ABSTRACT
One frequent observation of aficionados, flamenco producers and journalists I interviewed was the opinion that women singers are crucial to both maintaining and transmitting cante flamenco. They are conscious and proud of their role in maintaining their herencia (heritage). This chapter looks at some of the ways in which cantaoras articulate the transmission and preservation of traditional flamenco. I present two regional variations of cante which represent two distinct flamenco traditions: the inheritance of Lebrija and the legacy of Granada. The Lebrija material draws attention to the tradition of cante that has evolved within the family, while the singers I interviewed in Granada reveal a tradition of cante learned and absorbed from the Andalusian social environment of neighborhoods and peñas. Both reflect ways in which the musical skill in flamenco is acquired, and how it continues to be transmitted in Spain.
