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Posts: 1812
Joined: Nov. 8 2010
From: London (living in the Bay Area)
Flamenco banned in Valencia?
My friend the guitarist Rafael Montilla (“Chaparro Hijo”) has posted this photo on Facebook, saying “Ningún arte puede ser tachado ni menospreciado. Que vergüenza de pais.”
There are several disgusted comments, with angry emojis.
I can of course ask Rafael to elaborate; but before I do so, is this common knowledge? Is it old news? Or am I misunderstanding something? An internet search for Valencia and Flamenco still shows many tourist flamenco shows advertised…
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"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."
RE: Flamenco banned in Valencia? (in reply to Paul Magnussen)
is Flamenco being a spanish cliché a bad thing? I mean, here in Brazil our cliché is football and prostitution, haha. I guess different people complaint according to its own standards.
RE: Flamenco banned in Valencia? (in reply to Paul Magnussen)
In their official statement (the link that Piwin put), they are explaining that all they want to do is outline that Spain is also recognisable in the world for its science, technology and entrepreneurship, and that all the things they mention in their ads (flamenco, paella, playa etc) distorts this image; and that they are not against flamenco of for banning it. Very stupid campaign if you ask me.
Posts: 1607
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania
RE: Flamenco banned in Valencia? (in reply to Paul Magnussen)
Yeah, like I'm all for banning fish'n chips, tea, and Bovril (as well as Marmite). Or Lederhosen, Cuckoo-clocks, Sauerkraut, and yodelling. Not to forget baguettes, frogs-legs, foie-gras, and accordions ...
Posts: 3497
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC
RE: Flamenco banned in Valencia? (in reply to Paul Magnussen)
quote:
Thanks, folks. So they’re against not only Flamenco, but all the things that bring tourists to Spain in thousands
Valencia (and other regions of Spain) had better think twice before downplaying flamenco, paella, las playas, and other elements that draw tourists to Spain. According to the Spanish banking and investment firm Caixa Bank, tourism represents 16 percent of Spain's GDP.
Businesses and investors are well aware of Spain's scientific, technological, and entrepreneurial expertise, such as it is, and will not be deterred by the so-called "cliches" of flamenco, paella, and playas. Tourists, however, do not visit Spain to tour cement factories, machine shops, and lens polishers.
Bill
_____________________________
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East."
FWIW, I showed the picture to a group of non-flamenco friends last night. A fairly eclectic group but mostly people in highly-qualified jobs (exactly the kind of people who'd care about the Jaume I awards). Out of a dozen people, there was only one who interpreted the ad as being against flamenco. Most of them thought those reacting strongly to it were being oversensitive and seeing a slight that just wasn't there. One argued that this was just a way for artists who have basically zero relevance in most of Spain today to grab a bit of attention. The "siesta" one got the most laughs. There was a fairly broad consensus that their own expertise wasn't valued abroad and that the main reason they get any business from the rest of Europe is because they're cheap, which led to a long discussion (commiseration really) about how ****ty the Spanish economy is.
_____________________________
"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."
Posts: 3497
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC
RE: Flamenco banned in Valencia? (in reply to Piwin)
quote:
There was a fairly broad consensus that their own expertise wasn't valued abroad and that the main reason they get any business from the rest of Europe is because they're cheap, which led to a long discussion (commiseration really) about how ****ty the Spanish economy is.
Spain's overall unemployment rate is 15 percent and it's youth unemployment rate is 35 percent, which makes one wonder why the Spanish decided to accept illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa crossing the Mediterranean from Libya. The other European countries along the Mediterranean litterol have stopped accepting them, which is the only way to stem the tide of illegals from Africa. Perhaps Spain's Socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, is angling for a place among the virtuous.
Bill
_____________________________
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East."
RE: Flamenco banned in Valencia? (in reply to BarkellWH)
Wow 35%. Does that include recent college graduates? I would imagine it’s possible to find a job in Madrid or Barcelona. Elsewhere probably not so much.
RE: Flamenco banned in Valencia? (in reply to Paul Magnussen)
It is kind of a sad state of affairs. It's fairly obvious that young people are fleeing the little cities and heading for Madrid, Sevilla, and Barcelona. When I was in Jerez for the festival you could tell when it's not festival time the average age there has to be above 60.
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