随想

TRANSFORMING SUFFERING
INTO ART
ジョナサン・オーガスティン
Jonathan AUGUSTINE

先端理工学部応用化学課程

准教授

Associate Professor, Department of Materials Chemistry

Like Kyoto, Granada is a surrounded by mountains
and has been one of the most important cities in theIberian Peninsula for over a millennium. Even before
the Umayyad conquest of Hispania, the Romans andVisigoths had occupied the entire province and tourists
today can visit the palaces and scattered ruins aroundthis ancient city. Yet, on the night before my departurefrom Spain three months ago when I made my final
visit to Mirador San Nicolas, there was not a soul in

The roof of a walled garden house in Albaicin

this most famous plaza that offers the best view of theAlhambra palace. After the Spanish government offi-

I was studying about the origins of Flamenco at thecially declared lockdown, it was nearly impossible for

University of Granada but much of the information

anyone to go outside since the police patrolled the nar-about this artistically sophisticated musical expression

row streets of the Albaicin which preserves the Moor-

comes from the oral history of the gypsies who sur-ish architecture of the Nasrid dynasty. This was almost

vived centuries of persecution. Fortunately, many of theunbelievable since Granada is known for its outdoor

most famous Roma families such as the Maya in Gran-drinking culture and passionate Flamenco dancing. So-ada own Flamenco tablao in Sacramonte. By frequent-

cial distancing was a completely foreign concept, for aing live performances, I was able to develop a personal

culture that prides itself in intimate human relationships

relationship with these amazing artists. What impressedand ethnic diversity. The friendly Moroccan shopkeep-

me most was their close family ties and their pride iners, who I spoke to every day, and the guitarists andtheir traditions. Since it took the Romani people centu-dancers, who made me reflect on the meaning of art,ries to migrate through the Middle East, Eastern Europe

had all vanished.

and in some cases through North Africa before reaching Southern Spain, they absorbed numerous musical―１―

traditions that enriched the origins of Flamenco. Thus,
discussions about authenticity in Flamenco are not relevant for historians whose research involves a more
macroscopic viewpoint.
Admittedly, there is a darker side of this narrativethat most tourists fail to recognize. Flamenco is an expression of deep pain and persecution that the Romani
people endured for centuries. Understanding how any

Side View of San Juan de los Reyes

minority group can withstand persecution for centuries
is an almost impossible task. Intellectually one might

dertaken by a cruel majority. The reason why so many

be able to investigate the factors that contributed todemonstrations have broken out recently throughout thestrategies of survival, but people are emotional animals.

world is because racism and inequality have persisted

Withstanding humiliation in itself requires mental resil-to this day despite the advancement in science andience.

technology. Since the civil rights movement in theUnited States, the prejudice that had been concealed

After the exclusion of Jewish people in 1492, theunder the mask of “political correctness” had been re-gypsies retreated to the mountains where they consoli-pressed for half a century. Unfortunately, ethnic and ra-

dated their most essential tribal values and developed

cial prejudices have been passed down like shameful

unique dance steps. Although both the state and thesecrets from generation to generation and the social me-

Catholic Church persecuted gypsies, the gitano remain

dia has allowed various supremacist groups to voice ha-in Granada to this day. The reasons why the Spanishtred.

maintained their prejudice against gypsies for centuries
is a paper in itself, but most people with no legal

Both the Romani and Afro-American people haveauthority mistakenly regarded the Roma as a mixed

proud musical traditions that are so expressive and at-group of vagabonds.

tractive that people who do not share their cultural heritage often want to associate themselves with Flamenco

Examples of systemic persecution are so numerous

and Jazz by imitating their fashion and melodic tech-that students can become callous if they neglect tonics. Langston Hughes who was an Afro-American

study the cruel details of history. The Roman persecu-

journalist in Spain during the 1930s who recorded histion of Christians, anti-Jewish pogrom of the Russian

impression of Flamenco cantaora in a tablao he fre-empire and the extermination of native American peo-quented in Madrid. “This plain old woman could makeples were so terrible that even if one spends a life time

the hair raise on your head, could do to your insides

researching the subject, it will be impossible to compre-

what the moan of an air-raid siren did, could rip yourhend the pain and suffering of the persecuted peoples.

soul-case with her voice. I found her strange, high, wild
crying of her flamenco in some ways was much like

Most of us today would probably not be able to cope

the primitive Negro blues of the deep south.” It is not awith persecution in any form if it is systematically un-coincidence that Afro-Americans found striking paral-―２―

lels between flamenco, jazz and blues. As persecuted

down. Flamenco is exceptional in that it preserves someminorities, gitanos had limited opportunities for self-of the musical overtones of Romani, Arabic, Jewish

expression outside of street performances. However,and Christian music, not to mention popular street

foreigners who witnessed their impressive performances

melodies and liturgical influences. As one of the great

and unique life-style began writing about their diverse

achievements of humanity, Flamenco offers drama andbody of canciones that came to be identified as Fla-emotional relief that transcends cultural boundaries.

menco. The irony of this process is that eventually theEven if you do not have the opportunity to travel toFranco regime itself recognized the benefits of incorpo-Granada, I highly recommend students and teachers

rating Flamenco as quintessentially Spanish music.

alike to frequent tablaos or Spanish restaurants and see
how the suffering of the gitanos has been transformed

Most music of the ancient and feudal world is lost to

into the passionate art of Flamenco.

history since the most famous songs are never written―３―