One Last Fiesta in Cadiz
Cristina Farkas | August 17, 2009
Students in one of UCSD's Global Seminars in Cadiz take part in a last flamenco party before going home.
And just like that, the Global Seminar in Spain está terminando. When I arrive home, I expect lots of people will be asking me questions about the origin of flamenco and where they can see “real” flamenco. Americans have this idea that gypsies from the East brought an ancient dance to Spain, and after the invention of the guitar, they developed modern flamenco.
In fact, we learned this is not the case. No one knows exactly where the dance form came from, but it is a huge part of Andalusian culture. Variety shows, bullrings and movies from the 1920s to the1940s popularized flamenco as a tourist attraction. If you want to see good, traditional flamenco in Spain, I suggest going to a festival. Because of the current trends in flamenco, it’s more likely that you will find “fusion” flamenco in the popular shows. “Fusion” has adopted rumba beats and jazz styles. Without these innovations, I do not think flamenco could survive for our generation. If you want to hear the best flamenco singer alive today, I recommend buying a CD by Miguel Poveda. My class actually traveled by bus to see Poveda at a flamenco festival in Lebrija called the Caracolá. I have also heard some fabulous singing on the street, when families play on the plaza.
A view of the bay in Cadiz.
We saw eight shows in the past five weeks. What an incredible opportunity! I love how the entertainers have been so wiling to share their art with us. The two shows during finals week were the best. We were able to replicate a traditional fiesta, just as the rich señoritos did in the early 20th century.
Professor John Moore, who leads the seminar, hired three artists from Jeréz, a nearby city which was the birthplace of many flamenco forms and great artists. Their hometown is famous for its party songs, called bulerías. These songs have a driving rhythm and are light—perfect for parties. The fiesta was held in a tavern near our residence, and was filled by my 22 classmates, staff members for our program and their families. Most of the girls were pulled up onto the dancefloor for a few steps during a rumba or bulería. Everyone couldn’t help smiling as the guitarist tapped out the rhythm, compas, of the light-hearted party song.
UCSD Professor John Moore performs for his students during the class' last show.
Additionally, on our last day of class, a Cádiz native singer demonstrated traditional songs for us: alegrías, solearas and tanguillos. Even one of our classmates, a music major, attempted to sing an alegría; he has been taking flamenco lessons throughout July. We have all tried to take advantage of the Spanish lifestyle: from taking lessons, practicing Spanish, haggling at the markets to taking siestas. The gracia, roughly translated as light heartedness, of Cádiz is contagious.
I am taking home both the knowledge of flamenco and the spirit of the Cádiz Bay. I have enjoyed learning the lifestyle and culture of Cádiz . And as I left the city, I waved goodbye to the monuments of famous gitanos, the beautiful vistas and the all the people full of gracia.
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