BarkellWH -> RE: A fun "discussion" about the gitano role of flamenco (Oct. 23 2015 0:30:31)
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Am I wrong in saying that the Jews and Moors were in the same boat as the Romani and essentially the three of them together share a similar history, and therefore share much of the music together? In other words, doesn't "gitano" also kind of represent the oppressed populations of Andalucia, and that's where "flamenco" came from? That's always been my impression, that there's no escaping the three races being together for a common cause. Actually, they don't share a similar history as "oppressed" people. The Moors crossed over from North Africa in 711 and conquered most of Visigothic Spain, and they were pushing further into Europe until checked at the Battle of Tours by Charles Martel. The Moors were the rulers of Al Andalus, not oppressed subjects. And while the Sephardic Jews and Christians were accorded status as "dhimmi" or "People of the Book," they were still second class citizens of Al Andalus, as they had to pay a special tax, could not ride on horseback, could not carry a sword, and could not hold high office among other restrictions. The Gitanos no doubt would have been lowest on the totem pole (as they were, and are, everywhere), even though those who were Christian would have been considered "dhimmi" as well. From the beginning of the Reconquista in the late 10th century until the fall of Granada in 1492, the Moorish rulers of Al Andalus were playing defense, but for centuries they ruled Al Andalus and were not oppressed subjects at all. In fact, it was the Sephardic Jews, Christians, and no doubt Gitanos who were restricted in their activities under the ruling Moorish Caliphate of Cordoba. I suppose one could call the Moors "oppressed" after the final success of the Reconquista with the fall of Granada in 1492, but that was a case of the Spanish Christian kingdoms retaking what was theirs in the first place, that had been taken from them by the Moors in the 8th century. It was a case of the originally-conquered Christian kingdoms defeating their conquerers and reclaiming what they considered to be their patrimony. Bill
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