Throughout the spring, summer, and even the months either side, millions flock to Spain and the Spanish-owned islands nearby for the glorious weather, relaxing beaches, and the world-class cuisine.
For as much as people experience Spanish culture for several weeks of the year, though, there’s not much by way of a cultural footprint beyond the borders of Spain in the Western world.
This is despite several other nations successfully breaking into the mainstream. It’s not just nearby nations, either. Countries from the other side of the planet are making a big impact everywhere today. Right now, there’s clearly an appetite for cultural imports, particularly through the most popular online-based platforms. So, what examples could Spain learn from, and how could the culturally rich nation find a way to export more of this?
Perhaps one of the most prominent of sudden fads that engulfed the Western world of late was that of Korean entertainment. First, it was K-Dramas, popping up across streaming platforms and picking up huge audiences worldwide. Then, it was K-Pop, with girl and boy groups putting out incredibly choreographed music videos with catchy songs to dominate the airwaves. Of them all, Squid Game, BTS, and Blackpink are the prime examples.
Elsewhere, we see plenty of cultures make themselves accessible and even interactive through the newest form of entertainment. At online bingo sites, players see, click on, and spin a whole host of slots that emphasise cultural imprints from nations overseas. Ireland has a huge footprint in this regard, and increasingly, Mexico is on the rise. On the former, their lucky symbology is promoted, while chilli, street parties, and lucha wrestling is out there for Mexico.
Then, there are the long-standing exports of culture that continue to permeate. Japan has expanded across entertainment media over the last few decades to dominate. Importantly, expressions of Japanese culture are regularly showcased and enjoyed through video gaming and animated shows, and now, there’s a huge rush on manga – which is likely aligned with the fascination of anime.
Spain is best known for its climate and its food. While the example of Mexico above denotes the chilli as part of their cultural iconography, it’s a bit more difficult to do that with dishes like paella or even tapas in general. They’re superb in every way, but they’re complex, multi-faceted, and lack a coherent single image, as it were. Tapas bars are popping up around the world, but a pop culture impact isn’t exactly what’s being made. Perhaps, then, it’s in the performance arts that Spain can make an impact.
In an age where people watch several short-form videos of people dancing to popular music on apps each day, it would seem logical that talented Flamenco dancers could exude the passion for the art form, crank up the heat, and showcase it worldwide. Or perhaps some of Spain’s superb singers, like Rosalía, could pivot slightly to English songs for a time and showcase flamenco in their music videos. After all, the Motomami singer will be in the spotlight when Euphoria Season 3 arrives.
Overall, breakouts like K-Dramas come along naturally when a top-quality product becomes accessible and, these days, gets people talking online. Spain’s big hit might be just around the corner, so it’s best not to try to force these things.
