Flamenco is a gitano-Andalúz art form belonging to the gitanos (gypsies) of southern Spain or Andalusia. Over the centuries, it has matured into an art form that combines tradition with improvisation resulting in a genre in which creativity is valued and encouraged. Simultaneously, strict guidelines to "tradition" must be followed.

In the late 1960's, amid controversy, a new musical school fusing traditional flamenco with outside influences was pioneered. Labeled flamenco nuevo (new), neo-flamenco, or fusion, it disrupted centuries of practice by radicalizing the tradition and created a tense polarity within the flamenco community between so-called "traditionalists" and "fusionists."

Neo-flamenco emerged in a seemingly innocuous manner through rejection of the traditional manner of positioning the flamenco guitar. Spain's premier flamenco guitarist, Paco de Lucía forged a manner of positioning the guitar that was controversial initially, but has since been embraced by traditional and neo-flamenco guitarists alike. This is extraordinary given that the traditional position is both difficult to master and was considered an important defining characteristic of flamenco practice. Given this paradox, this research asks, "Why did the shift occur? Why did traditionalists modernize? What social forces led to such sweeping change?"

This study analyzes the circumstances and implications of the postural shift. It investigates the process of when, why, and how a standard performance becomes obsolete and explores the forces that come into play during such a transition. It sheds light on the processes of modernization and the connection between socio-cultural movements and the construction of tradition.

Analysis of historical frameworks, interviews, documentation, and visual data reveal that the postural shift was connected to socio-cultural movements that were reflected in the emerging range of "acceptable" flamenco playing postures. Such a shift demonstrates that tradition is malleable in the hands of innovators and the potential speediness of change in music. Creative epochs within a society are led by individual innovators, but revolutions require the acceptance of peers, communities and regimes. The confluence of such factors is reflected in this study and provide a lens to understanding this process more fully.