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Flamenco
Cartama and the province of Malaga is said to have some of the finest Flamenco in the whole of Andalucia. Whether this is true remains to be discovered but the history of Flamenco began in the 15th Century in this area of Andalusia. It combines traditional gypsy music with Arab, Jewish and also old Indian sounds. Originally it consisted exclusively of the singing ("cante"), either the melancholic "cante jondo" or the more cheerful "cante chico". It was mainly performed in a private atmosphere, e.g. family celebrations of rich landlords or also in the houses of prostitutes. In the middle of the 19th Century the Flamenco music conquered the "cafés cantantes" and fusions for the first time with the two other arts: the dance ("baile") and the guitar play ("toque"). These cafés were popular for some decades but disappeared in the 1930s. Flamenco has survived in local societies ("peñas") and has inspired artists of many different cultures all over the world. Although about 20 different types of Flamenco exist, one can still find the traditional types in Mijas and Cartama, where two chairs, a singer ("cantaor") and a guitarist; the voice leads, the guitar accompanies. Very popular among the locals are also the so-called "Sevillanas", a dancing form which follows a stricter set of rules.
Bullfighting
Practiced all over Spain, the traditional corrida (bullfight) the ritual killing of bulls, originates in Andalusia. It is there where we find also the most famous and most beautiful bullrings, as the "plazas de toro" of Cordoba, Sevilla, Jerez de la Frontera, Huelva, Malaga and the famous arena of Ronda, which was featured in the work of the American actor and movie director Orson Welles. Altogether there are more than 150 bullrings in Andalusia. The bullfighting season lasts from March to November and usually accompany the local festivals ("ferias"). To fight against a bull weighing 500 or 600 kilograms from a horse, started during the 19th Century, a privilege of the noble class. Today it has its fans from all groups of society, although it has split public opinion into two groups, those decided opponents and enthusiastic supporters of this deadly art. Bull breeding is a lucrative business in Andalucia, if you consider that after spending 4 years of his best life in the greenest of pastures, a fighting bull fetches a very high market price. Usually six bulls are killed in a corrida by three toreros, bullfighters. The ritual for each bull lasts for about 20 minutes and consists of four phases "suerte de capa", "suerte de varas", "suerte de banderillas" and "suerte de matar". In the showdown the matador tries to kill the bull with one sword thrust. If he succeeds, loud Olé calls can be heard, and depending on his performance the torero receives one or two ears and (or) the tail of the bull.
Cartama Festivals
There is no better way to get to know the Andalucians than through their fascinating feast days. The local fiesta is the moment when every town and village puts on a splendid show, not only for themselves but also for those who come from other villages, or afar, to admire and enjoy. Over 3,000 fiestas are celebrated every year in Andalucia, including fairs, pilgrimages, carnivals, mock battles between Christians and Moors, and religious processions. There is scarcely a day in the year without a fiesta, with special emphasis on the periods before and after the autumn harvests. Each town has its own patron saint and yearly procession. Here are some of the major festivals and fiestas which take place each year.
Three Kings Fiesta de Los Reyes.
This is the moment when the three kings of Orient bring their Christmas gifts to the children, on the evening of the 5th of January. Three men dress up as the kings and ride about the town in a procession, throwing sweets to the crowds of excited children. The 6th of January is the public holiday in Spain.
Carnival
As elsewhere in the Catholic world, carnival is celebrated before the 40 days of Lent. Most Andalucian towns stage some sort of parade, and there is usually a dance and a Carnival Queen contest. The carnival is the people's fiesta. It is a reaction against the abstentions and prohibitions of all types, and attempts to break social order and liberalise instincts, aided by the wearing of masks and fancy dress. During the Civil War, General Franco abolished the Carnival in rebel areas.
Semana Santa or 'Holy Week'
The processions during Easter week compete with each another in luxury and splendour. The parades leave each of the town´s churches and wind slowly around the streets of the town, with their lifelike effigies of Christ on the Cross and his mother the Virgin Mary in mourning. The processions are organised by the town's religious brotherhoods, representing guilds of tradesmen etc. They spend all year long preparing the elaborate costumes and decorations. Semana Santa is a serious fiesta and fireworks are not permitted, even drinking and celebrating is frowned upon by many.
Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi is the Catholic feast celebrating the presence of the body of Christ in the holy wafer and is held in June, beginning on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. A solemn and magnificent procession that bears the consecrated host through the town's streets. Representatives of the local government walk side by side with the churchmen, followed by the town's people, along streets covered with sweet smelling cypress branches and flowers.
The Corpus Christi festival was created in 1246 in Liege, Belgium, and after the Archbishop of that town was elected Pope and was later adopted throughout Europe. It reached Toledo 1280 and in Sevilla 1282 then all Spain by 14th century. It was particularly popular in 16th and 17th centuries. This solemn processions represent the power of the church. The civil and military authorities also take part, in their commemorative uniform. A colorful spectacle that takes place in almost every town in Spain.
Saint John´s feast
San Juan is held on the night of the 24th of June, and is celebrated on Andalucia´s beaches with bonfires and fireworks. For good luck, the tradition is to dip their feet in the sea just after midnight. Tread carefully as sometimes the lively ones end up in the sea fully clothed.
Summer Fairs
Every town and village in Andalucia has its own feria or fair. It would be possible to spend the whole summer following them about the region. The summer annual feria originated in the middle ages, and was the principal means of interchange of local products within the kingdom. The 'day fair' takes place it the streets of the town itself. Streets are closed to traffic, businesses close for the week. Tables and chairs are set up and the bars serve food and drink in the street, and music plays from every corner. People of all ages sing and dance. Visitors are always welcome.
At night, the fair shifts to the public fairground or "recinto ferial" on the outskirts of the town. There is a traditional amusement park with lots of rides for the children, and tents or "casetas" set up by the various clubs, associations and political parties of the town, some with entertainment and all with a bar. Many, some would say too, many of the Casetas are by private invitation only. Outsiders are invariably welcomed, just ask if you can go in, if not try ther next one. There is always the large 'Caseta Municipal' put up by the town council and open to everybody. On some evenings there will be a top billing singer, for which tickets will be sold on the door at a reasonable price. These are usually very popular and often sell out in Cartama. |
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