The Flogger. An Argentine Phenomenon.

Creamfields was a few Saturdays back and because of this, we thought it would be appropriate to have a post on a subculture in which la música electrónica (electronic music) plays a very large role.

Never heard of electronic music? Heard of it and hate it? We don’t discriminate—everyone is free to have their own opinion in terms of what is considered buena música (good music). If you’re not into the dolor de cabeza (headache) that may ensue after a night of fist-pumping and head-bobbing, no worries—this post will still interest you.

Why? Because it’s about Floggers. And they are downright fascinating.

This Flogger fenómeno (phenomenon) originated here in Argentina and has since spread to other parts of Latin America. The dance is inspired by the tecktonik music from France and consists of teenagers who adopt a certain style of clothing, dance, and hair. If we had to compare it to anything back home, we guess it would be like dancing neon Emo teens.

The name ‘Flogger’ originally came from kids who put up their photos on Fotolog (a blog for photos. Fotologger–>Flogger) and morphed into a whole estilo de vida (lifestyle). These kids (when in Buenos Aires) generally gather at the Abasto shopping (mall) and have…dance offs. Worth checking out, if you’re in the Almagro area.

Now, lets check out this video uploaded by a couple of Argentine Floggers.

First, let’s examine the dance moves. Interesante (interesting), no? These moves are said to be a fusion of the French tecktonik mentioned above and Australian shuffle. Sort of a sideways kick ball change. Come on, you know you wish you could do that.

Now, notice the remera (or camisa =t-shirt) with it’s V-neck and interesting diseño (design). This is quite typical of Floggers, who have an eclectic sense of style. In addition, pantalones ajustados/chupines/pitillos (tight pants), zapatos blancos (white shoes), and pelo (hair) that is ironed flat are common in this grupo (group).

Obviously if you’re visiting a Spanish-speaking country for a short period of time, it is difficult to learn about subcultures, as getting used to the more widespread cultural norms is taxing enough.

In the Bueno, entonces… program, we strive to teach as much about the culture (and subculture) as possible. When you learn to speak Spanish, it is only a part of learning about a country—like a shoe, it’s not one size fits all. Unlike many competitors, Bueno, entonces…provides a real-life Spanish class, where you learn about Spanish culture and mannerisms, which is absolutely key…Spanish grammar can only get you so far). It’s the closest thing to real Spanish immersion–and at $147, it’s a fraction of the cost of a plane ticket!