Garrotín

“Garrotín” is a flamenco style that comes from Asturian folklore. It is believed that it was developed by Lleida's gypsies, and later in Barcelona. According to this theory, “garrotín” would be the only singing and dancing style which was born outside Andalusia (besides the “Rumba” and “Jaleo”).

 

Catalan gypsies would have introduced it into flamenco because it has its origin in tango rhythm. It has a lively tango rhythm but in major key.

 

"Garrotín” was very popular until its disappearance in the thirties. Carmen Amaya, a Catalan gypsy, kept it alive and made possible its recovery in the seventies. Singing is accompanied by a dance that had its peak in the early years of the twentieth century. Its structure is composed by stanzas of four eight-syllable verses, rhyming the second and fourth verse, repeating a refrain among them.