Flamenco grew from the folk music of southern Spain into one of the world's most sophisticated musical traditions

world cultures & travelWikipedia

Flamenco grew from the folk music of southern Spain into one of the world's most sophisticated musical traditions

the gist

Flamenco is an art form that combines song, guitar, dance, handclaps and footwork, rooted in the folk music of Andalusia in southern Spain. It developed within the gitano, or Romani, community there, though its style is distinctly Andalusian and has been shaped by Spaniards of many backgrounds. Its forms, called palos, are defined by rhythmic cycle, mode, chord pattern and region, which is why it is studied as a complex musical system as well as a popular one. The earliest written record dates to 1774, and its theatre and song-sheet history is well documented over the following two centuries. In 2010 UNESCO recognised it as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

how it works

A palo is identified by several features at once: its rhythmic cycle, its mode, its chord progression, its stanza form and its geographic origin. Singers and dancers improvise within those rules, so the same palo can sound different each time it is performed.

so what

Flamenco shows how a music born in marginalised communities became a formal art with conservatory training, concert guitar and global audiences, while keeping its improvised core.

fun fact

The oldest written record of flamenco appears in a 1774 book, Las Cartas Marruecas, by José Cadalso.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗