Alegria is an upbeat major key flamenco palo played as accompaniment or as a solo piece. See and hear examples and learn how to get started playing alegria here. 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: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12Aleria 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)