A Spectacular Festival in Spain

Of the numerous festivals and celebrations for which Spain is famous, the Santa Tecla Festival, which floods the streets of Tarragona, in Catalonia, with music and dance towards the end of September, is perhaps among the best. Taking place just an hour away from the cosmopolitan and cultural hub of Barcelona, and often considered a slightly smaller scale version of the main Fiesta Mayor, the Fiesta de Santa Tecla lines Tarragona's streets with 'human towers', music, and dances by mythical characters in procession, with Devils, Giants, Dragons and a Bull for folkloric allusion. The peak of the festivities involves an impressive fireworks display along the beach at nightfall. Last year's festival saw over 80,000 visitors each day descend upon the streets of Tarragona.

The Santa Tecla festival tradition began in 1321, when the relic of the arm of Saint Thecla, who was a Christian belonging to an early Christian community established by Saint Paul, arrived in Tarragona. She is patron saint of Tarragona, and is known within Tarragona as Santa Tecla. These cultural and historical foundations to the celebrations are partly responsible for the festival having been deemed a festa tradicional d'interès nacional (traditional festival of national interest). One of the most prominent and interesting aspects of the festival is the tradition of the 'castell' or human tower; these towers are constructed entirely of people standing on top of one another, and are structured and performed by colles costelleres (teams) in the Fountain Square. The Castell is usually made up of either 4 or 5 levels, and is completed when the final piece in the human tower, or the enxaneta, clambers to the top putting one hand in the air, in a gesture called the fer l'aleta signalling the completion of tower. When these human structures begin moving, they are known as the pilars caminant, and are raised up into the Cathedral square, to face the crowds and begin their 650 meter journey, aiming to keep together as a human tower, all the way down to the Ajuntament at Plaça de la Font.

Since the 19th Century, an integral part of the festival has been its main procession, brought to life by its characters, ranging from biblical figures such as Prophets, Christ and the Apostles, through to the Female Dragon Vibria, the Saint Roc Dragon, a Mule, an Eagle, a Lion and the monster Cucafera, which has, since the Middle Ages, represented evil. The Cucafera at the modern day Santa Tecla does not seem quite so saturnine however, spewing sweets from its mouth and naturally proving popular with younger visitors. This year, the Fiestas de Santa Tecla ran from the 15th to the 23rd September, with the 22nd and the 23rd being the most action-packed days of the celebrations, providing a perfect family oriented alternative, or addition, to the Festa Major, with this year's fireworks bringing the celebrations to a close on the evening of the 23rd on Fragata Beach. On the 22nd there was a plethora of traditional musicians, with the Procesion del brazo de Santa Tecla taking place the following day. The second day of the festival typically kicks off with the traditional children's parade, during which children scatter throughout the streets, performing with papier mache beasts and giants starting at 7am.

Each year, the Santa Tecla brings the entire city to life. Along with the closing fireworks, the sign usually on show next to the statue of Roger de Lluria, ablaze, which reads Long Live Santa Tecla, or in Catalan, Visca Santa Tecla confirms the festival's importance as part of the community's identity, and on a wider scale, as an embodiment of Catalan culture and tradition.

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Reza Emilio Juma is a talented young author that has recently released his first book Mil Besos  (A Thousand Kisses). Born in Toronto and raised in countries around the world, he attended and graduated from the University of British Columbia. Upon graduating he came to Spain and fell in love with the country and culture, especially the diverse cultural mix that Andalusia offers. Presently living and working in Mexico as a university professor, we caught up with him on his tour of Spain promoting his work—the story of a young boy's journey from adolescence to manhood all the while following his dreams.

Read the interview here

Why did you want to learn Spanish?

I was studying international relations and I thought it would be useful for my studies and future career.

What made you want to write your book in Spanish and not your native language? What is your native language by the way?

My native language is English, but I've lived the last 13 years in Spain plus 2 more in Mexico. Now, I can speak Spanish as well as English and I've found there are more linguistic options in a Spanish novel than in an English one.

What role has don Quijote played in your book?

I write about how a decision is made to come to Spain to study Spanish and I write about the don Quijote schools in Spain and the role they play in that experience.

What was your experience like at our school and how does it appear in your book?

The experience at don Quijote was very important to me. Not only was it the key to learning Spanish, but it also opened the doors for me to want live in Spain since it's there that I decided to call home and work to make a living.

Why did you decide on Elche and Granada for the location of your story? What do these cities have that others don’t?

Granada has always been special to me. Not only for its infinite beauty, but also for its magical qualities that can captivate anyone. It was also the first city in Spain that I got to know when I began my own personal adventure.

Who does your protagonist give a "thousand kisses" to in your book?

You'll have to read the book to find out.

Have you found what you were looking for in this life adventure or are you still looking?

The novel is fiction so I can't speak for the protagonist, but I continue to dream and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. It's what keeps me alive.

Tell us the truth: What is it that Granada has that Alicante doesn't? What does Alicante have that Granada doesn't?

Granada has the Alhambra—the greatest landmark in Spain, beautiful arabesque streets, a unique Moorish feel and Spanish guitars playing for you on every corner. There isn't another city like Granada anywhere else in the world.

Are your characters based on teachers or classmates from our school?

Not one. This is a fiction novel and although some of my experiences are reflected in it, the majority of the book is not related to any of my personal experiences. My stay at don Quijote Granada appears at the start of the protagonist's adventure. Personally, coming to Spain and spending those three months in Granada was a turning point in my life.

Tell us about the creative process. Did you take notes for your story during the breaks between classes? Did you find inspiration during any of the class excursions?

I was living in the jungle on the coast of Oaxaca when I wrote the book which was an important source of inspiration and it is there where the creative part of me came to the surface—before that I didn't know I had it in me. I lived and breathed my book. Since I already had an idea as to how the book would end, I wanted to finish it as quickly as possible; I had an idea and I decided to run with it. I wrote an average of six hours a day while sometimes going to bed at two in the morning. Sometimes I would wake up from dream at five in the morning and I would start writing because I wanted to include my dreams into the story and not let the moment slip away.

Did you use any Spanish writers as an example for your writing style?

I read many historical novels about Granada and Al-Ándalus like El Mercenario de Granada, Azafrán, A la Sombra del Granado, La Profecía del Corán, La Esclava, La Perla de Al-Andalús, El Perfume de Bergamota and La Escalera del Agua. They didn't influence my writing directly because my novel isn't one of historical fiction. Instead, my book is an adventure situated in the present day and written in the first person as if it were a diary. But, I must admit that after writing the novel there is one book, Son del Mar by Manuel Vicent that shares some similarities with mine.

In what city would you like your next novel to take place? Are you looking for a change or would you prefer to continue along the same lines?

I'm already playing with the idea that my second novel will take place in the jungle of Oaxaca where I've been living the last eight months. It's where I wanted to return not only to write, but to live as well. Right now it's where I'm most comfortable and where I feel most at home…at the moment.

As more than just a language, what has Spanish taught you?

I come from Canada and, like the US, money plays a fundamental role in daily life. Spain has history, culture and a population that is more conscientious of the political situation—not just in Spain but around the world. I have been in more than 25 countries and if I want, I can sit and have a caña and enjoy a nice intellectual or cultural conversation.

What advice would you give to someone that wants to come to Spain to increase their creativity?

The first day I arrived at the don Quijote academy, I distanced myself from groups of people that were speaking English. I tried to build friendships with the locals and that was, without a doubt, the most enriching experience for me. These new acquaintances and friends opened up a new world for me that wouldn't have been possible if I conformed to making friends with people from the same culture and the same language. Spain has so much to offer and one must live the experience as if they were just another Spaniard.

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Spain in August

August may be a little more than half over, but here’s a list of some of Spain’s coolest fiestas in the hottest month, so you know what’s going on this summer, or next summer… always en español.

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Ponferrada 2014

Zurich, Copenhagen, Montreal, Barcelona, Lisbon, Budapest, Rome and now, Ponferrada. Ponferrada? Yes, that Little town with a gentle microclimate tucked within the harsh hills of León, Spain. September of 2014 will mark its entry into the pantheon of cities that have hosted cycling's UCI Road World Championships.

This week-long event will see crowned the world champions in time trial, individual time trial and road race in courses that are located in and around Ponferrada. The winners will then be able to wear the coveted rainbow jersey for a year until the next championship.

History of the UCI Road World Championship

1921 is the year the first world championship took place in Copenhagen, Denmark. At that race only amateurs participated and it wasn’t until 1927 that professionals began to take part when it was held in Nürburgring, Germany. 1927 would also mark the beginning of the awarding of gold, silver and bronze medals as well as the concession of the easily identifiable rainbow jersey that only the world champions are permitted to wear. The first road race winner was Italian Alfredo Binda while some other notable champions have been Greg Lemond (USA), Eddy Merckx (BEL), Bernard Hinault (FRA) and Miguel Indurain (SPA) among others.

The race is exciting since the courses are relatively short and multiple laps must be completed for the individual road events. This offers the crowd an opportunity to appreciate and see the world's best cyclist more than they would in a normal road race. Also, because of the different categories of racing (currently 12 categories) there is no shortage of excitement for the duration of the championship.

Spain in the Championship

Spain has been always been a country involved in cycling, you only have to hear the names Bahamontes and Ocaña,  but the real "boom" in Spanish cycling came with the arrival of Miguel Indurain. This five-time consecutive Tour de France winner launched Spanish cycling to the front of the cycling world, which also coincided with the resurgent post-dictatorship Spain. In some ways, Miguel Indurain embodied Spain and its reemergence as a country on the world stage. Although Indurain never won the individual road race championship (he did place second in 1993 and 1995 as well as third in 1992),  he has won the rainbow jersey in the time trial event. It should also be noted that Spaniard Abraham Olano won the individual road race 1995.

Since then, Oscar Freire has won three world championships (1999, 2001 and 2004) tying him with Binda, Merckx and Van Steenbergen for the most championships won. Igor Astarloa won in 2003 adding to the exceptional success of Spain in the world championships over the last 30 years.  Spain today occupies fifth place in the medal count with a total of 22 medals won.

Ponferrada 2014

Beating out competing cities Chihuahua in Mexico, Vendee in France and Hooglede-Gits in Belgium; Ponferrada was chosen in 2011 to host the world championships. Over 1000 volunteers will participate in the event as a show of the local support given to hosting this unique and exciting sporting event. Over 42 broadcasters will go to Ponferrada to transmit this event around the world.

All of the races will start and finish next to the El Toralín football stadium in the northern part of Ponferrada. There are different courses for each time trial category and these are only raced over one lap only. The course planned for the men's time trial is 35.5 miles (57 km) and winds through the fields and vinyards of the Bierzo (the name of the region given to this part of León). The women's time trial course 22.5 miles (36 km) and circles around the city of Ponferrada.

The road race course is the same for all of the categories with the only difference being the number of laps each group will complete. Legendary cyclist Miguel Indurain has said of the course in Ponferrada that "it isn't especially difficult but it is complicated". He says this because this course has an excellent combination of city streets and tight country roads. Because of this unique layout, it will be particularly difficult for riders to eat which is necessary for them to maintain their strength during the race. Normally, to eat while riding requires a road without many complications—something easy to find on a long tour stage. The difference here is that the city of Ponferrada is full of traffic circles and tight turns--there are no big long boulevards to be found in this small city. Also, the roads that wind through the hills outside of the city are narrow and very technical, requiring the rider's concentration and skill to keep from going off or going into somebody.

Considering this, we shouldn't be surprised to see some of riders "bonk" during the road race part of the championship. Bonking is the term riders give to the process of the body running out of "fuel" during a race. In a normal stage of a road race, the body of an average cyclist requires approximately 3,500 to 4,000 calories in addition to the 1,500 to 2,000 calories of a normal diet; that means an average professional cyclist needs to consume 5,000 to 6,000 calories in one day. During a stage, a rider will need consume around 2,500 hundred calories while on the bike!

An unlikely city to host a grand world championship but, with its castle built by the Knights Templar overlooking the River Sil, this wonderfully charming city will be the focus of the cycling world for 7 days and join likes of Prague, Madrid and  Oslo in having hosted a UCI Road World Championships.

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The 2014 Biennial Flamenco Festival

If you’ve been in Seville over the last few weeks you’ve probably seen the larger than life images of flamenco performers frozen in striking poses as they roll down city streets on the sides of lightrail trains. You can almost hear the intense rhythms, high passion hand clapping, foot stomping, dramatic deep song, and inspired guitar voicings on the verge of erupting here in a full-fledged international celebration of this unique art form. Seville, the unwavering heart of the flamenco world, is gearing up for her highly anticipated Biannual Flamenco Festival set to take place from Sept. 12 to Oct. 5. 

The event’s website plainly states that this is “the biggest flamenco event worldwide”, and the festival has certainly captured the attention of fans from distant lands. Tickets sold in Japan, France, the US, Italy, and Germany make up 30% of all tickets sold. 14,000 tickets had already been sold a month before festivities were set to kick off, greatly exceeding expectations.

This year’s festival is entitled “fuente y caudel”, a special tribute to flamenco guitar legend Paco de Lucía (this was the name of one his most celebrated albums which included the song “entre dos aguas”).  De Lucía passed away earlier this year and his memory “will be present in practically everything that will happen in this bienal” according to El Pais newspaper. Special homage will also be paid to the cantaor Enrique Morente who died in 2010.

If you get to go to the festival, make sure you check out singer Esperanza Fernández’s performance. She plans to cast all superstitious caution to the wind this year by singing peteneras. This is an old style of singing that supposedly spells bad luck for artists who dare to include it in their programs. Peteneras performances have gradually disappeared from flamenco stages, possibly due to the belief. Fernandez however has affirmed that she hopes to put an end to this notion, which she describes as a “bulo” (false rumor).

Ticket prices vary according to venue, which range from €12 for shows at Espacio Santa Clara, Dormitorio Alto, to €45 for patio seating at the Teatro de la Maestranza.

A number of parallel functions are also scheduled to coincide with the Bienal. FLAMENKEANDO for example is a series of concerts that features flamenco-influenced pop, rock, and fusion artists. These shows have been scheduled with the hopes of appealing to a wider audience and encouraging more young listeners to appreciate flamenco.

Organizers also held a childrens’ competition calling on kids to try to design the most attractive poster for this year’s Flamenco Biannual. The artistic submissions are inspiring and adorable, but this design contest ain’t just about child’s play; part of the purpose of the interactive activity is to help secure a stable future for flamenco, instilling deep appreciation in new and forthcoming audiences.

Also, don’t miss the flashmob prepared for October 5. Throw your dancing shoes on and start rehearsing your own flashmob moves now with these instructional videos of choreographer Pastora Galván cutting loose.

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Romantic Poets

From Juan Arolas to Jose Espronceda, the Spanish literary canon is littered with romantic genius to rival even that of the prolific and widespread Romantic Movement in the United Kingdom with John Keats, William Wordsworth and William Blake. Although the lifespan of the Spanish romantic period was perhaps shorter than elsewhere, it was arguably more intense. The Movement, which took place at the beginning of the 19^th Century, was characterized by a focus on emotion, yet the romantic poets also celebrated the beauty and divinity of the natural universe, the vastness of the imagination, and the liberation of the individual. Art itself became freer, with symbols and myths often used, and value was placed on the marginalized within society. Poetry often dealt with the notion of ‘passionate love’, with its extremes of emotion, introspectiveness and the search for the ‘self’.

The focus on the self is best encapsulated by Jose de Espronceda. In 1839, Espronceda published El Estudiante de Salamanca, a collection comprising of two thousand verses, which narrates the story of the characters of Elvira and don Felix de Montemar. In 1840, Poesías was published, a collection of poems bringing together his most intense romantic pieces, with the neoclassic poems he penned during his youth. Notable poems in this collection include El Verdugo (The Executioner), Canto Del Cosaco (Song of the Cossack) and Cancion Del Pirata (Song of the Pirate). His well known Canto a Teresa was supposedly inspired by an affair, and formed part of his collection El Diablo Mundo, made up of extensive lyric poems which have become emblematic of the Romantic Movement in Spain. Another poet of mention is Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, a Cuban poet who produced a variety of poetry in the Spanish language during the 1830s; she wrote her famous love sonnet ‘Al partir’ on leaving Cuba for Spain, and the poem encapsulates the strength of her love for her country, a diversion from the subject matter typical of most sonnets.

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, although writing while the concept of realism took hold in Spain, directly after the romantic period, produced some more commonly known Spanish ‘love’ poetry. Amor Eterno for example deals with the tumultuous literary relationship between love and death, and expresses that even death could not apagarse la llama (extinguish the flame) of the narrator’s love. Bécquer’s Rimas, written from 1859 onwards, were structured in short stanza forms, and were both erotic and musical; they totaled several thousand lines in length and are generally considered to have formed the foundation of contemporary Spanish poetry, expressing internal conflict relating to hopelessness in love, disillusion and solitude. A recurring motif in Bécquer’s collection is that of birds, with las oscuras golandrinas, or the dark swallows, signifying the end of an intense romantic relationship in Rhyme 53. Rhyme 21 is widely considered one of the most famous Spanish language poems, and contains the quotation ‘Poesía... eres tú’, which is perhaps an allusion to the value of art inspired by romance.

Though brief, the romantic period in Spain had a marked influence on the evolution of literature both within Spain itself and across the globe, and while it did not always directly deal with the concept of romance, writers were infatuated by the natural universe, and the beauty in freedom. Their legacy and influence is certainly noticeable, with contemporary Hispanic writers from Lorca to Neruda echoing their focus.  

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From August 30 to September 14, 2014, the 17th FIBA Basketball World Cup will be held in Spain. Over the course of 15 days, 24 teams that have qualified to represent their country will try to win the Naismith Cup (named in honor of the inventor of the sport, James Naismith) in one of the most important global sporting events.

The World Cup will be held at different venues throughout Spain that will host up to 78 games between the various teams. Seville, Bilbao (where the US will play its first round), Gran Canaria and Granada (where Spain will play its first round games) will all host games during the first round of the Championship. Madrid and Barcelona will be the host cities for the sweet sixteen, the quarter and semi-finals. The finals will be disputed in Madrid.

History of the Basketball World Cup

The Basketball World Cup or Mundobasket, as it is known in Latin America, has a long history of providing moments filled with passion, controversy and even some political intrigue. Yugoslavia (winning under different denominations) is the country with most championships (5), followed by the United States (4) and the USSR (3). During the Cold War, both superpowers projected their differences on the court and produced some epic moments. The United States, with non-professional university players of the likes of Doc Rivers and Alonzo Mourning weren't able to beat the Yugoslav team with Drazen Petrovic, Vlade Divac and Toni Kukoc. The Americans were able to beat an older and more experienced Soviet team with Arvidas Sabonis, Belosteny and Tkachenko in 1986 in an 87-85 nail biter.  

Up until 1994, these three teams along with the much respected Brazil team were the undisputed basketball superpowers. 1994 was the year that saw, for the first time in a World Cup, the participation of American NBA players. With the presence of Shaquille O'Neal, Reggie Miller and Kevin Durant, the Americans were finally able to show the world their true basketball potential.

With the participation of more international players in the NBA, the quality of national teams around the world has risen. This growth in quality has meant the United States has suffered some surprising defeats in championship play like losses against Argentina, Yugoslavia (with players like Stojakovic and Bodiroga), Greece and Germany. Although the Americans have shown they are not invincible in international play, they are usually considered to be the favorites going into any tournament. In this year's World Cup, young stars like Stephen Curry, Derrick Rose and Kyle Irving will try to prove their supremacy by playing their typically spectacular style of fast and physical play.

It will not be easy for the United States to repeat as champions since other countries like Argentina, with Ginobli and Scola, as well as a rejuvenated Brazil (with quality NBA veterans) are ready to take the trophy from the Americans. European teams are also looking to steal the title like the present European champions—France, Croatia, Lithuania, Greece and Serbia. The Americans will also be challenged from within since many of their best players are staying away from the World Cup due to pressure from their teams and the fear of off-season injury.

Basketball in Spain

As for the host country, Spain will be looking to defeat their main competitor—the United States. Spain, known as the ÑBA, is looking to win their third World Cup title (they won in 2006 and the Junior World Cup in 1998) at home as a way sending off their best generation of players by giving them the opportunity to leave on top of the basketball world in what will certainly be the last great tournament for most of them.

Curiously, Spain has had a love-hate relationship with Basketball. There have been some great teams in the past (in the 80's they won World Cup Bronze and Olympic silver) as well as some embarrassing losses like those in the 90's, but today Spain has enjoyed their best run ever. European champs in 2009 and 2011, World Cup champs in 2006 and two Olympic silvers in 2008 and 2012 (losing both times to the US in the final). Spain, whether winning or losing, has been a difficult adversary in these tournaments and over the years has given us some of the best games in basketball history.

Pau Gasol (two-time NBA champion and presently playing for the Chicago Bulls) has been the star of the national team dating back to his junior years in 2001 and will lead this year's team in the championship. His brother, Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies (the best defender in the NBA), will also participate along with other Spanish NBA players Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma Thunder), José Manuel Calderón (NY Knicks) and Ricky Rubio (Minnesota Timberwolves). The rest of the Spanish team plays professionally in the competitive Spanish league (the ACB) with teams like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. Players like Juan Carlos Navarro, Sergio Rodriguez (the Euro league MVP), Felipe Reyes and Rudy Fernandez will provide important support for the Spanish World Cup challenge. Interestingly, many of these players have NBA experience and since they have played so long together there is a deep sense of friendship and camaraderie that is rarely seen in other national teams.

As you can see, Spain will be the center of attention in the basketball world for the next two weeks. Spain will hope to demonstrate its capacity to successfully host an important international sporting event by leveraging its strengths as top global tourist destination and the warmth of its people. On September 14, 2014, Madrid will provide the backdrop to the crowning of a new basketball world champion in what will most certainly be one of the most followed and exciting sporting events of the year.

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La Movida Madrileña in Pictures

La Movida Madrileña was the movement that took place in post dictatorship Spain during the late 70's and early 80's. This social movement was like a cork popping from a bottle of cava—years of pent up angst and repression suddenly exploded onto the streets. Taboo subjects like sex, sexuality and alternative living were now free to be expressed in public without fear of reprisal. Freedom of expression was now something real. Madrid wasn't the only city to experience this kind of Movida; almost all large cities experienced it in one form or another like Barcelona, Vigo and Bilbao. But Madrid was the maximum exponent of this new trend with people like Almodovar, Alaska, Vicente Molina Foix and Loquillo giving it a face and voice.

But faces have to be transmitted and the happenings of this time needed to be recorded. Video was still relatively new and a medium would be needed to visually capture the happenings during this turbulent and exciting moment in post-Franco Spain. Photographers were an important element to capturing what was happening and one photographer, in particular, captured the essence of the Spanish counterculture: Alberto García-Alix.

Alberto García-Alix

Born in 1959 in the city of León he later moved to Madrid. He studied law but dropped out of university, later he studied science and, again, didn't finish his studies. Feeling the need to explore and do something different, he got a used Nikon F2 camera and began to work as a Photographer. In 1980, two of his portraits were published in the alternative magazine "Dezine". This would mark the beginning of his involvement with the Movida and the start of a portfolio which captures an era and amazes for its scope and quality.

His portraits present a raw and hard look at the Movida showing the Spanish counterculture without the romance or clichés that are so often associated with this turbulent time. Fashion, sex, people and drug use are the focus of his work which is biting, honest and, at times, painful. His black and white portraits will amaze you with their graphic power and intensity. Almodovar, Rossy de Palma, and Camarón de la Isla have been captured by García Alix's lens and are now remembered in images that have been burned into the collective memory of all Spaniards.

His self portraits are also a very important part of his work. These self portraits document his involvement (for better and worse) in the Movida and help us understand why he was able to take the pictures his took. When asked,  in a 2014 interview, about why his self portraits never favor his looks in a 2014 interview, he responded: "What is considered beauty, the canons of beauty…don't pertain to me. I don't try to look good in my photographs…that would be my (artistic) death, my ruin. I try to understand myself within a space."

Today, Garciá-Alix continues to find inspiration in a world that many people will never experience firsthand. His ability to move in through and capture the world of the marginalized and disaffected is a testimony to his authenticity as a photographer. For his work he has received the Spanish National Photography Award in 1999 and was a special guest at the world renowned ARCO Art Fair in Madrid. He has also received the Bartholome Ross Award at Photo España in 2003. He returned to Photo España in 2014 with an extensive exhibit dedicated to his self portraits.

Alberto García-Alix has said that his work is nothing more than his expression of the relation between his life and the environment.  He has said that "we are all marginalized in this life, some in one way and other in another" and his work is nothing more than real life in black and white.

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“I paint myself because I am so often alone, and because I am the subject I know best.”

60 years since the death of one of the world’s most iconic, and immediately recognizable artists, Frida Kahlo’s legacy is being brought to life once more in 2014 through the medium of dance. The show makes up part of the Grec Festival; an international circus, music, theatre and dance festival in Barcelona, marking part of an effort to revive artistic heritage, a project led by Amèlia Boluda. The show is not a new phenomenon, and was performed previously some 21 years ago at the San José Arts Festival in Costa Rica, yet this contemporary interpretation sees the dancers themselves sharing the stage with the musicians, as they collectively narrate the story of one of the most talked about faces of the art world. But why should we bother celebrating the legacy left behind by the Mexican artist?

It is estimated that Kahlo completed around 140 paintings over the course of her lifetime, and 55 of these were self portraits. A bus accident in 1925 had left Frida with serious injuries, and she was haunted by relapses of intense pain her entire life. The complications associated with these injuries also left Frida unable to conceive, and this substantial physical and mental anguish is not elusive in her art. In Frida’s Self Portrait completed in 1948, Kahlo depicts her features as notably harsher, her expression is stern, and she appears trapped within the confines of the lace ruffle surrounding her face. Three tears rest upon her cheeks, and Kahlo herself described the painting as ‘an exact expression of her emotions’. Similarly frank portrayals of emotion can be found in The Two Fridas (1939) painted shortly after her divorce from husband Diego Rivera, and in The Wounded Deer (1946), in which Kahlo expresses a great sense of disappointment and frustration at her physical injuries. While it is doubtful Frida Kahlo ever set out to be a feminist, and labeling her as such seems to strip her work of its deep personal value, there is no doubting that such a candid representation of female emotion, the female form and condition to some extent gives a voice to specifically female struggles, in particular childbirth or loss, as depicted in Henry Ford Hospital (1932) or My Birth (1932).

Besides deep personal torment, Frida Kahlo also represented her heritage and perceptions of the Universe through her art; ideas which will remain pertinent for centuries to come. Most famously, in The Love Embrace of the Universe (1949) she depicts a complex arrangement of human and mythological beings and in doing so portrays a system of intricate dependencies. Central to the painting, Frida cradles Diego as a mother would cradle a child. The male in the painting, Diego, has the third eye of wisdom on his forehead, and these ideas of nurture and wisdom seem here mutually dependent. The Aztec Earth Mother cradles both Diego and Frida, who in turn is embraced by the Universal Mother. These references to ancient Mexican mythology are relevant on an international artistic landscape, and even within contemporary society, understanding other cultures or ancient traditions through the medium of art is important, and Frida certainly facilitates this.

Frida Kahlo is emblematic of strength and creativity, her expansive imagination evidenced in her array of art; often portraits, and often visual representations of her own internal conflict. It is perhaps this that sets Kahlo apart from other artists, and justifies her continued recognition. Not only is Frida’s legacy valuable for its demonstration of clear artistic talent, but there is an unquestionable rawness and honesty, particularly in her self portraits, which is unrivalled. While many artists, writers and performers use their art in order to transmit ideas and personal emotion, Frida quite literally becomes her art in her portraits, intrinsically connecting the pieces with the person behind them. Indeed, she was often quoted as saying that she did not paint dreams, but rather her ‘own reality’.

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Bike Mad Madrid

BiciMad, Madrid’s electric bike sharing program has launched to something of a bumpy start, but the cool-looking cycles are now offering city residents and visitors an eco-friendly transportation option.

The program’s name has raised a few eyebrows, particularly among English speaking observers. Many have suggested that the “angry” or even “crazy” sounding moniker has generated a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts as the programs first few weeks have been plagued by problems (they’re getting better) including system malfunctions and out of order self-service loan stations. Words like “madness” and “chaos” have come up a lot in press coverage of the story.

Another issue lies in the fact that Madrid is traditionally not much of a bike-mad city (see safety concerns). It’s also kind of spendy to take out one of these handsome and sustainable vehicles for a spin; a year pass costs €25 (€15 if you have a public transportation pass) plus an addition 50₵ for the first 30 minutes of usage, 60₵ for the following 30 minutes of riding and 4€ per hour after 2 hours. Temporary pass fees are also posted on bicimad.com but the cards are not yet available. Thousands of people have joined a campaign asking Madrid’s Mayor Ana Botella to make the first half hour free, like in other European bike sharing programs in Barcelona, London and Paris, where the system has proven successful. 

Despite the challenges, some 10,000 people have signed up for the service, and now an average of over 3,000 rides are being made every day. Those figures however are not even close to already established bike sharing programs in other cities (see Other bike sharing programs).

Safety concerns

Program participants and the press have voiced concerns regarding the cyclist’s safety; thousands of riders hitting the streets on a new fleet of two-wheelers and sharing the road with non-bike-minded motorists makes for kind of a scary scenario. Supporters of bike sharing programs insist that more bikes on the street not only creates cleaner air, but also more aware car drivers. After taking a quick cruise on one of the bikes, Mayor Ana Botella asserted that the program would eventually bring about a cultural change that has to happen poco a poco. Mrs. Botella added that she hopes the electric power feature will encourage folks intimidated by the city’s hills to climb on board the cultural change.

Other Bike Sharing Programs in Spain

Spain has the most bike share programs of any country around the world with 132. China has 82 and the US a modest 36. USA Today ranked Barcelona as the 6^th best bike sharing city in the world. Although the city’s bicing program is only available to residents, it offers 6,000 bikes at 420 stations. San Sebastian, Spain had its electric bike program before Madrid.

Madrid’s got a new bike program, green cultural change on the way (poco a poco), and much warmer weather than northern European counterparts with strong bike traditions (think Amsterdam); it seems that the city may have the potential to become a new bike capital.

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