spanish article in naming her and her ethnicity is important since she is wearing “Traje de gitana.” TagaworShah (talk) 15:43, 30 September 2021 (UTC)


 * TagaworShah See these are the things that get lost in translation with foreigners. The traje de gitana (more commonly known as traje de flamenca) is not an actual gitano or roma ethnic dress. Its just a name it is given. It is inspired in the traditional dress of Andalusian peasants going to the Ferias which combines a skirt, a mandil (or apron) and a mantilla around the shoulders - similar to the traje de maja of Madrid. But ultimately it is a fashion developed and popularized by and for the urban bourgeoisie. In its current form it only exists since the early 1980s, expanding from Seville to the rest of Andalusia, but it is a highly elitist garb. For your interest ethnic romanis were forbidden from dressing differently from other Spaniards in 1633 and, unlike other parts of Europe, and for many centuries have had no dress code distinguishing them from other Spaniards of their socio-economic status. I think Spain is a very different case to Romania where the experience of the Roma has been radically different. I understand that they were even enslaved. Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 16:35, 30 September 2021 (UTC)

Gypsy Music
Flamenco is the music of the Spanish Gypsies. No one else can lay claim to it even if the artists who are non gypsy have sung flamenco songs. This is a fact and needs to be addressed. Chaturaji (talk) 12:29, 21 October 2021 (UTC)
 * FYI, the OP has been indef blocked for their tendentious editing on Chess and Chaturanga. User:力 (power~enwiki, π,  ν ) 17:41, 21 October 2021 (UTC)

Cantes primitivos
I am thinking on how to structure the list of Palos. Im considering having three sub-sections: Cantes Primitivos, Fandangos, Tangos, Seguiriyas and Soleares. this covers the majority of Flamenco musical tecniques. Any thoughts anyone?Cristodelosgitanos (talk) 20:11, 16 November 2021 (UTC)

"The Gitanos and the ethnicity debate" text is missing
I'm guessing that this was a consequence of the (depressing, IMO) 2021 "edit war" above. Either some text that BRIEFLY summarizes all of the arguments, with citations, should be put back - by a NEUTRAL PARTY -, or else the section header should be removed. As it stands, this just looks silly, and is unhelpful to the article's casual readers, such as myself. Acwilson9 (talk) 22:47, 6 July 2022 (UTC)
 * White Spaniards just cannot handle the fact most of the culture they have stolen comes from people of colour!--82.153.161.212 (talk) 11:45, 2 March 2023 (UTC)