The flamenco saeta: what it is, origin and great saeta singers

The flamenco saeta It is a short couplet that is sung without accompaniment during the processions of Holy Week, dedicated to its images. It was created in the early 20th century by singers such as Enrique el Mellizo and Manuel Centeno, and is sung during carrerías, by martinetes or as a carcelera.

What is the flamenco saeta and what is its origin?

The Dictionary of the Spanish Language it defines the saeta as a flamenco genre consisting of a short prayer or verse dedicated by an individual to the images in religious processions. The word comes from the Latin sagitta, arrow.

According to Andalusian Institute of Flamenco, the origin of saetas lies in the little verses sung or recited by the Franciscans in the 16th and 17th centuries. Around 1840, primitive saetas appeared, a slow and monotonous chant, and at the beginning of the 20th century, the flamenco saeta was born, with performers such as Enrique el Mellizo, in Cádiz, and Manuel Centeno, in Seville.

Old saeta and flamenco saeta: differences

The old or primitive saeta is a slow and monotonous song, typical of popular performers. Some towns still preserve their own saetas: the Andalusian Institute of the Saeta Flamenco preserves Puente Genil, Cabra and Castro del Río in the province of Córdoba, and Mairena del Alcor and Marchena in the province of Seville.

The Flamenco saeta takes on three forms: by following the rima, by the martinetes or as a carcelera. Its lyrics have four or five eight-syllable verses and are inspired by the romances of the Passion and the coplas of the Way of the Cross.

Saetas in the style of seguiriyas and martinetes take the form of those two cantes, which you have explained in our guide to the palos del flamenco.

How the saetas of Holy Week are experienced in Seville

The saeta is sung during processions, from the street or from a balcony, without fixed schedule or place. That is why there is no specific place where to listen to it.

To organise the visit, in our Guide to Holy Week in Seville you have the key days, the brotherhoods of the Madrugá and the dates for 2027.

Great voices of flamenco saeta

As well as Enrique el Mellizo and Manuel Centeno, whom it credits with the birth of the flamenco saeta, the Andalusian Institute of Flamenco lists Manuel Torre, la Niña de la Alfalfa, El Gloria, Manuel Vallejo, Tomás Pavón and Antonio Mairena among its great performers.

To discover other figures in the history of cante, review our selection of famous flamencos cantaores.

Where to listen to flamenco in Seville for the rest of the year

The saeta is a type of singing linked to the processions of Holy Week. If you want to see singing, guitar playing and dancing live, the Tablao Flamenco Las Setas está en la planta baja del Metropol Parasol, en la Plaza de la Encarnación, 38, con una sala de 140 plazas.

Under the artistic direction of Sandra Guerrero «La Negra», 8 artists perform in each show, chosen from a rotating cast of over 80. Performances take place at 18:00, 19:30, 21:00 and 22:30, with an extra one at 16:30 during high season, and each show lasts 60 minutes, with no interval. Check the show times and prices of the tablao to book.

Frequently asked questions about the flamenco saeta

What exactly is a flamenco saeta?

It is a short couplet, of four or five eight-syllable verses, that is sung without accompaniment during the processions of Holy Week and is dedicated to its images. The Flamenco version, born in the early 20th century, is sung by marimbas, maracas or as a carcelera.

What is the difference between the traditional saeta and the flamenco saeta?

The old or primitive saeta, which the Andalusian Institute Flamenco places around 1840, is a slow and monotonous song. The flamenco saeta originated in the early 20th century with singers such as Enrique el Mellizo in Cádiz and Manuel Centeno in Seville, and is sung by carilladores, martinetes or as carcelera.

When are saetas heard in Seville?

During Holy Week, as the brotherhoods pass by, with no fixed time or place. They emerge from a balcony or from the street as the statue passes. In 2027, Holy Week in Seville will take place from 21st to 28th March, and the Madrugá will be the night of 25th to 26th March.

Are saetas sung in flamenco tablaos?

The saeta was created to be sung in the street, in the course of the images, and without accompaniment flamenco. The show of Tablao Flamenco Las Setas, on the other hand, combines singing, guitar and dance for 60 minutes. Two of the forms of the saeta, the seguiriya and the martinete, are also the palos of the .