Most towns and villages in the
lower region of Andalusia have shared a similar existence over the years, and
although much of Spain has changed considerably since Franco’s demise, many of
the smaller villages still adhere to a very traditional way of living.
Franco
had at first condemned interference from the western world after his victory in
the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), so Spain’s doors remained tightly shut to what
was happening in the rest of Europe and America.
At
the dawn of the 1950s, most of Europe had started to recover from the effects
of the Second World War and many countries began to prosper both commercially
and culturally.
Spain,
however, was in the grip of the iron-fist of martial law and Catholicism, which
kept the country locked in an era of totalitarianism. Franco
established policies that were highly favourable to the Catholic Church (the only legal state religion), like banning
civil marriages, making divorce illegal and religious education compulsory in
schools. Spanish law discriminated strongly against married women, and under
the permiso marital, they were
prohibited from almost all economic activities without the permission of their
husbands.
Franco believed that only he could
save Spain from the chaos and instability of democracy and, until his death in
1975, he remained the ultimate source of legitimate authority.
Yet Franco was keen to impress the
world’s democratic powers after the Allied victory in 1945, so measures were implemented
to make his regime appear less tyrannical to give it a facade of democracy.
Franco’s
rule was harsh to say the least, and even though the canons of his regime would
slacken in later years, he held a firm grip on his country and its people
throughout his supremacy.
Carnivals
and ferias were banned, as were large gatherings of people in public
places, and the regime enforced strict curfew rules which forbid people to be
on the streets after dark without due cause.
But
the average Andalusian is strong and determined and these restrictions did
little to restrain their simple lust for life, even though many lived in
abysmal conditions. They certainly have a penchant for pleasure, as their
flamenco will demonstrate, but in Franco’s culturally isolated Spain,
boisterous flamenco sessions were not tolerated. This was somewhat ironic,
because at the end of the 1950s, he nationalised flamenco in a bid to attract
tourism and vital foreign currency.
The
average household did not own a television or a telephone, and, except for the
highly censored press, their first contact with what was happening in the west
arrived with the Americans.
As the 1940s came to an end amidst
agricultural imbalances, labour unrest and near famine, the need for raw
materials and credit forced Franco to make connection with the west.
Spain
was the only major Western European country excluded from the Marshall Plan[1]
because, although the country did not overtly participate in WW11, it showed an
allegiance to the Third Reich.
After
the war, Franco pursued a policy of self-sufficiency, although with little
success: fortunately for him, the United States finally embraced Spain as an
ally in 1951[2].
In
1953, America was given permission to use two air-force bases in Andalusia[3] and
this gesture would alter the lifestyle and attitude of the younger generation.
Along with audacious American fashion, came rock and roll, and the young
Spaniards got a taste for the lifestyle that went with it.
The
liberal lifestyle that was taking place in the rest of Europe slowly seeped
into Andalusia, and with it, came hordes of foreigners in search one of
Andalusia’s greatest treasures: flamenco.
Unfortunately
for the foreigners who came in search of flamenco falsetas, the young Andalusian guitarists were more interested in
the extraordinary new sounds of the copious supply of contemporary American
musicians.
Numerous
Americans and Europeans travelled to the small-impoverished agricultural towns
in Andalusia to seek the knowledge of guitarists like Diego del Gastor[4], but
once there, they quickly realised that studying flamenco is more than simply
learning complicated guitar licks. The learning process requires immersing
oneself in a different day-to-day social culture, and one learns by listening
to and observing what people do and say about this extremely complex art.
The
turbulence of modernisation has been one of the key factors in the demise of
the flamenco way of life, and when Franco allowed the 20th century
into Spain, he let out much of the charm that had lain dormant for hundreds of
years.
Towards
the end of Franco’s dictatorship and the eventual return to democracy, the
changes in social values and everyday Spanish life were extensive. The wheels
of the tourist industry were destroying the charm of the fishing villages and
the tranquil inland towns. Of course, together with the destruction of
Andalusia came the distortion of much of its cultural assets and traditions.
Flamenco, for example, became a kitsch form of tourist entertainment and it
bore no resemblance to the time-honoured art of the Gypsies.
Although
Seville, the capital of Andalusia, is one of the most favoured foreign tourist
destinations in Spain, the surrounding towns of Utrera, Lebrija and Morón de la
Frontera are way off the average tourist’s route, and so they have retained
much of the old village-life charm.
The
attitude of the people in towns like Utrera has not changed either, and
although they are not unknowing of foreign visitors, they have not altered
their traditions and lifestyles to satisfy them.
The
present style of life and the daily work routines of the people in the major
cities of Spain are like any other in Europe, but in the southern-most part of
Andalusia, local fiestas and colourful celebrations constantly interrupt the
daily routine.
The
worries and strains of life are tossed to one side during the feria, and any debts that may be mounting will be ignored to finance
several days of non-stop fiesta. Even in times of financial crisis, when
governments and local councils are forced to drastically cut their spending to
a bare minimum, there always seem to be plentiful money for times of
celebration. This is most evident during the feria, and although most towns and
villages have now moderated the length of this annual cascade of intemperance,
the money that is lavished on them is astronomical. Much the same can be said
of the gargantuan spending that takes place during Holy Week, when Andalusians
will disburse more money during a few days of piety than they will perhaps earn
in a month.
One
of the great traditional values that still exists in Spain, and especially
among the Andalusian Gypsies, is the strong family togetherness. The Gypsy
family fiesta offers a wonderful opportunity to witness close family ties,
because everyone is included, from the smallest of children to the frailest of
grandparents. This is the best surroundings in which to enjoy a spontaneous
flamenco session. There is no sight more pleasing than that of an ageing
grandmother who, with her skirt hitched above her knees, performs a quick dance
routine that is so raw it hurts. The most amazing part of it all, however, is
the sheer self-satisfaction, because it is not done to impress, but simply to
enjoy.
[1] The Marshall Plan was an American initiative
introduced in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe after WWII.
[2]With the escalation of the Cold War, and
Franco’s aggressive anti-communist policies, America accepted Spain as an ally
in 1951.
[3] Rota and Morón de la Frontera.
[4] Born in Arriate
(Málaga) in 1908, Diego Amaya Flores was one of the most revered Gypsy flamenco
guitarists of all time. His artistic name of Diego del Gastor comes from the
town of Gastor, in the province of Cádiz, which is where he spent his
childhood. He died in 1973 in Morón de la Frontera (Seville), where he lived
for most of his life.
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