I moved to San
Sebastian, Spain in January of 2012 on the recommendation of my great friends
and Vagabrothers, Marko and Alex Ayling. I moved for the wild adventures, excitement
and new experiences. Hemingway, stories
about Spanish culture, bullfights, tapas, warm weather, and flamenco stoked my
excitement.
I took the train from Madrid to San
Sebastian on a cold January night. As
our train pulled into the station, the conductor announced that we were
arriving in “Donostia.” I was confused
because the next stop should have been San Sebastian. I looked around wildly and noticed that no
one looked as concerned as I did. In a
wave of panic, I ran to an elderly gentleman who was donning a funny little hat and asked,
“Disculpé señor pero, ¿¡¿ Cuándo llegaremos a San Sebastián?!?”
With
a quizzical look on his face he replied,
“Pues, hijo, ya estamos en Donosti.”
That moment I realized I was on a different adventure from the one, which I had envisioned. Donostia, or Donosti for short, is the Basque name for San Sebastian. I quickly learned that natives proudly consider themselves Basque and not Spanish. They have culture, language, and history different from the other parts of Spain and they have oft been ostracized.
I love the Basque Country. It is an amazing place that is as culturally and traditionally rich as it is naturally beautiful. However, here, Spanish is not cool. If you come here with a Real Madrid jersey you will probably be called a fascist. No one listens to flamenco music, bull fighting is frowned upon, and tapas have been renamed “pintxos.”
When Basques allow something Spanish
into their little world you know that is radical. My favorite examples of Spanish imports are; ham
from Extremadura, wine from La Rioja,
and the super radical band Los Delinqüentes from Andalusia.
Los Delinqüentes, made music worthy
of Spanish adventures, life on the streets, farms, and in the plazas of
southern Spain. The band’s members came
from humble backgrounds and frequently busked in the Central
Jerez Train Station. Later, they
adopted the tick as their symbol due to its association with farm and street life.
The music, deeply rooted in flamenco and rock and roll, was crisp and
energetic. Their lyrics highlighted the tomfoolery
omnipresent Spanish plazas and in their “tick” lifestyle.
The band was formed in Jerez de la
Frontera, Cadiz in 1998 by Marcos del Ojo and Miguel Benitez who were both 15
at the time. Because Los Delinqüentes
were always in the street their mentor and guitar teacher, Diego Pozo, gave
Marcos and Migue guitar lessons on the front step
of the Jerezano Movie Theater. Later
that year, Marcos y Migue incorporated Diego into the mythical band. After recording their second demo, the band
was signed to Virgin Records.
The trio, made three albums before Migue
died of a heart attack at the age 21.
Migue had the attack shortly after a series of stints in rehab. The band has since come out with three more
albums and gained a certain amount of international exposure. What
follows are just some of their JAMANDAHALFS!
