Saeta

A saeta (plural: seatas; "arrow or dart") is a type of Spanish religious song.

The Music and its performance
The saeta is a type of Spanish religious song dating back many centuries. The saeta antigua ("old Saeta") probably arose from the recitation of psalms under the influence of liturgical music. Since the nineteenth century, however, the most favored saetas have incorporated distinct elements associated with flamenco music, particularly the siguiriyas.

The saeta is best known for its mournful power during Holy Week, when by Catholic tradition the song is performed during the processions by religious confraternities that move through the streets of cities and towns in southern Spain. Possessing a plaintive emotional intensity, and dramatic charge, the saeta is sung by the saetero, often from a balcony, and may be addressed to the statue of Jesus below, in his agony on the Via Dolorosa, or to that of his suffering mother Mary. These and other crafted statues are mounted on platforms and carried along the streets on the shoulders of penitents passing among the assembled public.

Saetas are sung at outdoor devotions throughout Lent, and may be sung during the Christmas season as well. A special form of the saeta (the saeta carcelera) is also sung at prisons during visits there by the confraternities. Several of the cities in Andalusia have their own peculiar styles of the saeta.

The Palo
It is frequently sung a cappella. Taken from flamenco music are the melismas, tercios, and other flourishes. Being one of the cantes a palo seco, the singer may also be accompanied by beating drums, or by horns.Any accompaniment is most often in 2/4 or 6/8 time. Commonly the saetero sings in a minor key finishing on the dominant; the meter of different verses will often be variable depending on the interpretation. Arabic and Hebraic origins have been proposed.

Flamenco palos adopted by the saeta include especially the siguiriyas and the martinetes. Others include the saeta por soleares, por polos, por cañas, and por fandangos. The cantaor Manuel Torre (1878-1933) was well regarded for his saeta.