Rosalia is from a town 40 minutes outside of Barcelona, Spain. Spain in Europe. Y'all will fall for anything.

Neus Diez did an ok job breaking down how Rosalia went from a non-singing every white gurl ever to her now persona. Equated“ratchet” to her aesthetic but of course doesn’t go into the racial and class politics of this aesthetic these white Spaniards are profits off of. Typical.

Also doesn’t cite Dapper Dan in this “ratchet” that “luxury labels” STEAL from. Again typical. But also not knowing nuance from the U.S. and especially Black U.S. and Latin America.

And she cited the nails Rosalia appropriates as very “Flamenco”??? Ok. I’ve never seen flamenco dancers with bedazzled nails. Someone let me know if this is a “thing.” Bc I’m not buying it....but I *can* buy it as Flamenco comes from the “colored” marginalized classes. So again.

This is a style that she “studied” in school? I think about what my husband said how the Cuban whites “study” music that Black Cubans live... and get rich off shit that doesn’t come innate to them. Again. Say it with me TYPICAL.

Then they wanna cover it with BUT IM CUBAN ITS PART OF MY CULTURE. Excuse? You mean the BLACK cultures y’all BEEN repressing, oppressing, banning, and criminalizing since kingdom come? NOW it’s “Cuban culture”??? White Latin America is typical of white nonsense. They pioneered it

White Latin Americans ban & bash Black musical expressions, then when they figure out how to profit off it will then mainstream it and call it the “national culture.” Bitch SINCE WHEN. When y’all was burning drums, degrading us for shaking hips, & outlawing gatherings of Blacks?

What these whites conveniently forget or rather what they do not know (bc these cultures do not come from them but rather DESPITE them) is these musical styles are ANCESTRAL. What ancestral knowledge are y’all invoking? How not to bathe? How to pillage? How to steal & not credit?

WHO ARE YOUR ANCESTORS WHITE LATIN AMERICANS?

And the white Latin Americans are quite smug to say “racism is a U.S. thing,” so that their own white fuckery isn’t found out. They know exactly what they are doing when they lie like this. They BEEN doing this 100 years before the U.S. even existed. They the pros. And know it.

Then they wanna lean into “BUT I AM CUBAN (& any other nationality)” to feign solidarity with the coloreds when confronted with their antiblackness & white supremacy. Ok. And? What have borders ever meant to whiteness? They the ones that invented most of em. We were alerted later

I’ve worn these pointed long nails for 15+ yrs. When I’d visit my mom she’d cry “But Dashira whyyy do they have to be soooo looooong.” My friend asked me “they let you teach in Panama with those nails and hair?” In Panama, braids/Afros/locks are banned bc they are “distracting.”

I was allowed to teach in Panama with long ass nails and Afro hair because I am:
1) A UNITED STATES CITIZEN
2) A native English speaker & white Latin Americans want their kids to access English
3) A FOREIGNER in Panama +
4) I was not a (Black) Panamanian with long nails & Afro

Yes, family is Panamanian but me? I’m not Panamanian-Panamanian. I get that & the positions of privilege I occupy. & know, that that same privilege historically degraded my ancestors & presently attempts to do the same to me. We access these privileges at different times & spaces

What I had was valuable to the white private school so I was “allowed” to be my full self. White supremacy will only allow enough rope just for THEIR benefit. My students were IMPECCABLE ok? The parents relaxed. I didn’t entertain their racist doubts. I know who I am.

But not all who look like me can exercise that freedom. And I have my various nets of privilege to access for other options. This school didn’t wanna hire me Bc of my nails and Afro? Another school will. Black Panamanian women do not have that access.

This is what a Rosalia would not experience. Not her story to tell. All she can do is press on nails, slide in some fronts, & pencil in a unibrow. All things criminalized on Black bodies. She and her ilk want the rhythm but not the blues. Everything but the burden. In Spanish.

I saw this from another source but Rosalia uploaded a video of her flute lessons when she was younger??? All that “training” and you still could only get famous ripping off Black women? I’m noticing a pattern here.

@threadreaderapp Please unroll this thread!