Once upon a time… Bulería, a collection of short stories flamencos. Jonda literature at the service of primary and secondary school students. An idea developed by three Andalusian teachers – Juan Francisco Cara, María de las Mercedes Cara and José Alberto Martínez – that was born after realizing the "great interest of our students in the flamenco, but their lack of knowledge in basic aspects." An educational tool that includes teaching materials, translations, five stories, an audiobook, and even sign language. We spoke with Juanfran Cara about this unique project.
– Three Andalusian teachers join together around a children's story project about flamenco, Once upon a time… BuleríaHow did the idea come about?
– The idea of creating a collection of stories that brings the flamenco to the youngest students arises from the interest we observed in our students to learn more about this art, combined with the detection of a certain lack of basic knowledge that would allow them to delve deeper and investigate the content we offered them in class. We have been teaching 'Introduction to flamenco and compass', and during this time we have seen that the students show great motivation. However, we also saw the need to establish a solid foundation from an early age, which would allow progressive progress throughout all educational stages. All of this lit the light bulb: the idea was born and we got to work to design a resource that teachers could integrate into their daily teaching work, and that would also have a place in the homes of our students. This collection of stories seeks to help boys and girls learn, in a fun and meaningful way, contents specific to the flamenco, while promoting the reading habit.
– You are three fans of what jondoWe understand. What kind of teaching and what topics do you cover? So we can get our bearings...
– I am a Physical Education teacher and I have a position at the IES Marismas de Los Palacios y Villafranca. I have completed the Master's Degree in Research and Analysis of Flamenco and the Chair of Flamencology. In addition, I was awarded the First Prize 'Flamenco in the Classroom' in 2022. Mercedes Cara is a Music teacher at the CEIP Maestro José Fuentes (Seville), has a degree in Psychopedagogy and holds a Professional Degree in Piano. José Alberto Martínez, for his part, is a Physical Education teacher at the IES Torreblanca (Seville). Together with him, we have developed various presentations, projects and publications related to the flamenco.
I would like to emphasize that this project thrives thanks to the commitment of a team of professionals who enrich it with their dedication and talent. Our collection of stories features illustrations by Patricio Hidalgo. The translations, which now cover four languages, have been completed by teachers Jesús García, Mercedes Muñoz, Laura Jiménez, and Bruno Manuel Ascenso. The audiobooks were developed by Helena Hurtado, and the sign language versions are being prepared by teacher María José Cortés. This project is the fruit of the effort and dedication of a committed team, which has made it possible to create an educational and family resource with multiple applications, constantly growing and with the intention of continuing to expand its horizons.
«It is true that, in some cases, due to the lack of family tradition or ignorance, Andalusian children perceive the flamenco "It seems like something distant, even alien. But when they have the opportunity to experience it firsthand, their attitude changes completely: they feel motivated and eager to continue exploring."
– Was it, is it, a pending issue in educational centers, at least in those of Andalusia? The teaching of flamenco, we mean. There are those who do not see clearly this of considering the jondo as a core subject in primary education classrooms.
– Nowadays, I consider that the flamenco In the Andalusian education system, it is already a reality, not only in primary education, but also in the rest of the educational stages. With the recent approval of the Andalusian Law of Flamenco, there are more and more secondary education centers that teach the subject of Culture of Flamenco. In addition, this year saw the tenth edition of the Awards Flamenco in the Classroom, an educational proposal that can now be considered fully consolidated. These initiatives are complemented by the celebration, last year, of the 2nd Congress on Education and Flamenco, the annual commemoration of the Day of the Flamenco In Andalusian educational centers, the recent update of the Educational Portal of the Flamenco and the line of action within the CIMA Program of 'Flamenco in the Classroom.' There are many initiatives currently underway. It's true that there's still a long way to go, but with the involvement and commitment of the educational community, I'm convinced that great progress will be made.
– Audio stories, quotes from great singers, illustrations by Patricio Hidalgo, dedicated social media, translations into other languages, educational materials, an interactive map, and even a periodic table… A truly ambitious project, by God.
– There are many pedagogical actions encompassed in this project, this collection of stories. From the beginning, we were clear that these stories couldn't simply remain in school libraries or on home shelves, but rather they had to become a living and dynamic resource. As for the quotes from great artists, we believe that the great figures of the flamenco should be represented in the collection. Therefore, we wanted to move away from the traditional prologue and proposed that, through a few sentences, each participating artist leave their mark, their personal vision of what the flamenco means. Many have collaborated, including Rocío Márquez, David Palosea, Israel Fernández, Diego del Morao, Eva Yerbabuena, among many other figures in the scene flamenco, both nationally and internationally. Regarding the illustrations, we wanted to avoid caricature or cartoon style. Our goal was for students to become familiar with contemporary painting from an early age. Therefore, we thought Patricio Hidalgo was the ideal person to bring the different characters to life: Bulería, Soleá, Fandango, Tangos, Zambra, Alboreá, among others. At this point, we felt it was necessary to expand the possibilities of the story as a resource, and so we decided to translate it into several languages: German, French, English, and Portuguese. We also understood that it should be an inclusive tool, so we worked in collaboration with other professionals to develop sign language versions and audio stories.
Finally, I would like to emphasize that the only way for this story to remain a living and dynamic resource is through its educational use. Therefore, we have developed a series of educational materials that allow for activities before, during, and after reading, engaging in a fun way with various skills, such as math, language, and digital skills, among others.
«Our goal is to awaken in students curiosity about their cultural roots, about the history and values that the flamenco, and enable them to share that knowledge and emotion with their families and their surroundings. Only in this way will we achieve the transmission of flamenco do not go out, but rather remain always alive"
– Each chapter is dedicated to a palo of the flamencoThis might take longer than expected…
– In the first four stories –Once upon a time... Bulería, Bulería travels to America, Bulería and Fandango's birthday y Bulería visits Seville– We have tried to ensure that each story reflects the particular characteristics of each palo or style of the flamencoThroughout these adventures, styles such as bulería, soleá, alegrías, petenera, guajira, granaína, rondeña, saeta, and toná are presented. Our goal is to help students begin to understand and differentiate these styles in a simple and fun way. flamencos. The idea is to continue growing, and that new ones will be incorporated in future publications. palos flamencothrough new adventures. In addition, we have developed special editions, such as Bulería moves to Los Palacios and Villafranca, in which our protagonist, Bulería, discovers the history of this town steeped in flamenco tradition. We are currently working on a new project titled Bulería discovers musical instruments, with which we intend for boys and girls to know the most representative instruments of the flamenco, thus fostering his interest in music from an early age.
– Tell us about the periodic table of flamenco. ...
– The Periodic Table of the Flamenco It arose, as I mentioned, from the need to offer our students teaching tools to know and understand the flamenco. We wanted them to learn to identify and differentiate the different styles, and we thought that the structure of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, with which they were already familiar, could be an excellent way to organize this information. This Periodic Table of the Flamenco It compiles all the styles, classified by family, allowing students to see which group each one belongs to. We also wanted it to be an interactive and dynamic tool: by clicking on any of the styles from a computer or mobile device, students can access a musical interpretation of it. This way, with just one click, they can listen to the style and begin to recognize its main characteristics. This tool was designed especially with secondary school students in mind. However, when we detected the need for them to arrive at these courses with a prior foundation, we decided to create the collection of stories so that children in preschool and primary school could begin to familiarize themselves with the style. flamenco from an early age.
"This collection of stories seeks to help boys and girls learn, in a playful and meaningful way, contents specific to the flamenco, while promoting the reading habit. (…) We firmly believe that the flamenco, as a cultural heritage, deserves to occupy a prominent place in the training of new generations, in the creation of new audiences"
– What kind of exposure do you hope to achieve with this project? What would be its main objective?
– From the beginning, our main objective has been to create educational tools that promote knowledge and appreciation of the flamenco both in educational centers and in homes. The reception of the project, especially of the collection of stories, has been very positive. To date, we have carried out numerous activities: training sessions at Teacher Training Centers (CEP), book signings, presentations at book fairs, and other cultural gatherings. In all of these spaces, the project has been enthusiastically received, which reaffirms our belief in the usefulness and value that this collection brings to the educational field. The stories are designed as a versatile and practical resource that can be easily integrated into daily teaching programs and also enjoyed at home, with the family. Looking to the future, our hope is that the project's dissemination will continue to grow and that these stories will reach as many educational centers and homes as possible, not only in Andalusia but also in other autonomous communities and even beyond our borders. We firmly believe that flamencoAs a cultural heritage, it deserves to occupy a prominent place in the training of new generations and in the creation of new audiences, and we will continue working with enthusiasm to ensure this happens.
– And the most important one, at the end. Are Andalusian children interested in art? flamenco?
– Absolutely yes. flamenco It is an art that sparks great interest in Andalusian children. It is true that, in some cases, due to a lack of family tradition or ignorance, they perceive it as something distant, even alien. However, when they have the opportunity to learn about it, live it, and experience it firsthand, their attitude changes completely: they feel motivated and eager to continue exploring. Therefore, we strongly advocate the use of innovative educational strategies that allow children to approach the art of music. flamenco into the classroom in a fun, meaningful, and dynamic way. Our goal is to awaken students' curiosity about their cultural roots, the history, and the values that the flamenco, and enable them to share that knowledge and emotion with their families and their surroundings. Only in this way will we achieve the transmission of flamenco may it not be extinguished, but may it always remain alive, connecting generations and strengthening the bond with one of the fundamental pillars of our cultural identity. ♦
