Thank you so much for writing this, it encapsulated my feelings as an English artist living on the Spanish island of Ibiza, and invested in the island's incredibly rich local folk culture and ancient mythology. Here, in New Age circles, people can share impressive repertoires of Amazonian medicine songs, but I struggle to find a single non-Ibizan who could sing me one of the island's own traditional songs, in the native 'eivissenc' language. Here, this estrangement between popular spiritual 'currency' and local indigenous culture has a serious and deeply troubling side-effect: indigenous ceremonies from South America are commonly incorporated into the entertainment programmes of luxury hotels which do nothing less than colonise and gentrify the island, repressing its own indigenous population whilst celebrating 'indigenous spirituality'.... This taboo that you are breaking is such an important one, and I'm trying to do the same over here!
Hi Joanna, this was such a special message to read. I follow your work via instagram and am really moved by your initiative. I'm half Spanish, and know only too well the lack of connection within the spiritual community there to local folk traditions. It seems it's much more glamorous and exotic to participate in foreign practice. Or with my less cynical hat on, perhaps it's simply a lack of resources that lead to the search for spirituality elsewhere. Either way, hats off to you for your plight!
Thank you so much for writing this, it encapsulated my feelings as an English artist living on the Spanish island of Ibiza, and invested in the island's incredibly rich local folk culture and ancient mythology. Here, in New Age circles, people can share impressive repertoires of Amazonian medicine songs, but I struggle to find a single non-Ibizan who could sing me one of the island's own traditional songs, in the native 'eivissenc' language. Here, this estrangement between popular spiritual 'currency' and local indigenous culture has a serious and deeply troubling side-effect: indigenous ceremonies from South America are commonly incorporated into the entertainment programmes of luxury hotels which do nothing less than colonise and gentrify the island, repressing its own indigenous population whilst celebrating 'indigenous spirituality'.... This taboo that you are breaking is such an important one, and I'm trying to do the same over here!
Hi Joanna, this was such a special message to read. I follow your work via instagram and am really moved by your initiative. I'm half Spanish, and know only too well the lack of connection within the spiritual community there to local folk traditions. It seems it's much more glamorous and exotic to participate in foreign practice. Or with my less cynical hat on, perhaps it's simply a lack of resources that lead to the search for spirituality elsewhere. Either way, hats off to you for your plight!
Such an interesting piece. Lots of food for thought …
Thank you! It was a fun one to write