Traditional music and dance
Spanish culture has been forged through the history of the country and the various civilizations that have crossed or conquered it. Romans, Visigoths and especially Arabs, all participated in their own way in shaping the vocabulary and culture. Once reconquered by the Spaniards, Spain has nevertheless preserved and assimilated all these elements to weave a singular and mixed culture. A plural identity in which each of the 17 regions, like each member of a large family, has and cultivates its own part
What would Andalusia be, for example, without flamenco? This music is the face of the region, and fans from all over the world come just to enjoy it in its traditional element. However, keeping in mind its importance, it would be a shame to limit the region to this aesthetic (detailed below)
Andalusia is full of different dances, such as the fandango, which is very well known in the world since it has traveled and integrated the traditional practices of some South American countries. Both a musical style and a traditional couple's dance, the fandango stands out for its lively movements and its continuous rhythm of castanets. With a constantly accelerating tempo, the dancers mark the movement by striking their heels. Also in Malaga, a variant of flamenco is sung and the verdiales are practiced. A primitive and rural form of fandango, the verdiales have evolved very little over time and have retained a rare authenticity and vitality. If groups such as Grupo Folk Migas or Andaraje have largely participated in the transmission of traditional Andalusian aesthetics since the 1980s, the numerous local events have also played an important role. This is especially true of the famous Etnosur Festival. Here, since 1997, during three days, every July, world and traditional music meet to dialogue. A must for those who are visiting during this period.
To the northwest of Andalusia, neighboring Extremadura shares and cultivates many traditions with it, as well as with its other neighbors, Portugal and the region of Castilla y León. The latter together with Madrid and the region of Castilla-La Mancha form a territory rich in folklore. Typical of this region is the seguidilla (or " seguidilla" in Spanish), a lively couple's dance, whose steps are similar to the fandango or the jota. Recognized by its majestic arches, this dance also includes a lot of heel strikes on the floor, marking the rhythm in addition to the castanets. Also, throughout much of the region, a vigorous tradition of music for rondallasthe danzas de palos y de cintas, an ancestral form of warfare using sticks, are still practiced. Not to mention the famous chotis. Introduced in Madrid in the 19th century, the chotis derives from the " schottische" , a Bohemian dance performed in couples, face to face, the woman turning around her partner, the latter turning on himself, all to the sound of a barrel organ
If we go further northwest, we find a trio of regions with a common identity: Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria. Here, the gaïtatriumphs, a famous bagpipe that tells of the Celtic past of the region. Common in the thirteenth century, it declined in popularity thereafter before experiencing a renaissance in the early twentieth century - initiated by the iconic gaitero Perfecto Feijoo - along with the Galician folk revival. Under Franco, the traditional styles had to be more discreet and it was not until the fall of the regime, in 1975, that Galician and Asturian music really took off, enshrined in numerous recordings. At the end of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s, the Galician group Milladoiro became a reference in the world of Celtic music and began to spread the sounds and traditions of the region. A decade later, figures such as Uxía appeared, patron saint of Galician music, whose songs took the genre to more modern lands. Contemporary of the latter, the gaita player and flautist Carlos Núñez emerged, who popularized the musical traditions of the region throughout the world. His album A irmandade das estrelas, released in 1996, sold more than 100,000 copies and received a lot of media attention. Núñez has since become a fixture in the world of Celtic music. Other modern gaiteros include Galician Xosé Manuel Budiño and especially Susana Seivane, who has paved the way for many other female artists in the field. Today, the traditional music of Galicia is in good hands. First those of Mercedes Peón, iconic figure, activist for women's rights and the protection of Galician culture, who mixes tradition with rock or electro. Then those of Baiuca, a producer and musician seeking to preserve the local folklore by marrying it with electronica, house, cumbia or techno. The 1980s and 1990s also saw a revival of traditional Asturian music, led by artists who have become mythical, such as the gaiter José Angel Hevia or the Celtic groups Llan de Cubel, Felpeyu and Tejedor. It is largely thanks to their work that today's Asturian musicians are increasingly present in important events in the field, such as the Festival Interceltique de Lorient
Given the richness of the region's folklore, it is not surprising that there are at least as many dances as traditional music. One of the most famous is the melancholic muiñeira, a dance from Galicia and Asturias that is performed to the sound of the gaïta. Very gallant and playful, it sees dancers form a circle and perform jumps synchronized to the percussion. Carlos Núñez and Susana Seivane have played some memorable muiñeiras. In Asturias, the danza prima is one of the most important. A collective dance in which the members join hands or intertwine their little fingers, forming a circle that turns or moves back and forth. Other Asturian dances include the saltón, respingu, rebudixu, corri-corri and xiringüelu or the pericote. The latter is shared with Cantabria and is considered one of the oldest dances in the country. It is performed in groups of three, usually two women and one man, moving forward and backward in a procession. In Cantabria, the most characteristic dances are the dances of weapons such as the danzas de palillos ("dances of the stick"), the danzas de espadas ("dances of the sword") and the danzas de arcillos ("dances with decorated bows")
For those who want to get to know the Iberian Celtic fever closely, these regions offer two major (and very popular) folklore events: first, the famous Interceltic Festival of Avilés, and second, the International Celtic World Festival of Ortigueira. The latter, usually held in the first two weeks of July, has been declared of international tourist interest and welcomes more than 50,000 visitors each year. Otherwise, many folkloric concerts also take place during religious festivals such as the Feast of the Apostle Santiago in Santiago de Compostela or the Semana Grande de Santander (also around Santiago, July 25).
In the regions of La Rioja and Navarre, the most important folkloric expression is the jota. Although traditionally attached to neighboring Aragon, the jota is a dance practiced in practically the entire country and each region cultivates a variant of it. That said, the Aragonese, Navarrese and Riojan jotas are almost twins, and together they form what is known as the "Ebro jotas", a common style. Both song and dance (mixed), the jota is a spectacular tradition, with its almost acrobatic jumps, its costumes and its frantic castanet rhythms. It can be performed with guitars, bandurrias, lutes, dulzainas (oboes) and drums, and even gaitas. Among the singers, the genre has counted some figures such as Juanito Pardo, Cecilio Navarro and especially José Oto, widely considered the most important artist of the Aragonese jota . Among the female voices, Asunción Delmás, Pilar Gascón and Pascuala Perié are the ones to remember (and listen to). It is quite possible to hear jota during the Sanfermines, the famous festivals of Pamplona, rich in folkloric events or in Jaca, during the Folkloric Festival of the Pyrenees
In the Basque Country, a region with a strong identity, we find a world of varied folk music. One of the most striking characteristics of the region is the importance given to the voice. With a long oral tradition - some recorded melodies date back to the 17th century - the Basque Country still practices a capella singing extensively, and Basque choirs enjoy an international reputation. When not purely vocal, traditional songs may be accompanied by the txistu, the famous three-hole flute played with one hand (the other usually plays a percussion instrument). But the most spectacular Basque tradition is undoubtedly the bertsularisme, a sung improvisation in Basque, a true pillar of the region's culture. In this art, which requires a great intellectual agility, we see an improviser, the bertsolari, versifying on an imposed theme, respecting rhythm and melody. A social and cultural phenomenon, the bertso championships - which have been held since 1935 - can attract up to several tens of thousands of spectators! An ever more popular tradition that plays a fundamental role in the oral transmission of Basque. A name to follow is Maialen Lujanbio Zugasti, the first woman to win the Bertsolari Txapelketa Nagusia in 2009. In Bilbao, the Basque Fest is a great meeting point for Basque culture, offering a taste of Basque culture over four days through literature, gastronomy, sports and of course music. For those who want to get a closer look at the art of bertsolaris, it is advisable to go to the Sala BBK in Bilbao, a former cinema converted into a dynamic cultural platform, or to the Doka Kafe Antzokia in San Sebastian, one of the city's best artistic venues
To conclude this great folkloric tour of the regions: Catalonia. Here, the great folkloric practice is the sardana (" sardana" ). It is the most famous of the traditional Catalan dances, originating from the Costa Brava - and more precisely from the Empordà region. Although the world discovered it during the opening ceremony of the 1992 Olympic Games, the sardana was born in the middle of the 19th century, under the impulse of the musician Pep Ventura. It has remained relatively the same since then and sees dancers - alternating if possible a man and a woman - holding hands in a closed circle and linking short and long steps. The Sardana is always accompanied by the music of the cobla, the emblematic open-air ensemble of Catalonia, usually composed of a dozen musicians and traditional instruments such as the flabiol (recorder), the tenora and the tible (two kinds of oboe) and the tambori (a drum). The other specialty of this town is the havaneres, nostalgic songs in Catalan or Spanish with Creole rhythms, which were originally sung by the sailors as they left for the Cuban War of Independence (1895-1898). They still resound in Calella de Palafrugell, whose Port Bo beach hosts the traditional Cantada d'Havaneres every year. Originating in Barcelona, Catalan rumba is a variant of flamenco rumba with Cuban and mambo influences. It was embodied in the 1960s by Peret, the icon of the genre, as well as Gato Pérez and El Pescaílla. Finally, common to the whole country, the pasodoble is a ballroom dance of military origin whose steps are inspired by bullfighting.
Flamenco
Although it originates from the south of Andalusia, flamenco is the aesthetic that embodies the spirit of Spain, its fever, its passion... in short: the country as a whole. Resulting from the fusion between the gypsy culture and that of the Andalusian world, flamenco is divided into three elements: song, dance and guitar. The rhythms are beaten by the feet and hands of the dancers, whose steps differ depending on whether they are performed by a man (more vigor) or a woman (more softness and sensuality in the movements). Accompanying this passionate dance, the song of great expressiveness expresses the depths of the soul of its performer. One of the best known types of song is the cante jondo, the "deep song" of the Gypsies, with great variations in tone and voice that can only move the listener. Qualifying the oldest songs of the flamenco repertoire, the adjective " jondo"
refers to the origin of the song, as much the depths of the throat as those of the being... The guttural pronunciation announces the raw character of the song.Flamenco is present throughout the country and has regional varieties ( palos), the most famous of which are bulería, soleá, alegría, fandango, jaleo
...Originally performed during religious festivals, ceremonies or private parties, flamenco is performed on stage almost everywhere. In Madrid, for example, flamenco can be seen almost daily at the Café de Chinitas, the Centro Cultural Flamenco De Madrid, the Corral De La Morería (considered "the cathedral of the art of flamenco" in Spain) or at the Casa Patas. Otherwise, the best flamenco dancers, such as Sara Baras or Rocio Molina (two of the most important figures) regularly perform in Madrid theaters such as the Teatro Calderón
.In Seville, as you might expect, there are plenty of options for seeing flamenco on stage. There is La Casa de la Memoria, a cultural center that organizes exhibitions, concerts and conferences on flamenco, the tablao Alvarez Quintero, which offers traditional flamenco shows every night, the Casa Del Flamenco, author shows in an intimate atmosphere, la Casa De La Guitarra, a newcomer to the Sevillian flamenco scene, with sincere and passionate flamenco every night, Esencia, a small traditional bodega on the banks of the Guadalquivir, and Flamenqueria
, located on the same banks, but in Triana.Let's not forget to mention Jerez de la Frontera, a coastal city in the province of Cadiz, considered the cradle of flamenco. Many great names come from here - Antonio Chacón, Manuel Torre, Manuel Moreno Jiménez or Moraíto Chico, to name a few - and this (not so) small town is riddled with great places celebrating the art of flamenco. Starting with the Tablao Flamenco Puro Arte, probably the best flamenco show in town, the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco, located in the beautiful Pemartín Palace and organizing exhibitions, concerts, seminars or conferences on the world of flamenco, Las Cuadras
, a bar located in the former stables of the Countess of Casares' palace and in front of the beautiful church of Saint-Dionysius, with its share of traditional flamenco concerts. These places will be opportunities to see the heirs of the great names of the genre, such as Molina, the idol of the Spanish people in the 1950s and 1960s, Paco de Lucía, considered the best flamenco guitarist of all time, and Camarón de la Isla, revered and listened to throughout the peninsula.Classical music
After the Reconquista, in the 16th century, exchanges between Spain, Flanders and France favored the emergence of a polyphonic singing style. Four composers were the first to place Spain on the world musical map: Mateo Flecha (1481-1553), Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611), Cristóbal de Morales (1500-1553) and Francisco Guerrero (1528-1599). The former is best known for his ensaladas (literally "salads"), works for four or five voices written to entertain the court, while the latter, a Catholic priest, is the most famous polyphonist of the Spanish Renaissance. He was praised many times for the polyphonic perfection and expressive intensity of his work. As for the last two, Francisco Guerrero and Cristóbal de Morales, they are widely considered to be the principal Spanish composers of the period, with a body of work dedicated to sacred music. This is especially true of the latter, who composed numerous motets and achieved international fame. The most remarkable aspect of the Spanish Renaissance is undoubtedly the large number of works written for the vihuela - an instrument related to the lute typical of the Iberian Peninsula - of which the composers Luis de Milano, Alonso de Mudarra or Miguel de Fuenllana are the greatest representatives.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, in addition to the Italian influence of Domenico Scarlatti, Luigi Boccherini and Gaetano Brunetti, residents of the court of Madrid, Spanish music gave birth to one of its most characteristic aesthetics: the zarzuela. Iberian cousin of the French comic opera, this lyrical theater - defined by the alternation of spoken and sung texts - was originally intended to entertain the royal court. During the 18th century, zarzuela spread throughout the country, taking on local traditions and beginning to incorporate everyday subjects into its repertoire.
Spain in the 19th century affirmed its identity through this operetta, which evolved thanks to Francisco Barbier (1823-1894) and Emilio Arrieta (1821-1894), among others, mixing a half-Italian, half-French style with typically Madrid popular accents. In the second half of the 19th century, the genre gained prominence with the masterpieces of Tomas Bretón (1850-1923) and Ruperto Chapi (1851-1909). The musicologist and composer Felipe Pedrell is another important figure in the genre. Today, zarzuela is less popular, but it is still performed extensively, especially at the great Teatro Calderón, which has a large program of zarzuela, and at the aptly named Teatro de la Zarzuela, which is dedicated to it
The revival of Spanish music at the end of the 19th century was to involve the marriage of learned music with national folklore, embodied in the work of three composers who have become emblematic: Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909), Enrique Granados (1867-1916) and above all Manuel de Falla (1876-1946). The latter is the great pianist and composer of the country and is listed in the Spanish Music Hall of Fame. He lived in Paris for a while, where he frequented Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky and was inspired by their modernism to establish a new grammar that was purely Iberian and neoclassical. He was a genius of Spanish music and it is recommended to listen to Le Tricorne (music for ballet) or his opera La Vie brève to fully appreciate its substance. In love with his country, the outcome of the Civil War pushes him to find refuge in Argentina where he will spend his last years
During the Franco period, in the 1940s, the National Orchestra of Spain was created - today the most prestigious ensemble in the country - and figures such as Joaquín Rodrigo (the great classical composer of the period), the immense cellist Pablo Casals (1876-1973) and the fantastic pianist Alicia de Larrocha (1923-2009) emerged. It was also during this period that Enrique Fernández Arbós (1863-1939), a violinist not far from a virtuoso, became famous. He was also the first great Spanish conductor and the first titular conductor of the Madrid Symphony Orchestra.
In the 1960s, the local creation is punctuated by the avant-garde. Cristóbal Halffter and Luis de Pablo, leading figures of the "Generation of 51" movement, brought Spain out of the isolation caused by the dictatorship by introducing new musical techniques such as dodecaphony and serialism. Born in the 1960s, Alberto Posadas has established himself as one of the most prominent Spanish faces of contemporary composition with a body of work inspired by mathematical models, fractal forms and architectural spaces
Since the middle of the 20th century, Spain has offered the world many classical talents: the superstar tenors Placido Domingo and José Carreras, the gambist and conductor Jordi Savall - a superb vigilante who is protecting a fabulous repertoire of early music from the Mediterranean basin from indifference and oblivion - and his ex-wife, the Catalan soprano Montserrat Figueras, who has given new life to this ancient repertoire that is close to being forgotten. In terms of conducting, the Spanish team is equally formidable, with renowned conductors such as Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, who led the Spanish National Orchestra in the 1960s and 1970s, but also led prestigious entities such as the Wiener Symphoniker, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester and the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Pablo Heras Casado (director of the Granada Festival), Josep Pons (the Orquesta Sinfónica del Gran Teatre del Liceu, the oldest in Spain and one of the most prestigious in the world), Antoni Ros-Marbà (Barcelona Symphony Orchestra) and Gustavo Gimeno (Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra). Passed away in 2018, Jesús López Cobos has long been the Spanish face of conducting in the world. And while he is best remembered for his work with the London Symphony Orchestra, he also conducted the Spanish National Orchestra and was also music director of the Teatro Real, which is actually the Madrid Opera (superb programming). On the Catalan coast, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona y Nacional de Cataluña, Barcelona's symphony orchestra, is also one of the most prestigious in the country. Its headquarters are located in the very modern Auditori. This is an opportunity to recall a particular Catalan feature: Wagnerism. A singular manifestation of Art Nouveau, Wagner's work influenced many local musicians in their work during the first quarter of the 20th century. So much so, that Barcelona was considered one of the most "Wagnerian" cities in the world.
Current music
The death of General Franco in 1975 triggered a few years later the Movida, that famous cultural movement of the 1980s where everything seemed to be allowed. Crossing all the arts and advocating a free and intense way of life, the Movida will find a musical incarnation tailored to it: rock. Initially underground, the scene soon found leaders like the group Leño, who became emblematic. Madrid, also the capital of the Movida, saw the creation of a constellation of soon-to-be cult groups such as Radio Futura (often described as the most important group in Spanish pop culture), the synthpop of Aviador Dro or Nacha Pop. Too chic and elitist for some, the Movida also generated an important wave of dark and protesting rock that tried to take its opposite. The famous industrial post-punk band Esplendor Geométrico is the spearhead. A musical counter-history of the Movida that the excellent compilation (released in 2018 by Bongo Joe) La Contra Ola: Spanish Synth Wave & Post Punk 1980-1986 relates very well
Since then, the rock of the Movida, and its furious twin, have made many children, Spain being currently the European country with one of the most effervescent rock scenes. Known and appreciated outside the Spanish borders: the boiling garage rock of the girls of Hinds as well as Los Nastys, The Parrots or the Basques of Belako
The greatest Spanish musical artist of the 21st century is, in the opinion of almost everyone, Rosalia. Acclaimed after a first album, El Mal Querer (2018), where she took flamenco to a sober, minimalist and tense pop Rosalia is slowly propelling herself to the status of global idol thanks to her second album Motomami (2022), which turns reggaeton into a work of art. Nothing less. In her lap, a whole wave of hyper-talented women is taking over Spanish music, led by Bad Gyal, suave autotuned reggaeton, Ms. Nina, reggaeton again, but more eccentric, Nathy Peluso, jazzy hip-hop and Mala Rodríguez, proud voice of local rap
