Memory, Tradition, Intertextuality, Narration and Political Engagement: The Flamenco Romances Commemorating those Murdered by Falangism

Traditional flamenco lyrics are usually transmitted orally, anonymous and impregnated by a deep lyricism. However, there are also new texts composed by poets for flamenco singing, with an increase since the 1970s, including several narrative romances. At a textual level, it is relevant to what extent and for what purposes these are oriented towards the preceding patterns of the traditional lyrics that form the flamenco collective memory in order to answer the question of what communicative functions they can fulfill. Methodologically, studies on memory and intertextuality are combined with research on the romancero, an epic-lyrical literary genre with a striking narrativity, and flamenco as a contemporary popular musical culture. The examined texts are the lyrics of different cantes in musical modalities that usually use romances as their textual basis, focusing this study on a romance composed by José Heredia Maya sung by El Piki in a tribute album to Blas Infante.