“Take Me to Spain”: Australian Imaginings of Spain through Music and Dance

Download or read book “Take Me to Spain”: Australian Imaginings of Spain through Music and Dance written by John Whiteoak and published by Lyrebird Press lyrebirdpress.music.unimelb.edu.au. This book was released on 2019-10-01 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Australians have been transported to an imaginary Spain from at least the 1830s, when cachuchas were first danced on the Sydney stage. In Take Me to Spain John Whiteoak explores the rich tapestry of Australians’ fascination with all thing Spanish, from the voluptuous sensuality of Lola Montez to operas featuring señoritas, toreadors and Gypsies, and from evocative silent and later Spain-themed Hollywood movies to the dazzlingly creative artistry of the flamenco dancers and guitarists who toured Australia in the 1960s and ’70s. Examining the diverse ways that Spanish music and dance have been mediated or hybridised to cater for Australian popular taste, this landmark study reveals how Hispanic traditions have become integral to the cultural history of the nation.