TABLE
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Transnational Flamenco
By: Danica Taylor
What an
amazing country Spain
is. From the history, to the beautiful architecture to the fabulous
food--our favorite tapas restaurant was called "Giralda"-- Spain
was truly
a wonderful place to end this voyage of discovery. Here more than
anywhere else
I got a feeling of heritage and vernacular architecture. Specifically,
I
thought of vernacular elements when in the Cathedral of Seville.
Construction
of the Cathedral began in 1184, but it was originally built as a
Mosque. It
wasn’t until centuries later that the Mosque became a Christian
Cathedral.
There are so many different forms of architecture, from a minaret
representing
the Islamic faith, to the gothic style arches and the beautiful stained
glass
windows with depictions of the Christian bible. In my mind there are
few places
we’ve been where I had more of a vernacular feeling than here, the
discoverer
of America,
Christopher Columbus’s tomb is within these walls.
In addition
to the Cathedral of
Seville, we also saw a
traditional flamenco song and dance in a local
bar one
night. Although in the article, “The City as a Stage: Flamenco in
Andalusian
culture” author Maria Papavlou makes a clear argument that Flamenco
began in an
Andalusian area of Spain called Jerez de la Frontera, it is still a
main part
of Spanish culture. Many Flamenco artists describe Flamenco as “running
through
your blood, through your veins…you are born with it and it can be
naturally
inherited to the next generations” (Papavlou, 15). As we were watching
the
show, I could feel that these dancers love what they do, that it truly
is a
part of them and a way they unite themselves with their cultural past.
We
talked to one of the dancers and she said that flamenco has been in her
family
from as far back as they can trace. It’s interesting to me to think
that at one
point in time they were performing for enjoyment and pleasure simply a
way to exercise,
perform and please their peers. However, as the world has become more
transnational and the Spanish economy and government has become open to
the
world, so have all the cultural traditions. Now although locals still
enjoy a
traditional song and dance, it is as much for them as it is a way to
earn a
living by performing to the tourists that have begun visiting Spain
by the thousands.
There are
few foreigners I’ve talked
to who have traveled to Spain
and have not seen a Flamenco show, or who have traveled to Sevilla and
not seen
the cathedral. Spain
has definitely adapted to, and customized its offerings to appeal to a
transnational audience. From the British guys who were at the Flamenco
show, to
the Heineken sign outside the Cathedral, to the group of over 100
Chinese
tourists at a club in Madrid; Spain
offers
something for people from around the world to enjoy!
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