Cante Flamenco Music

The cante flamenco is one of the three main components within the expression of flamenco, along with toque (playing the flamenco guitar) and baile (dance). Foreigners generally mistake the flamenco dance as being the essence of flamenco, however it is the cante which actuates the soul of this complex musical and cultural tradition. Originally flamenco was composed purely of cante with the accompaniment of palmas (hand clapping) and knuckle-rapping percussion, and it was not until the 19th century that the toque had been gradually added to the cante.