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Throughout history there has always been a fight for control and power, especially
amongst nationalities. Due to these conflicts several wars and countless deaths have occurred.
The desire for dominance brings with it influences of art, knowledge, tools, and theology.
Multiple countries have played major roles in the development of other lands around the world.
However, nothing compares to the influence Spain had on the western hemisphere. The
conquering of this land and its people affected the United States before it was even considered an
independent country. Even today, Spain continues to influence the United States, just in ways
less drastic. Some of the current ways Spain is affecting the United States includes motor-
Spain today isnt controlling or governing any other country or territory in the western
hemisphere. It occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula in southwest Europe. It also controls the
Balearic and the Canary Islands just off the coast of its mainland. (National Geographic) It has
a population of about 43.5 million people. Even though this number is significantly less than the
1&2 Carlos Viitanen moved from Spain to the United States at the age of six. While living in
Spain his father, who owned a business, was wrongfully sued. He won the case but his name had
been slandered to such an extent that it was better for them to try and find refuge elsewhere. As a
result, they decided to move to the United States. In an interview about his transition to the North
America Carlos stated that there wasnt much difficulty in doing so. Being at such a young age
he was able to learn English quickly. A major difference that stood out to him was the overall
tone between the two countries. Spain was very relaxed while the United States seem to always
3 Overall, the cultural tone of Spain is mellow. Every day in the early afternoons Spaniards
will participate in something that is called a siesta. This is so prominent that shops and trading
posts will stop for the few hours in observance of the siesta. During this time, people will go
home and relax. They will take naps or spend time with family. Family is a big part of Spanish
culture as well. This respect for family is taught in popular religious institutions found all over
Spain. According to a study done in 2016 about 68% of Spaniards self-identify as Catholic
Christian. (Religion in Spain) This isnt surprising with the amount of involvement
Catholicism has had in the development of the country. One influential factor of the development
4 In 711 AD the Moors, under the leadership of Tariq ibn-Ziyad, conquered the Iberian
peninsula where present day Spain is located. This conquering brought many benefits to Spain.
Under the rules of the Moors the Spanish were introduced to numerous advancements in science,
mathematics, and art. (15 Things You Did Not Know About the Moors of Spain) The whole
civilization of the Spain changed during the 800 years they were under the rule of the Moors.
This influence was so deep that it affected their architecture, their music, and it even went as far
as to vary their language. Although they were conquered the Spanish managed to cling to their
religion.
After the expulsion of the Moors and the liberation of Spain the Spanish searched to find
ways to identify themselves as Spaniards. Once the identity of Spanish was developed, a strong
sense of patriotism was formed. Thriving on being a part of this developing culture left a
problem in Spain attitude that still exists today. Their self-developed love for this newly
improved culture left little room for those immigrating into Spain.
This attitude then spread to neighboring countries. The bordering countries wanted to
figure out what made them unique as well. Which also contributed to the Spaniards having little
regard for the indigenous people of the Americas, especially after they conquered them. It wasnt
until the native people started learning about Christianity that helped the Spaniards see them as
less savage. (Teaching History) One idea is that the Spanish were able to see the natives
In Spain there were several groups that were ostracized and outcaste because of the
separation of cultures. The two prominent groups that were really disliked and to this day retain
negative stigma are the Jews and the Gypsies (Rom). These two groups were looked down on
and disrespected by the people who viewed themselves as true Spaniards. This hatred for these
groups spread throughout Europe and was a major factor in World War II. The United States
soldiers experienced this first hand as they were freeing Jews and Gypsies from Concentration
Camps in Germany, Italy, and other European countries. (Why Did the Nazis persecute Roma)
During the early centuries of Spains development, the Jews and the Gypsies were so
oppressed that they were forced to congregated into towns and residencies separate from the
Spaniards. (Spain The Gypsies) It was in these social groups and gatherings that they would
express themselves and morn their oppression. These attitudes were put into a unique style of
song and dance. This style of music is called flamenco. (Flamenco) It is often played on a
guitar and is accompanied by dancing and sometimes vocals. The guitar is played with quick
strong chords as the dancer, often times a woman or women, would dance while waving the ends
of a long dress. The lyrics to the songs commonly discussed their oppression and their desire to
be free.
5a. Even today the Flamenco is still danced and played. It has become a world-renowned
form of music and dance. Its often done for the expressive and bold nature of the dance itself
In the 1960 a band heavily influenced by flamenco dance emerged, their name was The
Doors. Although they are a band from the sixties they gain their highest popularity in the early
years of the twenty-first century. (The Doors Discography) The music they played had
One song that represents flamenco well is Spanish Caravan. In this song, the lyrics talk
about a desire to go to Spain and Portugal and visit the good things there. The movement in the
melody is mostly steps with a few skips. The range in the music is in the medium range which
progresses into a larger range. The contour of the piece has a repetitive downward movement. It
is quadruple with its meter/rhythm and simple with its time. The harmony is in major key. It has
homophony for its texture that transitions to polyphony later in the song. The timbre is created
through the guitar and synthetic sounds in the piece. The tempo starts out slow but increases as
the song goes on; the dynamics is forte; the style of this piece gives the sense of boldness and
longing at the beginning and transitions to a more psychedelic feel. These are a description of the
5b. The United States has always been a country that would embrace the development of new
music. There have been very distinct styles of music that have immerge from every decade. This
other genres and have shaped the direction of music altogether. When rock and roll gained
popularity among the adolescents of the nineteen fifties the parents were mortified by the
behavior that it invoked in their children. This new form of music brought with it new forms of
dancing and provoked new ways of self expression. The teens were now twisting, thrusting, and
grinding against each other. This was very contrary to the way that their parents were raised.
In the late sixties rock and roll was still running strong. This genre expanded greatly as
new bands would put their variation to it. One of these bands to emerge at this time was, as stated
earlier, The Doors. They came together in the late sixties and created a unique way to play rock
and roll. They took a lot of influences from traditional sounds, such as flamenco, from the
Spanish culture. They combine it with the current psychedelic music that was prominent during
5c. Flamenco music and dance has stayed fairly constant throughout the history of its
creation. It is one form of music that is regarded as being such a representation of culture that it
remains fairly constant. It is used however as a building block for several genres and other forms
of music. There are countless amounts of songs and artists that have taken aspects from
traditional flamenco music. However, the traditional flamenco continues to remain in its true
form. ("Flamenco - Its origin and evolution") It is important to note that flamenco has been the
inspiration to a lot of Latin music that is considered traditional such as Tango, Cumbia, and
Bachata.
In conclusion, there are several countries that have affected the United States and its
cultural development. There are however very few countries that have played such an influential
role in the musical development of the world like Spain did with the creation of flamenco.
Popular artists still today continue to draw inspiration from flamenco for the creation of their
music, just as the rest of the world often looks at American music for inspiration.
6. Bibliography
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