Buenos Aires "Culture"

Well, culture is a loaded word....but so is this post....

First of all, Jamila, our friend Daniel and I just got back from La Bomba De Tiempo, a huge drum circle/jam at the Ciudad Cultural Konex. It was an incredible open space, with awesome rhythm and energy. It reminded me a little of African Music Ensemble at Mac, with the drums and the enthusiastic audience. We all stood and danced to the beat, which was a lot of fun. It seemed like a mix of tourists (I heard English and German) and faithful regulars who come every Monday night. While smoking was prohibited, the smell of weed permeated our nostrils. Oh well. It was a really cool event, only cost $20pesos, and I would definitely go back there again- with better shoes for standing/dancing! Here's a link to their info- http://www.labombadetiempo.blogspot.com/ (they have the same blog format as this blog!)

Also, the two upper-level Spanish classes are going to see a play this Friday. It is written by Roberto Arlt and entitled "La Isla Desierta." Upon reading the script before class today, I was quite disturbed by a certain aspect. The play wrestles with the monotony of working in an office, suffocatingly and blindingly white. Okay, not so problematic. The attitudes of the workers change when El Mulato (yes, now I have a problem) enters the scene and brings them back to their primitiveness (um....) and the play ends with everyone beating drums. Not only is "El Mulato" essentialized with no characteristics but his racial makeup, but he is described as liminal between two cultures, a bridge between savagery and civilization "tragic mulatto," a common trope in literature and film. Here are some stage directions that were difficult for me: "Es MULATO, simple complicado, exquisito y brutal..." What was even more disturbing was how difficult it was for my Spanish teacher to understand how racist this was. I know I am imposing my North American, intellectual elite gaze onto this, BUT....I also know that this is a racist representation. My teacher could only admit that it was using stereotypes, but "not in a bad way." Jamila and I were talking about this later; the denial of racism in this country is as prevalent as the denial of race. I have heard many times: "We don't have racism because we don't have Black people," or something to that effect. First of all, there IS an Afro-Argentinian population whose legitimacy is constantly being challenged by comments like these, and there is also a population of new immigrants from Western Africa. There is also an ignorance of the sizable Chinese and Korean populations, as well as the Indigenous populations. This is very difficult for me to process, this discomfort with race and talking about race. Clearly there is racism. But nobody I've met seems to think so. As for the play, I want to try to keep an open mind with this interepretation and enjoy a (free) opportunity to see some theater in Buenos Aires. But I will maintain a critical eye and keep people posted!