Tanguillos de Triana: popular compass with a Sevillian soul

In the flamenco world there are flamenco styles, or palos as they are known, that enjoy huge visibility and others that stay in the background, although they are no-less valuable. The Tanguillos de Triana are one of these hidden treasures. A flamenco style with its own personality, defined by humour, familiarity and oral tradition from the area that gives it its name. 

In the flamenco world where the soleá or the seguiriya are the centre of attention for their emotional depth, the Tanguillos de Triana offer a different option, that of the playful rhythm, day-to-day song and the spark of everyday life.

Popular origin and uninhibited character

The Tanguillos de Triana come from the streets, from the way people speak, from the informal atmosphere and spontaneity that define many flamenco expressions rooted in the local neighbourhoods. 

They are the heirs of a type of flamenco song that searches for fun rather than solemnity. An art form without pretensions that stems from everyday life, from singing while the local people work, chat or celebrate. 

Its style reflects that festive, light-hearted essence, linked to the Triana way of life. The irony, double-entendres and the natural lilt of the Sevillian accent gives it a unique musicality.

Rhythm and style

Although it shares its name with other tanguillos from areas such as Cádiz, the Triana tanguillos have their own style. Its rhythmic structure is based on a 4/4 beat, but with a less rigid phrasing, closer to the Sevillian way of speaking with the accent falling on unexpected parts of the music which is what makes the Tanguillos de Triana so lively and authentic.

The flamenco guitar accompanies with simple chords, leaving space for the flamenco singers to express themselves freely. In contrast to other flamenco styles, where the vocal technique is more structured, here there is a role for fun, laughter and improvisation. 

A singing style at risk of extinction

Today the Tanguillos de Triana are not usually performed in the most popular flamenco shows. Its friendly and informal style has helped it to maintain its place as one of the jewels of the vocal transmission rather than a flamenco style that is included in flamenco festivals and recordings. 

Even so, it still forms part of the musical heritage of the area and is part of the flamenco memory of Seville. It is a style that is sung at family get-togethers and private parties, or during moments of inspiration between flamenco artists. Its value is precisely that: its familiarity, its humility and its authenticity.

The rhythm of life 

Beyond their technical and historical importance, the Tanguillos de Triana are a way of singing through life. They talk of everyday things, of what happens in the market, in the street, at home. Their strength is in creating music from ordinary life, rather than extraordinary drama.

In a world where flamenco is sometimes perceived as serious and out of reach, the tanguillos remind us that there is space for humour, mischief and the simple enjoyment of the beat. They are a celebration of the popular soul of Triana, with all that implies. 

If you want to enjoy the essence of flamenco live, there is nothing better than a visit to Teatro Flamenco Sevilla, where each performance of our popular, live daily flamenco show, Pasión, is a homage to those flamenco songs that are part of our history. Flamenco, like the tanguillos, can be understood better when you feel it first-hand.