It is not uncommon to see a group of youngsters walking by in Malaga, vigorously clapping their hands to a beat and shouting “Olé” at various intervals. Flamenco, here in Spain has evolved over the years and today the more popular among the younger generation is the fusion of Flamenco with other types of music, particularly rock. However, Camaron de la Isla will forever remain the legend of flamenco. I witnessed my first flamenco performance last semester at ‘a whole in the wall’ en El Centro. At many moments, I sat in awe of what I was witnessing, an immense amount of passion and talent, something that came from the heart and was sent straight to yours. My favorite part of Flamenco is seeing the woman dance, her body in unison with the music while she makes the most inexplicably expressive faces I have ever seen in my life. I am not ashamed to say that I was left in tears after the performance, very emotional from the profoundness at what I saw.
Needless to say flamenco remains the heart and soul of Andalucía, something that defines them distinctly from the rest of Spain and the rest of the world. When we think of American music, we know that there is a wide range; from hip-hop to country music, being derived from various subcultures. The music that America is mostly known for outside of America is pop music, where the likes of Britney Spears, Madonna, Beyonce etc can be worshipped around the world. I don´t think that this is music that all Americans are particularly proud of mainly because it is so mainstream and can be reproduced by anyone who has access to a camera and can post a Youtube video of them imitating their favorite artist or the latest overplayed song of the moment. Right now Single Ladies by Beyonce comes to mind. In this aspect however, there is no one genre of music that can define Americans or its culture. Flamenco however, is a culture on its own, something that defines Spanish culture, particularly Andalucía, something to call their own.
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