| (I know, this audiofile is too short, but I hate slow downloading
pages myself;
besides, If you like the fragment so much, you can download a completer version which is called spancari.zip right here on the link! |
| About the situation: We're in the summer of the year 1608. Spaniards are ruling Antwerp
completely after the Protestants had to surrender in 1585, and left the city towards Amsterdam and other cities in the (Northern) Netherlands. |
by what happened earlier at the 'Handschoenmarkt' ('Glove Market'), this is the small marketplace at the foot of the tower of the Antwerp Cathedral. The following story is told: |
| '... and then, while the 'carillonneur' was trying out the new carillon which was installed recently, and while this bunch of Spanish soldierswas erecting the Triumphal Arc and stage that will serve to celebrate our Spanish Regents Albrecht and Isabella, who will pass by on Sunday,...so while all that was going on, suddenly three young Spanish men, I think gipsy boys, jumped upon the unfinished stage, and started to clap and tap on the carillon music, in the way the Spanish dance their so-called 'Flamenco'... At first the soldiers were astonished, but then one of them grabbed his dagger, and ran into them in order to stab them! Luckily, some of his fellow soldiers could avoid this would happen, and calmed the first one down by saying: 'But don't you know, Pedro, these guys are at least good Catholics'?... then they all laughed and returned to the job, while listening to this strange but beautiful combination of styles...' |
| True story ? No way, this is pure Net-fantasy
(though some facts are historically correct)...The 'music' was made in
the computer, of course (an old CX5M)
Anyway, pubs with nice Old-Flemish interiors as the one shown on the picture, can still be found. As well as a reel Spanish 'tapa-bar', not far from the cathedral. I'm not supposed to tell you where exactly, since this is a non-commercial page! |
Latest update Jan 15th 1999.
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