The following cantes por soleá and bulería seem to be related. The common thread is the melody in the first sung line, as heard in the closing style of soleá Joaquín el de la Paula 3. Let's begin our study by listening to a few recordings of this style.

The soleá Joaquín el de la Paula 3

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Alcalá styles of soleá are at the very heart of flamenco. Although they have been an indispensable part of any singer's repertoire since the late 1920s, they were first recorded in the mid-1920s, when flamenco's early discography was well under way, by singers who were not closely associated with Alcalá (by family or residence).

Manuel Escacena in 1928 with Borrull hijo (sixth fret por arriba). The earliest recordings of the closing style of Joaquín were made in 1928 by Manuel Escacena and José Cepero. In this version, the tonic and second degree are heard in the third sung line.

Dejo el monte y la leña yo de-
dejo el monte y la leña yo de-
-ejo el monte y la leña
que me trae Periquene
la flor de las extremeñas
que Periquene me trae
la flor de las extremeñas

José Cepero in 1928 with Ricardo (second fret por arriba). Cepero sings the seventh degree in the first sung line and the tonic in the second sung line.

Lo que me ha pasado contigo lo que
me ha pasado contigo
y al mundo le voy a dar cuenta
con el martirio que he tenido

Pepe Marchena in 1929 with Ramón Montoya (seventh fret por arriba). Although Marchena was among the first to record the Alcalá styles, this is his first recording of the closing style of Joaquín. A year earlier, he recorded a similar cante that is included in the next section of this study.

A mi cuerpo se lo achacan y se lo
mi cuerpo se lo achacan se lo
achacan a mi cuerpo
dicen que tiene delito
pero yo no se lo encuentro
el querer de esta serrana
se lo achacan a mi cuerpo

Pepe Marchena in 1929 with Ramón Montoya (seventh fret por arriba).

(En) terreno que me hallo y en te-
terreno que me hallo y en te-
-erreno que me hallo
yo estoy al pie de la torre
y no veo el campanario
y al pie de la torre estoy
y no veo el campanario

Pepe Marchena in 1944 with Paquito Simón (third fret por arriba). He sings successively higher notes in the repetion of the first line of verse. In the second sung line he reaches the seventh degree and in the third sung line he pushes up to the tonic. It could be said that this is the classic way to sing this soleá of Joaquín, at least in the first sung lines.

Se sacude y luego
-o canta se sa-
-acude y luego
-o canta y
el que duerme en cama ajena
de madrugada lo alevantan
de madrugada alevanta
el gallo en el gallinero
ay se sacude y luego canta

Manolito de María in 1962 with Fernández el Negro (third fret por arriba). Manolito was the nephew of Joaquín. He sings the first sung line in the style attributed to his cousin Juan Talega. The seventh degree is heard from the second sung line onward.

(Por) dinero no lo-
-o hagas por di-
-inero no lo-
-o hagas lléva-
-ame a las herrerías
y echarme un hierro en la cara

Fernanda de Utrera in 1959 with Paco Aguilera (fourth fret por medio). The notes she sings in the first line are also heard in the next-to-last sung line of her extraordinary version of the style Paquirri 3. Manuel Soto "Sordera" recorded a similar version with Félix de Utrera.

Loca me salí y como-
-o loca me salí
nadie razón me daba
yo me quisiera mo(rir)

Associated cantes: por soleá

The following soleás are similar to the closing style of Joaquín, seen above. The first one that we must consider is an unusual style recorded only by Juan Talega. Although it appears that Juan never recorded the closing style of his uncle Joaquín, he did record two similar cantes. One of them, attributed to his father Agustín Talega, simplifies the closing style by foregoing the repetition of the first line of verse. The other cante is a peculiar style, recorded only by Juan, of which there are at least 13 examples from the fiesta recordings of Morón de la Frontera, made in the early-to-mid 1960s. Talega's peculiar cante and his uncle's closing style start with the major third, the fourth and the fifth degrees (G sharp, A and B por arriba) in a melody that implies the chords I7 and iv (E7 and A minor por arriba).

Juan Talega in 196? with Diego de El Gastor.

(Ni) que a la puerta te asomes
que ni a la puerta te asomes
ni tomes tú el agua bendita
(don)de la tomaban los hombres

The upturn to the sixth degree in the third sung line is unusual. In spirit, it is similar to the end of el Machango and similar cantes, such as Joselero's versions of Francisco Amaya. The soleá attributed to Santamaría, as recorded in 1947 by Pepe el de la Matrona, seems to be the only style with a similar upturn to the sixth degree.

Although the first lines of some soleás sound similar to the closing style of Joaquín, they are actually based on the fourth, fifth and sixth degrees, which imply the iv chord from the start (A minor por arriba). Por arriba without capo, the fourth and sixth degrees would be the notes A and C, which are two of the three A minor chord tones. Some of these similar-sounding styles are Joaquín el de la Paula 2, Juan Talega, Juaniquí 3, Manuel Cagancho 1, Noriega and Joselero.

Four more of the 13 recordings of Talega singing this style:

Juan Talega in 196? with Diego de El Gastor.

Me echaras de menos
cuando tú me eches de menos
bocado pan que te comas
te va a servir de veneno

Juan Talega in 196? with Diego de El Gastor.

No lo ha hecho nadie
eso no lo ha hecho nadie
yo lo he hecho por mis niños
que están pendientes del aire

Juan Talega in 196? with Diego de El Gastor.

(He) pedido a Jesús mío
yo le he pedido a Jesús mío
por lo que pasó en el huerto
te borrara de mi sentido

Juan Talega in 196? with Diego de El Gastor.

(He) pedido a Jesús mío
yo le he pedido a Jesús mío
por lo que pasó en el huerto
te borrara de mi sentido

Juan Talega in 196? with Diego de El Gastor. Here he adapts the melody of the first line of verse to the style La Roezna 2.

(Voy a) perder la razón
y cuando hablo contigo
me engañaba mi corazón
y cuando hablo contigo
me (eng)aña mi corazón

Pepe Marchena in 1928 with Ricardo (eighth fret por arriba). The earliest recordings of the closing soleá of Joaquín were made in 1928 (Escacena and Cepero). The same year, Pepe Marchena recorded a very similar cante that features a different Alcalá melody with a lower register in the conclusion (heard in the style la Roezna 2, among others). The first sung lines include the same three notes heard in the cante of Juan Talega. The letra of this version appears as number 5311 in the collection of verse "Cantos populares españoles" by Rodríguez Marín: "Todo el mundo está empeñado / en dar tormento a mi cuerpo / no sé qué motivo ha dado / porque yo no se lo encuentro."

A mi cuerpo se lo achacan y se lo
mi cuerpo se lo achacan se lo
achacan a mi cuerpo
dicen que tiene delito
pero yo no se lo encuentro
el querer de esta serrana
se lo achacan a mi cuerpo

Antonio Mairena in 1962 with Melchor (seventh fret por arriba). This soleá of Antonio Mairena may be his recreation of the cante recorded by Juan Talega. In the first sung lines, we hear the same three notes sung in a different way, and the conclusion also reaches the sixth degree, although in this version, the second line of verse ("por lo que pasó") is the beginning of the style Enrique el Mellizo 1 with a variation in the words "en el huerto."

Le pido a Jesús mío se lo
-o pido a Jesús mío y por lo
-o que pasó en el huerto
te borraran de mi sentido
por lo que pasó en el huerto
te borraran de mi sentido

Antonio Mairena in 1975 with Melchor de Marchena (sixth fret por arriba). This version was recorded 13 years later for the television program of Fernando Quiñones. In all its sung lines, it is much more similar to the cante recorded by Talega.

Lo pido de favor te lo
-o pido de favor te qui-
-ites de mi presencia
que vas a ser mi perdición
de mi presencia te quites
que vas a ser mi perdición

Canalejas in 1933 with Pepe Hurtado (second fret por medio). The first sung lines sound very similar to the cante of Juan Talega. From the third sung line onward, this version is much closer in nature to the soleá of Joaquín. As in the studio recording of Antonio Mairena, the conclusion contains elements of Cádiz styles, particularly in the last sung lines, where we can hear the melodic arc of the conclusion of the style Enrique el Mellizo 2.

Espero que el alba venga yo espero
espero que el alba venga
y yo espero que el alba venga
y a ver si viniendo el alba
(ten)go bien a mi compañera
a ver si viniendo el alba
tengo bien a mi compañera

Associated cantes: por bulería

The closing soleá of Joaquín (or perhaps the concentrated style 2 of his brother Agustín Talega) also seems to be present in several cantes por bulería. Although these cantes end in different ways, the first line is always repeated and uses the major third, the fourth and the fifth degrees. Similarly, the cante can end in a higher or lower register, as we have seen in the soleás of Pepe Marchena. When the high register is sung at the end, the third sung line is linked with a high note that reaches the sixth or seventh degree.

Niño del Museo in 1932 with Manolo de Badajoz (fourth fret por medio). He sings the seventh degree at the end of the second sung line.

Yo mismo no lo comprendo yo mis-
-mo no lo comprendo
cómo se pierde el sentido
cuando un hombre está queriendo

Canalejas in 1934 with Manolo de Badajoz (third fret por medio). This cante and the next two are from the same recording. In the first two, the sixth degree is heard at the end of the second sung line. The letra seen below is verse 5447 of Rodríguez Marín: "¡Mira si tengo talento, / Qu'en una resbalaera / Puse un molino de biento!".

Mira si tengo talento mira
si tengo talento
que de las patitas de la araña ay
hago un molino de viento
que de las patas de la araña
hago un molino de viento

Canalejas in 1934 with Manolo de Badajoz (third fret por medio).

Así suceden las cosas y así
suceden las cosas
tú dices que no me quieres
y el verme te vuelve loca
válgame Dios compañera
y el verme te vuelve loca

Canalejas in 1934 with Manolo de Badajoz (third fret por medio). The seventh degree is heard in the middle of the second sung line.

(Si es)tá muerta que la velen
si está muerta que la velen
que yo recomiendo su alma
y a la Virgen de las Nieves
que le encomiendo su alma
y a la Virgen de las Nieves

Pastora in 1933 with Antonio Moreno (fourth fret por medio). This is Pastora's first recording of this cante. The seventh degree is heard at the end of the second sung line. She sings the repetition of the last lines of verse with a different melody that may be related to Alcalá.

(De)ja que llegue el domingo deja
-a que llegue el domingo
que se recojan las cabras
que no tienen domicilio
que se recojan las cabras
que no tienen domicilio

Pastora in 1947 with Melchor (sixth fret por medio). In this version, she sings the sixth degree at the end of the second sung line.

De que no me querías dices
-es que no me querías
que cuando tú me tienes delante
que el sentido a ti te varía
cuando tú me tienes delante
y el sentido a ti te varía

Pastora in 1947 with Melchor (sixth fret por medio).

(Me ha en-)señaíto la experiencia me ha ense-
-eñado la experiencia
a sufrir los desengaños
y a llevarlos con paciencia
y a sufrir los desengañitos
y a llevarlos yo con paciencia

La Perla in 1959 with Paco Aguilera and Juan Morao (sixth fret por medio). The seventh degree is heard at the end of the second sung line.

(Ni el) sol (que) lleva su carrera y el Sol
-ol (que) lleva su carrera
ni el Pontífice Romano
me quitan de que yo te quiera

La Perla in 1972 with Morao (sixth fret por medio). In this track and the next, taken from the same recording, la Perla sings both endings. The version below ends in the lower register (compare to following version).

Jesús crucificado por Je-
Jesús crucificado
que no me des tú que más tormentos
que ya bastante me has dado

La Perla in 1972 with Morao (seventh fret por medio). Her singing in this version is unparalleled. The seventh degree is heard at the end of the second sung line (compare to preceding version).

(Ni) mesita ni escribano ni el me-
-esita ni escribano ay
que yo no puedo primo mío enumerar
que de lo que de que te gi-a-gitano
que de lo que te he querido yo a ti gitano

Manuel Vallejo in 1932 with Niño Pérez? (sixth fret por medio). This interesting version ends in a lower register. The letra is verse 5350 of Rodríguez Marín: "Yo digo que no hay locura; / Porque si locura hubiera, / Amarrao á una coluna / Mi cuerpesito estubiera." The author also indicates this version: "Yo digo que no hay locura; / Porque si nó, yo estubiera / Amarrao á una coluna, / Jasta que me consumiera."

Porque si no yo estuviera porque
-que si no yo estuviera
porque si no yo estuviera
y amarrado a una columna
hasta que Dios dispusiera
en el querer no hay locura
porque si no yo estuviera

Manuel Vallejo in 1934 with Ricardo (fourth fret por medio). This cante and the next three are from the same recording.

De tu querer apa-
-artarme de tu
-u querer apartarme
como escribir en el agua
de una piedra sacar sangre

Manuel Vallejo in 1934 with Ricardo (fourth fret por medio). The letra is verse 4842 Rodríguez Marín: "Sentío bienen bendiendo / tu madre que te lo compre / que te jase tanta farta / como á una puerta los gonses."

A tu madre que
-e compre dile
-e a tu madre
que compre que le hace tanta falta
como a la puerta los goznes
vergüenza vienen vendiendo
dile a tu madre que compre

Manuel Vallejo in 1934 with Ricardo (fourth fret por medio).

Todito el veci-
-indario de to-
-odito el vecindario
no hay quien me dé una escopeta
para yo matar a mi contrario

Manuel Vallejo in 1934 with Ricardo (fourth fret por medio). In this last cante, after the first sung lines, the melody ends in the lower register.

(An)da vete por a-
-ahí anda
-a vete por ahí
que no te quiero para nada
desde que te conocí
que no te quiero para nada
desde que te conocí