Por la Vida hasta el Pueblo Viejo: Flamenco and Chicanidad in the Southwest

• In Event: Transnational Dance and Identity in the Americas

Abstract

Flamenco is a southern Spanish dance form that was popularized in Andalusía by Gitano families and some non-Gitano artists. In New Mexico, flamenco has been performed since the mid 1950s mostly through Chicano families. New Mexican trained Arizonan flamencos perform utilizing a pachuco look. Chicano bodies don pachuco aesthetics and perform at tattoo and low rider shows giving rise to a pachuco flamenco culture. Through examining Flamenco del Pueblo Viejo in Tucson and Flamenco por la Vida in Phoenix I unravel how Chicano flamencos embrace pachuco culture to advance their notion of "we are Chicanos because we do flamenco." A notion that is possible because of New Mexico's unique access to professional Gitano flamenco performers. Using Sandoval's ideas of differential consciousness I examine how flamenco curriculum in New Mexico coupled with the specific cultural history that New Mexico has had with their Chicanidad allows for flamenco culture in New Mexico to be read as a form of Chicano/Gitano expression.

Author

• Erica G Ocegueda, Arizona State University