Does it work both ways – does flamenco rub off on other types of music?
Not much. I think flamenco’s been influenced a whole lot more than it’s influenced other genres. The most jazz musicians have managed is to use the twelve types of bulería rhythm, or to use the Spanish or flamenco scales and do what they can with them. It’s like in an American movie when they say “España”, “música flamenca” and out come a bunch of Mexicans. There’s the odd musician who’s been more deeply influenced. Jazz musicians are the ones who’ve taken the greatest interest, and what they want is to play por bulerías, and they learn the time signature, but to make flamenco music you have to sit down and learn to listen. Knowing how to play guitar accompaniment is essential. A musician can really think of himself as a flamenco musician when he’s at a fiesta with his drums or his bass, and he can blend into the mêlée. And if they play bulerías, then bulerías it is, and if they play a toná then OK – toná. That’s one thing, but using those twelve compases por bulerías like Chick Corea
