What Is a Llamada in Flamenco? And How Does the Singer Know When to Start?

Have you ever watched a flamenco performance and wondered how on earth the singer knew exactly when to start singing?

One minute the dancer is doing some rather impressive footwork, the next minute the singer comes in with a letra.

The guitarist smoothly adjusts what he's playing. The palmas haven't missed a beat. 

 

And everyone seems to know exactly what's happening.

 

Except perhaps you, sitting in the audience wondering whether there was a secret meeting beforehand where all the instructions were handed out. 😂

 

Well, there wasn't. At least, not necessarily!

 

What you're watching might be a llamada.

So, what exactly is a llamada?

In flamenco, a llamada is a call or signal.

 

It's one of the ways a dancer communicates with the rest of the cuadro – the singer, guitarist and palmeros.

 

And while a llamada can include some rather feisty footwork, there's more going on than simply looking impressive. The dancer is communicating something.

 

Depending on what's happening in the baile, a llamada can signal to the musicians that a particular musical section or change is coming, or that one is ending.

 

For example, a dancer might use a llamada to let the singer know they're ready for a letra. The singer recognises the signal and responds. No need to interrupt proceedings with a polite, "Excuse me, could you start singing now, please?"

 

Which would rather spoil the atmosphere. 😂

But how does everybody know what the signal means?

This is where understanding how flamenco works becomes particularly interesting, and important.

 

The dancer, singer and guitarist aren't each doing their own separate thing and hoping it all works out.

 

They're listening, watching and responding to one another. They understand the musical structure they're working within, and they recognise the signals used to communicate.

 

And importantly, not every llamada means exactly the same thing in every situation. Its meaning depends on the palo, the musical context and what's happening in the baile.

 

That's why recognising a llamada isn't just about learning a particular footwork pattern. It's also about understanding what that pattern is communicating at that moment.

Here's something to try next time you watch flamenco

Find a performance where the dancer performs a llamada before the singer begins a letra. And this time, rather than concentrating entirely on the dancer, watch the whole cuadro.

 

Pay attention to what happens just before the singer starts.

→ What does the dancer do?

→ When does the singer begin?

→ What happens with the guitar and palmas?

 

Now rewind and watch it again.

 

You might have spent years admiring the footwork without ever stopping to notice what the dancer was actually communicating!

 

And once you've spotted that exchange, you'll know exactly what to look for in another performance.

 

Here's a little clip to get you started:

🎥 VIDEO CREDIT:
Solea por Bulerias en "CAFE DE CHINITAS", MADRID
Video by Javier Conde
Bailaora - Carmen Moreno.
Cante - Jesús "El Almendro" y Juan Triviño
Guitarra - Enrique Bermudez y Javier Conde
Palmas - Marta Heredia, Enrique Torres y Pilar León

There's more to flamenco than remembering the steps

Learning choreography is one thing.

 

Understanding what's happening between the dancer and the musicians is another.

 

And if you're the sort of dancer who enjoys asking, "Hang on... why did that happen?" then we're going to get along very well. 😂

 

That's exactly the kind of thing we dive deep into inside my Online Dance Studio.

 

The compás, the cante, the different parts of a baile, the signals, and all those little flamenco mysteries that can leave you scratching your head after class.

 

Bring your questions. We'll take a proper look at what's going on.

 

The door's always open – come on in! 💙