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Dance exhibition: Paloteado (dance of sticks and ribbons) in Novillas, a town from Zaragoza. Photo: E. X. Dueñas
It can be considered that any act that serves as entertainment, or in which other components come together —diverting, emotional, etc.— and that is performed in/with an audience is a spectacle. Moreover, clarifying that it is a folkloric one, we must make room for a wide list of celebrations that serve as a stimulus to those gathered.
The global, however, leads us to the specific. Therefore, it is essential to categorize by typology, trying to correctly manage the personal vision —albeit subjective to the signer—, and the collective, as well as the active and passive participation, existing in the event.
Kutxa-entrega in Hondarribia (25/07/2022). Photo: E. X. Dueñas
According to the Dictionary of the Spanish language, the term “identity” has, among others, the meaning of “the set of natural characters of one individual or group, which characterizes them in comparison with others”, including the following synonyms: identification, affiliation and personality… To those, I would add two more acceptations: singularity and root (origin); without forgetting that identity also manifests itself in rivalry (healthy or unhealthy) in certain sports, celebrations, etc.
Annual festivities, and the ones celebrated during summer in particular, are filled with signs of identity and symbolic elements, general and specific; both from the material immaterial aspects. Who hasn’t heard the expressions “this is a lifelong festivity” or “this is not celebrated anywhere else”. We’ve already covered this topic in other articles from the blog.
Painting by José Arrue. Source: Labayru Foundation photo archive.
Professor José Manuel Pedrosa from Alcalá University wrote a short article on Hilarión Bengoa the drummer; the article, published by Labayru Fundazioa, was based on news items in the Memorial literario instructivo y curioso de la Corte de Madrid (Madrid Court Circular) for 1875. Coincidentally, Juan Ignacio Iztueta refers to a drummer named Hilario in his Gipuzkoako dantza gogoangarrien kondaira edo historia (Euskal Editoreen Elkartea, Klasikoak. Donostia, 1990. Edition by María José Olaziregi. The quote I have used appears on pages 110-111). Iztueta considered Hilario to be the very model of the conceited drummers who – despite being talented whistle players, were greatly responsible for the loss and falling out of fashion of the old dances of Gipuzkoa, as the result of the drummers’ indifference and disdain for the traditional melodies. He discusses that in a section entitled Gipuzkoako dantzari prestuak beren sorterriko dantza oniritzietan ibilteari zergatik utzi izan dioten (Why the noble dancers of Gipuzkoa have stopped performing the beloved dances of their land). And he blamed the drummers for those dances falling out of fashion.
The flag of Oyón flies over Cachi, 2017. José Ángel Chasco.
On 22 January the city of Oyón (Rioja Alavesa) celebrates its patronal festival in honour of Saint Vincent and Saint Anastasius. The five main events of this major winter celebration are: Cachi’s rolling, the burning of the bonfire, the singing at dawn, the dance dedicated to the patrons, and the firework display during the procession. (more…)
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