Traditional music and dance
Island isolation may have helped, but musical and choreographic traditions are particularly well preserved in the Balearic Islands. In fact, some of the local dances are among the oldest in Spain. While many of them mimic real-life scenes inspired by the world of agriculture or mythological episodes, others can be associated with courtship. A case in point is the iconic Ball Pagès, the traditional dance of the Pityuses, also found on Ibiza and Formentera. A choreography that repeats circular movements, it sees the man circling his partner, playing castanyoles (castanets about 15 cm long) as she strides forward, staring at the ground. In addition to their choreographic splendor, the Ball Pagès are distinguished by the beauty of their traditional costumes. The men are generally dressed in black and white, their waists marked with a wide belt, and a red cap hanging over their heads. The women, on the other hand, wear long dresses, veiled hair and their emprendadas, a set of gold, silver or coral necklaces. Theemprendada accompanies the life of young girls, from first communion to puberty, the mother enriching it year after year with new jewels. True family treasures, these necklaces are passed down from generation to generation. The music accompanying the Ball Pagès is generally based on repetitive rhythms of crescendoing intensity.
Ball de bot is another of the archipelago's most famous traditional dances, performed on Mallorca and Menorca. Introduced here in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Ball de Bot mainly comprises the fandango, a couple's dance in which the movement is marked by striking the heel, the jota (or jack), which is similar to the fandango but faster, the bolero, which is fairly slow and calm and divided into several figures, and finally the copeo, danced with dry, fast, lateral steps. There's also the Cossiers dance, one of Mallorca's most popular, symbolizing good versus evil, in which three mixed couples, dressed in white and bright skirts, dance holding a handkerchief and a sprig of basil.
All these dances are generally set to the rhythm of the archipelago's traditional instruments, such as the famous castanyoles mentioned above, the xeremia (a kind of bagpipe), the flabiol (a small five-hole flute) and the espasí (a drum). More rarely integrated into an orchestra, but just as typical of the island, the guitarró is, as its name suggests, a small cousin of the guitar (with 16 or 17 frets, sometimes fewer).
Another of Mallorca's oldest traditions is the singing of the Sybil. Classified as intangible cultural heritage by Unesco, it is sung in every church on the island during midnight mass on December 24. An authentic rite that has preserved its essence over the centuries and continues to be handed down from generation to generation. On Menorca, the glosat, short, improvised sung poetry, is one of the island's most notable musical traditions.
Folklore lovers can enjoy the island's dances at Sant Josep, Sant Miquel, Santa Eulària, Sant Agustí and in most villages during patron saint festivals, such as Sant Bartomeu in Ferreries. Held on August 23 and 24, the festivities of Sant Bartholomé - the village's patron saint - feature folk concerts and parades in traditional costumes. The same goes for Il Primer Domingo de Mayo in Santa Eulària, one of Ibiza's most popular festivals, with floats and dancers in traditional costumes. Also on Ibiza, the Pagès de Sant Mateu d'Albarca Wine Festival, held in mid-December, offers tastings of the region's wines, accompanied by traditional music and dance. Also worth mentioning is Can Casanova, a small bar-grocery in the center of Sant Llorenç, which organizes a baile tradicional every Saturday afternoon, where local Ibizans dress up in their finest costumes and perform traditional island dances until sunset.
Classical music
While the Balearic Islands haven't exactly made their mark on the history of classical music, they have nonetheless contributed some interesting names to the genre. Particularly during the Baroque period, with guitar composer Francesc Guerau (1649-1717) and Antoni Literes (1673-1747), considered the best zarzuela composer of the era. We should also mention Joan Maria Thomàs i Sabater (1896-1966), an organist who studied in Paris and gave numerous concerts between Spain and France. The archipelago also boasts a philharmonic ensemble, the Orquesta Sinfónica de las Islas Baleares (Symphony Orchestra of the Balearic Islands), based in Palma. Founded in 1988, it is directed by Pablo Mielgo and based at theAuditorium. Music lovers visiting in summer will not be disappointed, as the archipelago multiplies the number of events dedicated to classical music during this period. These include the Chopin Festival, with its classical concerts in magnificent surroundings, the Ibiza International Music Festival, a not-to-be-missed event for lovers of chamber music and soloists since 1987 (an international piano competition is held in parallel), and the Festival de Pollença , which each year welcomes the great names of Spanish song, jazz, flamenco and classical music. There's also the excellent Menorca Jazz Festival, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023!
Electronic music
As the world knows, electronic music and (by extension) clubbing are national sports in Ibiza. And while superstars like David Guetta make a lot of noise and local clubbing has become a soulless industry, you can still find good DJs like Black Coffee at Hï Ibiza (which has replaced the iconic Space), Maceo Plex at Amnesia, Carl Cox at Pacha, DJ Harvey at Pikes Ibiza and Paul Oakenfold... just about everywhere. It's worth noting that Paul Oakenfold, a key player in the Ibiza sound, is the originator of balearic beat, a house music genre born in Ibiza in the 1980s/1990s and blending electronic music and psychedelic pop. Very serene and soaring, this music carries the DNA of Ibiza's heyday. Aside from clubbing, local electronic music has also produced things that are a little more refined - and less well known - such as Vacabou, an airy trip-hop duo reminiscent of Air.
