The Feria de Abril began in 1847 as a practical cattle market, but it rapidly transformed into a complex social theatre where the city’s hierarchy was both reinforced and challenged. This transition from a rural exchange to an urban spectacle created a unique environment – a crucible where the modern star-system began to take shape. In this context, the star-system refers to the emergence of highly celebrated public figures, particularly performers and bullfighters, whose fame was manufactured and sustained through public visibility and the growing reach of the press.
The birth of the real de la feria
The physical layout of the festival, known as the real de la feria, acted as a microcosm of Andalusian society. Unlike the chaotic markets of the past, the real was a planned space. It was here that the caseta – a small, temporary wooden tent or pavilion – became the primary site of social interaction. These structures were originally intended as simple shelters for traders, but they soon evolved into private ballrooms and reception halls for the elite. Inside these casetas, the traditional sevillana (a rhythmic folk dance performed in sets) and other forms of music were performed. The enclosure of the caseta created a stage, even if a domestic one, where the individual’s style and grace could be observed and critiqued by peers. This visibility was essential for the cultivation of a public persona, a prerequisite for the burgeoning star-system.
Performance and the cafes-cantantes
While the feria provided a seasonal peak for social display, the underlying infrastructure of fame was supported by the cafes-cantantes. These were musical bars or coffee houses that featured a permanent stage for professional performers. The feria acted as a magnet, drawing the most talented artists from these venues into the public eye of the festive streets. The interaction between the informal performance in a caseta and the professional performance in a cafe-cantante blurred the lines between amateur folk tradition and professional entertainment. This blurring allowed for the rise of the first true celebrities of the nineteenth-century. These individuals were not merely musicians or dancers; they were icons of a specific urban identity that the feria celebrated.
The bullfighter and the construction of celebrity
The role of the torero or bullfighter provides a specific example of how public identity was negotiated during the feria. While it is tempting to see the torero as a fully formed modern celebrity, the reality was likely more complex and localized. The feria served as a significant site of visibility, particularly through the paseo. This was the ceremonial parade where participants displayed their horses and dress while moving toward the plaza de toros (bullring). For the bullfighter, the paseo offered a chance to be seen in the traje de luces (the suit of lights, or the heavily embroidered traditional costume).
The significant cost of these garments suggests they were important markers of success, yet this success remained tied to the physical risks of the corrida (the bullfight). The bullfighter’s standing in Seville was not just a matter of wealth; it was an identity built through public performance and the slowly growing reach of local print culture. By the mid-nineteenth-century, the appearance of lithographs and early ephemeral prints featuring well-known bullfighters indicates that their image was starting to be treated as a commodity. This does not necessarily imply a global star-system, but it does show a shift in how individuals were represented and viewed by a local urban public.
Sources
Arias de Saavedra, Rafael, El libro de la feria (Sevilla: Imprenta de la Victoria, 1849).
Chaves Rey, Manuel, Páginas sevillanas (Sevilla: Librería de Eduardo Hidalgo, 1894).
Ortiz Nuevo, José Luis, Pensamiento político en el cante flamenco: antología de textos desde los orígenes a 1936 (Sevilla: Editoriales Andaluzas Unidas, 1985).
Upcoming posts:
| Friday 15th May, 10.00 | Framing the baile: photography and the early tablao aesthetic |
| Friday 22nd May, 10.00 | Sacred paths: media archaeology of the Romería del Rocío |
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