This is a short introduction to duende and further adds to the conversation of linking duende with the daemonic.
I think it was Lorca who first rightly identified that the ‘spirit’ of flamenco, duende, is a daemonic spirit. This implies that traditional flamenco especially the cantes of the old ways are inspired by the daemonic. So just as much as flamenco is gyspy [not Spanish] music it is also daemonic music.
The same daemonic spirit that scorched the throat of Socrates as he chose to drink the hemlock, thus choosing to die with his daemon is not to be confused with demonic as often is the case. The terms are often used interchangeably and that is a grave mistake. Out of its pure hate for humanity, evil wants to obliterate humanity ‘proving’ humans utterly worthless.
Duende is also not to be confused with goblin as often the translation. The daemonic is a dark 'force' but it is not evil.
Moran says 'Not everything that glitters is gold' I would add not everything dark is an enemy. 'Not everybody you fight is an enemy and not everybody that helps you is a friend' [Tyson]. Because in some paradoxical sense, some darkness is needed. It is often through suffering that 'turning over a new leaf' is possible. In ancient cultures, the underworld, cenotes, caves and the like were and are places of immense profound meaning and depth, a place where real possibility is. In therapy, these inner places are delved from within and there may be some delving of the world but the underworld within is often the predominant place of focus. This serves to prepare to delve into the depths of the world. And then to do something about it.
To describe the cante [song] often it is said it evokes unanswerable questions in love and death. Either the Cantaor settles in the unanswerableness of questions of carrying that weight or the question is resolved with death. Yet Lorca states, that death is the question of questions. For Lorca, the 'bitter root' of human experience = 'pain that has no explanation.'
Lorca identified four qualities of duende; irrationality, earthiness, heightened awareness of death and a dash of the diabolical. To change from the inner depths of our being often we have to be torn from limb to limb and burned to ashes. It is a savage struggle = battled in hand-to-hand combat with the daemonic on the edge of the abyss. Two main reasons jump to mind, 1] There is so much waste to burn, meaning fire purifies and paves to way for something much deeper, profound and true to emerge. 2] Our defences and resistances have to be shattered because in short, defences and resistances create blockages.
Torre stated 'All that has black sounds has duende'
and continued 'You have a voice, you know the styles, but you will never triumph, because you have no duende. = duende is born and springs forth not from virtuoso or brilliant technic or technical ability.’ Instead, an old maestro of the guitar describes as follows; ‘the duende is not in the throat, the duende climbs up inside you, from the soles of your feet. Meaning this is not a question of ability, but of true, living style, of blood, of the most ancient culture, of spontaneous creation.’
Once marked by the daemonic it never really leaves, always hanging around, sometimes it allows its presence to be known for different reasons, very much depending on the situation. Sometimes as support, as protection, sometimes to hammer and burn into shape. The daemonic can be worked with but it follows its irrational nature but never can it be owned. It is a paradoxical curse and blessing = being called to fight for something true for others and the world.
So for a time the daemonic burns us but eventually if we can allow its process of undoing to have its way can we begin to burn with this fire. When able to hold and contain this fire, then we are ready to engage and battle with the evil in the world that is genuinely 'other' to us.
Moran makes abundantly clear that crucial to the daemonic is time and death. I won't add much about death, have written on death other than death challenges and exposes the truth and lie and herein we have to make a choice - to begin living a life of truth or continue with living the lie. Good and evil = that’s where choice comes in. If it was ‘one way’ where is the choice? Where is the unconditionally of freedom/love? Thus to go further with the daemonic we must choose truth. Existence is a story that is told countless times with every life, as evident from history, until the lessons are learned, actioned and thus lived and died for. Otherwise, history in its contorted twisted distortion will keep repeating. So time is important because everything that is created by the creator, death has the power to destroy and so our time, our moment in the world on this earth is not infinite. It does matter. The weight that is put down, makes the weight heavier for everybody else. It is only in carrying the weight shoulder to shoulder does the weight of existence 'become' bearable.
Moran - 'What is your time worth?'
Themes in this blog originate and are inspired by the writings of Jamie Moran