Buleria

Coming from the 'soleá', la Bulería has a rythme vivider with a 'compás' of six by eight normally, even though it also exists on three by four. Usually, Bulería is used as a support for happy and festive songs. This animated song has generally three or four verses with eight syllabes each and could come etymologically from the word 'burla' (joke). The Buleria is done for dancing. It is distinguished by its fast rythme and its redoubled 'compás', that accepts, better than the others styles, the shouts of joy and the expressive voices of 'jaleo', in addition to the redoublement of 'las palmas' with much more intensity than any other song. Its birth is dated from the end of the XIXth century and was born from the 'soleá' that gave its 'compás' to the bulería, that increased the rythme. We can distinguish two sorts of this song: Bulerias created to dance, with a lot of different styles, and Bulerias 'al golpe', created much more to be listened and that are also called 'buleria por soleá'. Some people think that this one was born before the bulería itself and many people think that Loco Mateo and Gloria are the ones who created the 'bulería por soleá'. However, the promoters of this song were Manuel Vallejo y La Niña de los Peines, both from Sevilla. Nevertheless, the bulería counts with many different styles like the ones from Cádiz, from Jerez or the 'cuplés', these are respectively masterly interpreted by Perla de Cádiz, Terremoto de Jerez y la Fernanda de Utrera.  

Bulería was first almost slow with rythme and its only aim was the dance. Later, the singers have increased the importance of the voice and lightened its rythme. This is how the bulería became an individual song as difficult as a real soleá.
We can say that Gloria -singer with exceptional vocal qualities- and Camarón de la Isla -nowadays- are the ones who succeeded in reaching the transcendence of the legitimate style of bulería.
Bulería is the flamenco dance that is characterized by the predominance of convulsive movements and twisting, done with charm and grace. Bulería admits all the improvisations that the interpreter is able to do and admits also all the turns and the changes that he wants to do if he knows how to stay in the rythme of the 'compás'.

Coming from: Cádiz , Sevilla