Alegria is a cante chico flamenco form that belongs to the Cantiñas family and originates in Andalusian the town of Cadíz. It is usually played at a lively rhythm (120-170 beats per minute) and in a major key. Alegria letras focus on light-hearted themes like love, humor, and happiness – the word “alegria” literally means “joy.”

The compas of alegria is based on a twelve count similar to solea and emphasizes the 3, 6, 8, 10, and 12 beats.

Alegria is structurally one of the strictest forms of flamenco. A traditional dance in alegria must contain each of the following sections, in order:

• salida (entrance)
• paseo (walkaround)
• silencio (similar to an adagio in ballet – it is the singer who is “silent”)
• castellana (upbeat section)
• escobilla (literally “brush” as with a broom, which describes dancers’ footwork in this section)
• bulerias

This structure is often not strictly followed when alegria is played as a standalone song with no dancing. You will, however, frequently hear parts of this structure in solo guitar playing. In this way an artist can pay homage to the entirety of the art form, even when a dancer is not present.