Spanish Culture Chat with Sharon of Bamba Collective

Meet Sharon, a Spanish, born and bred in San Sebastian who moved to Melbourne more than 5 years ago. I got to know Sharon when I stumbled upon her pop-up stall, Bamba Bamba Collective at the Finders Keepers Market Melbourne. She is the artist behind the colourful eye-catching jewellery that is right up my alley. And with the line borrowed from her website: “My culture is my identity, colour is my world, and accessories are my jam” I knew I needed to get to know more about her.

Sharon grew up in a very creative environment, in the town of many amazing sculptors like Chillida or Oteiza. Her dad was a part of the movement. Sharon grew up seeing him sculpting and welding amazing sculptures together, which then became a big influence on her work. In fact,  Antonia, her bestseller collection is inspired by something very special to her: “La Barandilla de la Concha”. It’s the railing that surrounds La Concha, the beach of her hometown.

What is the biggest festival in Spanish culture?

La Tamborrada or the day of San Sebastian!

This celebration lasts 24 hours and starts with the mayor of the city dancing and raising the flag of the city. We all dress as cooks and soldiers and march the city drumming and celebrating. The celebration ends at midnight when we all congregate again where we started and see the mayor lowering the flag of the city.

We also congregate in friends’ “Sociedades” (gourmet clubs) to have dinner. These places are very famous in my city. You always have a friend who’s part of one due to family history. The membership passes into your family. Originally these places were (and some still are) very strict, they didn’t allow women. Time has passed by and now women are allowed in but, in many of them, women are not allowed to cook or put a foot in the kitchen.

Flamenco was declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity – Please share your favourite memory of it?

Dubbed as one of the pillars of Spanish culture, Flamenco is the folk art tradition that originated in the Southern part of Spain. The world-famous Spanish art form has three main acts of performance — singing, dancing, and guitar playing.

I have to say, even though my mom is from the South, the home of Flamenco, I am not very attached to it. If I have to share a memory from it, it will be more related to the music side of it than the dance itself. I reckon because I grew up on the music side. Listening to Paco de Lucia playing the guitar while my mom was cooking probably is the memory I cherish the most.

What’s your favorite tapas food?

My favourite tapas to eat is cod kokotxas. It’s gelatinous fish throats, the inferior part of the throat of a cod or fish, which is considered a luxury in my hometown.

Also, I was lucky enough to grow up in San Sebastian, one of the cities in the world to hold the highest number of Michelin star restaurants per square meter and I have tried pretty wild stuff.

The common thing about our food is we don’t waste anything. I mean, if a restaurant buys a pig… we use all of it. So you can find and try tongue, ears, livers, hearts, and anything related to an animal body as a part of our food culture. Nothing gets wasted. It’s very sustainable.

If you were to get a package of your favorite food from Spain sent to you to Australia, what would be included in it?

Spanish ham for sure. A must. A well-curated one of at least 40 weeks. And PIPAS (roasted sunflower seeds)! Pipas are life! Pipas bring people together!

What’s the most iconic market in Spain or San Sebastian? 

Any vintage artsy market. If you are into second-hand furniture or decor you can find heaps of very old historic and cool stuff. I love this vintage market in Barcelona called Mercado dels Encants and El Rastro in Madrid.

What’s a unique thing about a wedding in Spanish culture?

We love to eat,  we love BIG weddings and we are very loud people. And, we don’t have bridesmaids.

What is the one thing you wish people know about Spain and Spanish culture?

For people to open their minds a bit and get over the stereotypes. I want people to know that even though Paellas, Sangria or Flamenco are typical they belong only to a specific region of Spain. Every city has its own traditions which are super special.

If you decide to take a trip to Spain my advice is to go with the flow and try to be super open-minded and embrace every tradition a city has to offer.

For you, how’s Spanish culture differs from say, Australian culture?

I reckon it’s is how we involve food in celebrations. Everything we celebrate involves huge amounts of food and gathering. We love to spend time with our people eating and that’s sincerely what I miss the most.

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Lastly, tell us about Spaniards you admire?

I am a big fan of fashion designers Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and Lydia Delgado. Mainly of the way they use colour, colour is a big thing for me. Also the Spanish actress, Rossy de Palma.

Thank you so much for sharing colourful tidbits on Spanish culture, Sharon. Do check out and support Sharon’s business Bamba Bamba Collective.