Even though we're "done" with the Alegrias, the bulerias and silly stuff are not done yet - we're right in the thick of studying them, and we're making great progress, so don't worry if you feel less than 100% clear!

So the bulerias de Cadiz section always ends the Alegrias, and the bulerias de Cadiz letras are structured a bit differently than regular bulerias letras.  

The big difference is that normal bulerias have 3 lines, often with a repeating "B/C," and often with an estribillo, which you know is like a repeating "B/C."  The bulerias de Cadiz which is the first letra I've been singing ("dicen que tienes buen pelo) are like two estribillos, or 8 lines.

So far so good.

Then I stuck in

Dormia un gardinero a piernas sueltas
dormia y se dejaba la puerta abierta

Hasta que un dia
Se le llevaba la rosa que mas queria

Ay Mare Mare, ay Mare Mare
Yo crei que llovia y agua no cae

I think of this as a letra with an estribillo, but you can see it's structured again in lines of 2, like the first bulerias de Cadiz.

The difference is that this verse does not have a traditional bulerias melody (remember the bulerias de Cadiz are in a major tone) and also the lines are stretched out and long:  the first two lines take around 7 compases.  (Whereas a regular bulerias "B" or "C" line would be one compas long.)

That's where silliness comes in:  it's basically a way to rematar and structure the song, so if we imagine it's an American song, the flamenco-ness is in the remates.  It's as if you want to say a sentence and I keep interrupting you and asking you to repeat yourself, making it a dialog rather than a recitation. So think of our choreography for that verse:  we mark the first "dormia" line and answer back for 2 compases.  Then there is a repeat of "a piernas sueltas" and we advance into the second line, which we finish with a backwards cambio.  Then on the repeat of that line we do a 2 compas llamada/remate to finish it off.  Second half of the verse is sung "B/C/C":  we do our silly "shovel" marking (why silly?  It's obvious!  But also because it's in 6s) and finish the first "C" with a backwards cambio.

More silliness:  why do I call it silly?  Because we're calling for more singing - we're extending the singing.  We do another llamada to the corner to finish off the verse and then we straight away do another llamada on top of the estribillo - I'm not only calling for more singing (now the estribillo "Mare, Mare") but by doing my llamada on the top of the letra I'm signaling that I'm going to be rematando all through the letra, breaking it up (that's silliness.) Also notice that that call in the corner starts with a strong accent on the 12 - that's what I call the "call to silliness" - it often comes on the previous 6, but "da igual."

Watch the YouTube Video and read along as I break down the structure of this Bulerias de Jerez:

Salida:

            Dale dale dale...                                           “Give it give it give it”

(I feel this might be translated as "wow, look at that!" or "take that!" close in meaning to "toma que toma"

Notice that he stays in the air and the guy in the pink shirt behind him gives the remate on the &-3-4-5 (which is the same as &-9-10-11) so that when he goes down to his final "da" that becomes "6-7-8-9-10" which the guitar ties off (remata).

Letra:

         Segun eso que te han conta'o                          Because of what they've told you
         Ya tu vuelves la cabeza                                    Now you turn your head
         cuando pasas por mi la'o                                 when you pass by my side

        Tu dices que te vas (x2)                                   You say you're leaving
        Pero tu vuelves la cabeza                                 But you turn your head
       por si yo voy detras detras                               in case I'm following behind...
       detras detras


So the OTHER guy in the pink shirt walks out while this letra is being sung and does the remate in the same place: he waits for "detras detras detras" to get all the way down to the home tone, and then he does &-3-4-5-, followed by 9-10. This is a great way to come into a bulerias: it's the other basic way, after saying hello and calling the singer in when you reach the center. The guitars also do this remate, but they keep going till 11 and start on 12 with a clear declarative bulerias rhythm. The dancer starts marking and all wait for the singer to come in again.

Letra:
Pure Jerez:

       Porque quise divertirme                                    Because I wanted to have some fun
       Yo habia entra'ito en una casa mala                 I went into a whore house
       Me presentan a una dama                                 They introduced me to a girl
       Frio como el marmol me quedé                          I became cold like marble
      Cuando vi que era mi hermana                         when I saw that she was my sister.


Note that this is a 5 line verse - a fandango - that the dancer treats as a 3 line plus a 2 line verse.  First line he marks and does a backwards cambio.  Second line he does a llamada and into a "silly section"  a repeating pattern of sixes and does a false remate on "me presentan a una dama":  false, because he extends into another "silly" motif of bouncing and throwing a ball which forces the singer to extend "dama" –


Then in the 2-line part, he again marks the first line and calls on the second line:  to the corner, which brings in the

Estribillo:

       No me hagas desprecio, gitana                     Don't disdain me, gitana
      Porque yo soy santo y bueno, gitana             Because I am good and saintly, gitana

...over which he does the "call to silliness" on the "6" of the first line, and leaves, wagging his butt, he does a "finish" to the audience on "10" and goes back to the circle.

This is a classic "vuelta" :  The singer does his salida and intro, the 1st letra the dancer just finishes, then stays in place for #2.  He dances #2, goes to the corner, calls to "silliness," and leaves.  If you don't count the first letra, he really just dances 1 letra and 1 estribillo, just like the bulerias de jerez we worked with two years ago of "Jerez por bulerias."