Andalusia/Andalucia  Andalusia is where all Spain’s stereotypes appear to have come together. Bullfighters, flamenco dancers, white villages and harsh sierras area all there in abundance. But they form only part of an intricate tapestry. Beneath the surface, expect to find many contradictions. Wherever you travel, particularly when you escape from the tourist-engulfed coast, you will come across the unexpected, whether it is a local fiesta or a breathtaking view.
Until the 1950s Andalusia had changed scarcely at all since the middle of the 19th century, when the English traveler, Richard Ford, described it as “a land bottled for antiquarians” - almost a feudal society, with attendant rigid social strata.
Today, four lane-highways stretch from horizon to horizon where not so long ago there were only dirt tracks. Children whose parents are illiterate play with computers and plan their university careers. Agriculture is still important, but there are also factories turning out cars and aircraft. As in most other European countries, the service industries, tourism especially, predominate. In 1991 they accounted for 63% of the region’s GNP as compared with 8.7% for agriculture and fishing. Yet the inhabitants of Andalusia retain their characteristic love of talk and folklore, their indifference to time and their abundant hospitality.
The Moorish Legacy  The Andalusian character is complex because it reflects a complex history. Successive invaders, including the Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths, and Moors, have all left their indelible mark. Although the Christian rulers of Spain ejected both Jews and Moors from their kingdom they could not remove their influence on the country - let alone on Andalusia. Look at the face of an Andalusian man or woman and you will catch a glimpse of North Africa. Centuries of Moorish occupation and the inevitable mingling of blood have created a race and culture different from any in Europe.
As you travel around the region, you will find abundant physical evidence of the Moorish legacy: in the splendour of the Alhambra in Granada and the Mezquita in Cordoba, and in ruined fortresses and elaborate tilework. Workshops across the region still practise crafts handed down from great Moorish kingdoms. Many of the irrigation networks in use today follow those laid out by the Moors, who built norias (water wheels), aljibes (tanks for collecting the rain), albercas (cisterns) and acequias (irrigation channels).
As these words show, the Moors also left a strong linguistic legacy, not only of agricultural terms, but also of words for foods - naranja (orange), for example, and aceituna (olive).
Moorish influence may also account for the Andlausians’ love of poetry and fine language. It is no coincidence that Spain’s finest poets, including among them Nobel prize winners, come from this region.
People and Culture Sevillanos work hard to sustain their reputation for flamboyance and hedonism. A 13th century Moorish commentator noted that they were “the most frivolous and most given to playing the fool”. Living up to that image is a full-time occupation, but the visitor should not be deceived by the exuberant facade. One surprising aspect of Seville and Andalusia is that although the society may appear open and extrovert, it is, in fact, one that also values privacy.
The Andalusian concept of time may also be perplexing. Progressive business types may try to adjust to the rigorous demands of Europe, but in general, northern Europeans’ obsession with time is an object of mirth here. The moment is to be enjoyed and tomorrow will look after itself. A concert will often begin well after the advertised time, and lunch can feasibly take place at any time between 1pm and 4.30pm
Catholicism is Spain’s dominant religion, and adoration of the Virgin is a striking feature of Andalusia. Apart from a purely religious devotion, she is also subject to a peculiar admiration from the male population. A man who never attends mass may be ecstatic about the virgin of his local church when she emerges in procession, he feels fiercely possessive of her. If you try and think of it as a pagan earth mother or fertility goddess, the phenomenon is much easier to understand.
As a society, Andalusia is unafraid of its emotions, which are almost always near the surface. There is no shame in the singing of a saeta, the “arrow” of praise launched at the virgin in Semana Santa (Holy Week), nor is there any ambivalence in the Matador’s desire to kill his antagonist, the bull. The quintessence of this is flamenco; the pain and passion of its song reflects not just the sufferings and yearnings of gypsies and the poor, but also Andalusia’s soul. The Landscape of Andalusia Each year, several million visitors are drawn to the high-rise resorts along Andalusia’s Mediterranean coast. Away from these, however, are empty, windswept Atlantic shores and expansive areas of wetland wilderness. Inland there are rugged mountain ranges clothed with forests of pine, cork and wild olive. Also typical of the landscape are the undulating hills awash with vines, cereals and olive trees. Of Andalusia’s total land area, some 17% has been designated national parks or nature reserves to protect the region’s unique abundance of animal and plant life. Beach Life and Leisure in Andalusia Thanks to its subtropical climate with an average of 300 days’ sunshine a year, the coastline of Andalusia - in particularly the Costa del Sol - has become one of the most favoured playgrounds for those looking for fun and relaxation. In the 1950s, there was nothing more than a handful of fishing villages. Now the area attract several million tourists a year who are well catered for by the vast array of hotels and apartments along the coast. The varied coastline lends itself perfectly to the whole gamut of water sports, while just inland golf courses have become a major feature of the landscape. Flamenco, the Soul of Andalusia  More than just a dance, flamenco is a forceful artistic expression of the sorrows and joys of life. Although it has interpreters all over Spain and even the world, it is a uniquely Andalusian art form, traditionally performed by gypsies. There are many styles of cante (song) from different parts of Andalusia, but no strict choreography - dancers improvise from basic movements, following the rhythm of the guitar and their feelings. Flamenco was neglected in the 1960s and ‘70s, but serious interest has once again returned. Recent years have seen a revival of traditional styles and the development of exciting new forms.
The Spanish Guitar has a major role in Flamenco, traditionally accompanying the singer. The flamenco guitar developed from the modern classical guitar, which evolved in Spain in the 19th century. Flamenco guitars have a lighter, shallower construction and a thickened plate below the sound-hole, used to tap rhythms. Today, flamenco guitarists often perform solo. One of the greatest, Paco de Lucia, began by accompanying singers and dancers but made his debut as a soloist in 1968. His slick, inventive style, which combines traditional playing with Latin, jazz and rock elements, has influenced many musicians outside the realms of flamenco, such as the group Ketama, who play flamenco-blues.
The unmistakable Flamenco Rhythm is created by the guitar. Just as important, however is the beat created by hand-clapping and by the dancer’s feet in high-heeled shoes. The dancers may also beat a rhythm with castanets. Graceful hand movements are used to express the dancer’s feelings of the moment - whether pain, sorrow or happiness. Like the movements of the rest of the body, they are not choreographed, and the styles used vary from person to person.
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