Bambera

A bambera (also known as cante de columpio) is a flamenco style with a very folkloric origin and deeply rooted in Andalusian tradition.

Here are the key points to understand what it is:

• The origin: It originates from popular peasant songs sung in villages during spring. The verses were sung while women swayed on a swing, which was traditionally called a “bamba”.

• The transition to flamenco: It was the legendary singer La Niña de los Peines (Pastora Pavón) who took it upon herself to “flamenco-ize” these folk melodies in the first half of the 20th century, bringing them from pure oral tradition to the professional flamenco repertoire.

• The rhythm: Musically, bamberas are usually adapted to the twelve-beat rhythm of the soleá (or soleá por bulerías). This gives them a majestic, solemn rhythm with great depth.

• The lyrics: Traditionally, they are stanzas of four eight-syllable verses. The theme usually revolves around romance, jealousy, courtship and, of course, direct references to the swaying of the swing and the wind.