Benalmadena Flamenco
Benalmadena and the province of Malaga is said to have some of the finest Flamenco in the whole of Andalucia. Flamenco began in the 15th Century in this area of Andalucia and it combines traditional gypsy music with Arab, Jewish and also old Indian sounds. Originally it consisted exclusively of the singing either the melancholic, cante jondo, or the more cheerful, cante chico. It was mainly performed in a private atmosphere during family celebrations. In the middle of the 19th Century, the Flamenco conquered the, cafés cantantes, and fused for the first time with the two other arts, the dance, baile, and playing the guitar, toque. These cafés cantantes were popular for some decades and then disappeared in the 1930s. Flamenco has survived in local societies, peñas, and has inspired artists of different cultures from all over the world. About 20 different types of Flamenco still exist, and one can still find the traditional types of Flamenco in Benalmadena and Torremolinos. Two chairs, a singer, and a guitarist where the voice leads and the guitar accompanies. Also very popular among the locals are also the so called, Sevillanas, a dancing form of Flamenco which follows a stricter set of rules.
Benalmadena Bullfighting
Practiced all over Spain, the traditional corrida or bullfight, the ritual killing of the bulls, originates in Andalucia. Bullfights are fought in bullrings, such as the Plazas de Toro of Córdoba, Sevilla, Jerez de la Frontera, Huelva, Málaga and the famous arena of Ronda, which is featured in the work of the American actor and movie director Orson Welles. Altogether there are more than 150 bullrings in Andalusia. The bullfighting season is from March to November and is usually accompany the local festivals or ferias. Fighting a 500 or 600 kilogram bull from a horse, was during the 19th century, a privilege of the noble class. Today bullfighting has its fans from all groups of society, although it splits public opinion into two groups, of staunch opponents and enthusiastic supporters of the art. Bull breeding is a lucrative business. After spending 4 years in the greenest pastures, a fighting bull has a high market price. Usually six bulls are killed in a corrida by three Bullfighters, Toreros or Matadors. The ritual of each bull lasts about 20 minutes and consists of four phases, suerte de capa, suerte de varas, suerte de banderillas and suerte de matar. Suerte means luck in Spanish!. At the end of the fight, the matador tries to kill the bull, if possible, with one sword thrust. If he succeeds a loud Olé is called out by the crowd. Depending on the Matadors' performance and skill, the bullfighter will be awarded one or two ears, and (or) the tail of the dead bull.
Benalmadena Festivals
There is no better way to get to know the culture of Andalucia than by joining the many feast days and festivals of its people. The local fiesta is the time when every town and village strives to put on a great show, not only for themselves but also for those who come from other towns and villages. Over 3,000 fiestas are celebrated every year in Andalucia, including fairs, pilgrimages, carnivals, mock battles between Moors and Christians and religious processions, throughout the 800 regional communities of Andalucia. In fact, there is scarcely a day in the year without a fiesta, with special emphasis on the periods before and after the autumn harvests. Each town has its own patron saint and yearly procession, usually celebrated during Easter. Follows are some of the major fiestas which take place each year.
Three Kings Fiesta de Los Reyes
This is the time when the three kings of the Orient bring their Christmas presents to the children, on the evening of the 5th of January. Three men dress up as the kings, one with a black face, Balthasar, and ride about the town in a procession, throwing sweets to the crowds of excited children. The day after, 6th of January, is the public holiday in Spain.
As elsewhere in the Catholic world, carnival is celebrated before the 40 days of Lent. Most Andalucian towns stage some kind of parade, and there is usually a dance and a Carnival Queen contest. As one of Spain´s major ports during the 16th century, Cadiz copied the carnival of Venice, a city with which it had much trade, and since then it has become the liveliest and most dazzling carnival town in mainland Spain, and is famous for its amusing and creative figurines and satirical singing groups. The Carnival centres around Shrove Tuesday. Most towns celebrate the carnival with processions either the weekend before or after and the larger towns have festivities lasting all week.
Holy Week Semana Santa
The Easter week processions compete with one another in luxury and splendour. The parades leave each of the town´s churches to meander slowly around the streets of the town, with their lifelike effigies of Christ on the Cross, and his mother the Virgin Mary in mourning. The processions are organised by the religious brotherhoods, representing guilds of tradesmen or other groupes in the town. These brotherhoods spend all year long preparing the elaborate costumes and decorations. Semana Santa is a serious, sombre fiesta, and fireworks are not permitted. Drinking and celebrating is still fround upon by many during this fiesta
Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi is the Catholic feast that celebrates the presence of the body of Christ in the holy wafer. It is held in June and begins on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. A solemn and magnificent procession through the streets, where representatives of the local government walk side by side with churchmen and other dignitaries, and followed by the local people, through streets that are strewn with sweet-smelling cypress branches and flowers.
The Corpus Christi festival was created in 1246 in Liege, Belgium, and after the Archbishop of that town was elected Pope it was later adopted throughout the rest of Europe. It reached Spain, first in Toledo 1280, and then in Sevilla 1282, and the rest of Spain by 14 century. Corpus Christi festival was particularly popular in 16th and 17th centuries. The solemn processions represent the power of the Catholic church.
La Virgen del Carmen
La Virgen del Carmen is the Saint of seamen, and at the end of the day, on July 16th the towns and fishing villages of the coast parade their statues of the Virgin by the water, and set sail in gaily adorned boats, accompanied by the blowing of horns and bursting of fireworks, in the night sky. A good place to see this fiesta is Estepona, where the Virgen del Carmen is one of the town´s most beloved saints.
San Juan
San Juan is held on the night of the 24th of June, and is celebrated on Andalucia´s beaches with bonfires and fireworks. This night is the only night during the year where large open fires are permitted. For good luck, the tradition is to dip your feet in the sea, just after midnight.
Summer Fairs
Every town and village in Andalucia has its own feria or fair. It would be possible to spend the whole summer following them about the region. The summer annual feria originated in the middle ages, and was the principal means of interchange of local products within the kingdom. The day fair takes place it the streets of the town itself. Streets are closed to traffic, some businesses close for the week. Tables and chairs are set up and the bars serve food and drink in the street, and music plays from every corner. People of all ages sing and dance. Visitors are always welcome. At night, the fair shifts to the public fairground or recinto ferial, on the outskirts of the town. There is a traditional amusement park with lots of rides for the children, and tents or casetas that are set up by the various clubs, associations and political parties of the town, some with entertainment and all with a bar. Many, some would say too, many of the Casetas are by private invitation only. Outsiders are invariably welcomed, just ask if you can go in, if not try another one. There is always the large Caseta Municipal which is put up by the town council and open to everybody. On some evenings there will be a top billing singer, for which tickets will be sold on the door at a reasonable price. These are usually very popular and often sell out in Benalmadena.