Jacaras

ruments. Some of the dances like tarantella, fandango or folia played an important role in the history of music and are still known today. A few dances were preserved in local communities (canario), but many other passed into oblivion (mariona, cumbee). The common trait of all the dances is an extraordinary and varied rhythm which later in the 19th century became the basis for the style of music today known as flamenco. The rhythm was emphasised not only by the use of castanets, tambourine but also by the specific strumming technique (rasgueado) or even by banging the body of the guitar. Variation technique was often used by guitarists and so it is not surprising that the first variations ever to be published are Luys de Narvaez’s Diferencias for guitar from 1538. The dances show the influence of Spanish, Indian and even African culture.