Siguiriyas (; also seguiriyas,
siguerillas, siguirillas, seguidilla gitana, etc.) are a form of flamenco music in the cante jondo category. This deep, expressive style is among the most important in flamenco. Unlike other palos of flamenco, siguiriyas stands out for being purely Romani (Calé) in origin. Siguiriyas are normally played in the key of A Phrygian with each measure (the compás) consisting of 12 counts with emphasis on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 8th and 11th beats as shown here:
:
: [1] 2 [3] 4 [5] 6 7 [8] 9 10 [11] 12
This rhythm can be contrasted with the rhythmic pattern of the soleares, which also has 12 beats, but the accents fall differently. Taking the unusual accenting into account, it can technically be seen as a measure of 3/4 (counted in eighth notes) starting on "2", then a measure of 6/8 followed by the "1 and" of the 3/4. Every note is evenly spaced apart. For example:
thumb|[[Palmas (music)|Palmas]]
:
: [2] and [3] and [1] 2 3 [4] 5 6 [1] and
However, this presents difficulties in counting and is counted more simply in 5 beats, with three "short" and two "long" beats:
:
: [1] and [2] and [3] and uh [4] and uh [5] and
In this case, the 1, 2, and 5 are the short beats and the 3 and 4 are long beats.
Siguiriyas are also often counted as a soleá started on 8, so the accents fall on:
: [8] 9 [10] 11 [12] 1 2 [3] 4 5 [6] 7
Siguiriyas are often played with rubato which allow the singer to sing more expressively during a performance. During a performance, singers and dancers will increase and decrease the tempo for dramatic effect.
Cante and structure
The lyrics of siguiriyas deal with tragic themes such as imprisonment (e.g., Calabosito Oscuro sung by Juanito Valderrama) the death of a loved one and death in general (e.g., Si Acaso Muero sung by Camarón De La Isla), love, and religious ideas.
thumb|[[Enrique Morente, flamenco singer.]]
The oldest forms of siguiriyas were performed without musical accompaniment, akin to tonás. The more modern forms are accompanied by the guitar, where the nuances of the cante make it one of the most difficult styles to accompany and interpret.
Traditionally, the verses of siguiriyas are constructed of two short 6 syllable lines, followed by a longer 11 syllable line, then ending with another 6 syllable line, the rhythm being provided by the syllables of the words.
In a majority of siguiriyas “Ay” is typically sung to introduce and emphasize the lyrics and is sung as a melisma across many syllables. The dance is solemn and ceremonious, involving an introduction performed by guitar and singer, followed by an entrada, letra (dictated by the singer), escobilla, 2nd letra, a danced falseta and final escobilla performed by the dancer.