el hipopótamo ballena explica cómo identificar las seguiriyas

how to distinguish seguiriyas

One day, the shark-tiger and the hippopotamus-whale met at Malagueñas Beaches.

-Hello, shark-tiger, where are you from?

-Hello, hippopotamus-whale, I’m from Malagueñas Beaches, but I like to travel all around the world. And where are you from?

-I’m from River Seguiriyo.

-Ahh! If you are from River Seguiriyo you must like seguiriyas. Could you teach me how to distinguish seguiriyas.

-Of course, I will teach you some strategies. First of all, put these earphones on. Put attention to the guitar. First, it sounds like a drum redouble.

-Oooh, yes!

-Then, sounds “trannnn…., tra-ca-tran”.

-Yes, yes! After, “torron, torron, torron, torro-torrotorroooon”, it sounds  “trannnn…, tra-ca-tran”.

-After, some times, the cantaor sings “tiri-tiri-tiri-tiri-tiri-tiriiii”, followed by some “ayyyyyyy”.

-Yes, yes!! Is it always the same?

-Not always, but these cues will be useful to you for distinguish most of seguiriyas.

-Yes, the seguiriya is very cool. Let’s hear a seguiriya you and me together

Tiri tiri tiri tiri aaaaaaayyyyy

Miro yo a las Alturas

buscando consuelo,

y no me respondía,

y no me respondían santitos ni justos

de los altos cielos

Aaaaay, aaaay, aaaaaaayyyy

A la mar,

a la mar me asomo

buscando el consuelo.

Allí venían, cómo venían

las velitas blancas,

y el agua y el cielo

Tiri tiri tiri tiri aaaaaaayyyyy

I look to the Heights

seeking solace,

and they do not answered to me,

and neither the righteous nor saints

from the high heavens

answered to  me

To the sea

I look out to the sea

seeking solace.

Here they came, how came

the white sails,

and the water and the sky

Miguel Vargas, seguiriyas from Los Puertos