Seville boasted five. With few exceptions, the famed singers and dancers were Gypsies. There are more than a dozen varieties of flamenco songs. Many are laments. One classic type, the petenera, tells the story of a beautiful girl named Petenera who brings tragedy to herself and her village.
Words tend to be arbitrary, and the songs seem to have as many versions as there are singers.
Unfortunately, much flamenco today is staged for tourists and just doesn't cut it. The performers may go through the motions, but they lack duende. Your best opportunities to see good flamenco will be at the flamenco festivals held throughout Andalusia during the summer. Take a late-evening stroll among the pavilions erected for these events. You can then watch dancing and singing that results from the spontaneous exuberance of Andalusians enjoying themselves.