Posted 10 years ago
austrohung…
(584 items)
AQUÍ HAY JALEO (We've got rejoycing -or party, or commotion, or enjoyment...- ) reads this sign from the 60s. Like those you've got from CocaCola or any other soft drink, this was to be found at grocery stores. It now decorates our other kitchen (the one at "the other house"). I think these are not uncommon, but they sure are funny. Sadly, who made it remains a total mistery...
In the 1960s Spain was a country that was still developing after our Civil War (1936-1939). Franco's Spain had suffered both economic and political isolation from Europe and the US. After an aperture process that took place in the 1950s -when the US showed interest in having military bases in the country-, Spain was at last opening to the world, and the way we had to make ourselves known was that of the most basic topics: flamenco, paella, toros, football -the Real Madrid football club was already legendary-. At the same time, the Tourism institutions tried to promote Spain abroad using cultural items from our History: Don Quixote, El Greco, Velázquez, and others from our splendorous past. I still remember, when I was a kid in the 1970s, that whenever you went to a hotel in holiday resorts or in villages -and even in the cities- the decoration was too inspired in our 17th Century, and seaside rental appartments all shared the same monastic look... no wonder Spanish design didn't develope as it should!
Thus, the image of flamenco dancers or singers, the “gitanas”, the toreros... all of those became a symbol of our identity for both us and foreigners (something that I'm glad to say is in the past now), and they were thoroughly used in advertising targetting on both national and international markets (for intance, take a look at this funny 1965 TV commercial on Philips TV sets... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh25E3S7WWM).
Whoever branded this olive oil JALEO already had the “Aqui hay jaleo” in mind. In a partying mood, it means something like “it's fun here” (but a jaleo can be something negative as well, just like some fight for intance).
love this !!! what a fun sign!!
I don't know Spain at all, unfortunately. But there are other things I remember when I think of Spain in the Seventies for example the films of Carlos Saura with Geraldine Chaplin (she is still young, only 70 in these days) which were really very known in Germany at this time. I saw them in TV and I loved them. Today they are completely forgotten in Germany. And also the novels of Jorge Semprun who already wrote in French (my father first told me about him), but he wrote about Spain.
Thanks mike and Sean for loving it!!
You're right Cobalt: Spain, even in those days, was something else than just flamenco and paella (thank goodness!).
It seems to me that your parents were not the kind of ordinary people with a narrow mind :) Semprún and Saura are considered "culturally refined"... they really don't do anything "for the masses".
Your very welcome austro!!
!Por eso siempre hay que cantar, "Que viva España"!!!
I love your country! Wonderful post!! ;)
Great post Austro.
I get where you are coming from here - at least Spain has a huge arts and intellectual history behind it - it just wasn't promoted then.
Australia still suffers from a lack of cultural identity I think.
My hubby woo'd me with paella. I love Spain. Barcelona especially.
Racer, Australia was running high after Croc Dundee, gathering momentum, then just stopped. Spent almost two years there after school, loved it! Fair Dinkum!
Ooooops, I think I really must catch up thanking yuo guys for loving it!!! So thanks Jewels, ho2cultcha, VioletOrange, AmberRose, racer, vetraio, Belltown, agh, Virginia and Geo!!!!
¿Huyendo del tópico, Virginia? :) Muchas gracias. Ojalá supera más sobre Uruguay y Monte.
Amber, it seems you're quite the traveller!! :)
Racer. If I must give a quick answer to what i know of Australia, apart from kangaroos, koalas and Kylie Minogue (what a coincidence all of them starting with a K), I'd say: Sidney's opera building , aboriginal art, the designer Marc Newson, movies such as Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Muriel's Wedding, Crocodile Dundee... and Babe!!!! And Vinnies, where Vetraio seems to find so many tresures. I am not pasing the test, am I? :/
By the way, did anybody take a look at the Philips TV commercial on the link? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh25E3S7WWM
And Amber, maybe we could meet in Barcelona some time ;)
Thanks for your ideas on Australia Austro!
We should ask Vet what he thinks Aussie culture is!
Oh, racer. I am afraid almost all I said was pretty silly. It's true that what is know in Spain about Australia is mostly related to popular culture. It's most or less the same with the States, but their exporting soooo many movies and TV series and so on has made their history and culture better known.
(Oh, and I forgot to mention the movies Gallipoli (which i absolutely loved), Picnic at Hanging Rock (which i remembered well, but I've got to do a search to remember the name) and Mad-Max)
Thanks for loving, Jewels!!!
Thanks for your love SukiJane!!!