A Spaniard in post-World War 1 Paris - Raquel Meller and the recasting of Romantic Spain

Raquel Meller made her international stage debut in Paris in 1919. A stream of Spanish performers had preceded her, seeking fame as they exploited Parisians’ appetite for exotic gypsy dance, risqué song and Carmenesque spectacle. But Raquel Meller was different. This article draws on French critics’ responses to Meller’s Paris 1919 appearances. It also explores contemporary Spanish concerns and debates regarding national identity and the influence of these on developments in the creative arts. The study points to shifts in the “Spanishness” that Meller projected in 1919 Paris and to perspectives and insights among the French as they perceived Meller, dressed in her austere black costume and performing cuplés about the sufferings and hopes of her fellow Spaniards, as a goyesque maja who embodied the dramatic and passionate Spanish soul.