Spain is located in the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Portugal, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France. The Spanish territory includes mainland Spain in the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in northern Africa.
Spain has a rich history and diverse folk music traditions. The two best known musical genres from Spain are Flamenco and Celtic music, although Spain has many other musical styles and dances throughout its mainland and island regions.
Southern Spain (Andalusia, Extremadura and Murcia), along with Madrid, are the principal areas where flamenco flourishes. Spain’s capital, Madrid has one of the largest and best Flamenco scenes in the country in terms of artists, nightclubs (tablaos), concerts, and festivals.
Top flamenco artists include: Agustin Henke, Alonso Núñez Heredia – “El Purili”, Antonio Losada, Antonio Malena, Antonio Reyes Montoya, Arcángel, Bernarda de Utrera, Carlos Piñana, Camarón de la Isla, Capullo De Jerez, Carles Benavent, Carmen Linares, Cepillo (Ángel Sánchez), Chambao, Chicuelo, Daniel Casares, David Carmona, David de Jacoba, Diego Amador, Diego Carrasco, Diego “El Cabrillero”, Diego ‘El Cigala’, Dolores La Agujeta, Duquende, El Cabrero, El Chocolate, El Indio Gitano, El Pele, El Polaco, El Potito, El Torta, Enrique De Melchor, Esperanza Fenandez, Estrella Morente, Ezequiel Benitez, Fernando De La Morena, Fernando Terremoto, Guadiana, Gerardo Núñez, Israel Fernández, José Antonio Rodríguez, José Jiménez Abadía, El Viejín, Jerónimo Maya, Jorge Pardo, José Menese, José Mercé, Juan Habichuela Nieto, Kiki Morente, La Barberia del Sur, La Niña de los Peines, La Paquera de Jerez, La Susi, Lela Soto, Lucky Losada, Manolo Franco, Manolo Sanlucar, Manuel Flores, Manuel Soto Monje, Manzanita, María José Llergo, Maria Terremoto, Marina Heredia, Mario Escudero, Marta Heredia, Mayte Martin, Miguel Angel Cortés, Miguel Poveda , Niña Pastori, Niño de Pura, Niño Josele, Paco de Amparo, Paco de Lucia, Paco Fernández, Paco Peña, Paco Soto, Pedro Heredia Reyes, Pedro El Granaino, Pepe Habichuela, Pitingo, Rafael Riqueni, Ramón El Portugués, Ramón Montoya, Rancapino Chico, Raul Rodriguez, Ray Heredia, Razón de Son, Ricardo Miño, Rosario Lazo Montoya “Reina Gitana”, Segundo Falcón, Tomás de Perrate, Tomatito, Vicente Amigo, and Vicente Soto “Sordera”.
Flamenco jazz artists include Chano Domínguez, Chico Perez, Diego Amador, Dorantes, Maria Toro, Pedro Ricardo Miño, and Sergio Monroy.
For more in depth information about flamenco, visit All About Flamenco.
Meanwhile, Celtic music is primarily found in northwestern Spain, in Galicia and Asturias, although Celtic music acts can be found throughout the rest of the country.
Neofolk Scene
A new wave of Spanish folk music developed during the 2000s and is gaining prominence, mixing traditional sounds with modern influences. Known in some circles as “neofolk,” this movement revives traditional music from various of Spain while integrating electronica, pop elements.
Notable artists include Nacho Prada, born in 1993, who developed a passion for traditional Castilian music through his parents, who were part of a folk group in Burgos; Guille Jové, who released his album La Memoria del Barro, featuring songs like a jota tribute to the now-submerged town of Riaño. Meanwhile, the band El Naán from Palencia incorporates ancient rhythms and instruments with contemporary textures, while Sandra Zamora’s project Zarzamora, rooted in protest music, explores themes of justice and unity in a multidisciplinary style.
Spanish neofolk is growing through projects like the Galician trio Tanxugueiras, who have popularized a new form of Galician folk-pop, mixing traditional vocal and percussion styles with contemporary sounds, and gaining recognition at events like Benidorm Fest.
Other innovative artists include Karmento, from La Mancha, who infuses her folk music with personal reflections on identity and heritage, connecting folk traditions with modern life.
The list of essential artists continues with a band from La Rioja, Tündra, founded in 2013, who combine traditional sounds with electronic elements and powerful guitars, creating an experimental and imaginative take on folk music. Discography: Folk Ancestro Sideral (2013), Bastardüs (2017), Voces del desarraigo (2020).
Vallarna. Formed by three musicians from Castilla and one from Cantabria in 2008, Vallarna combines long-standing careers in folk music with a deep connection to regional traditions. The group features Javier Román “el Niñu,” a rabelista (rabel player) and violinist; Arturo Rodríguez, a dulzainero; Carlos Martín Aires, a guitarist and bouzouki player; and Jesús Enrique Cuadrado, a veteran guitarist. Discography: Km. 90 (2008), Pimentón Puro (2017) and Balas y Fuego (2022).
Emerging artists like Casapalma, Caamaño&Ameixeiras, Cabra, Guitarricadelafuente, Baiuca, Alxaraf, Carola Ortiz, Blanca Altable, and Lia Sampai are propelling traditional sounds to new heights of popularity in contemporary Spain.
Together, these artists represent the versatility and vitality of Spanish folk, bringing its traditions into dialogue with the present while appealing to a new generation.
Andalusian Music
Andalusia is a region in southern Spain. Notably, essential Andalusian musical genres include Flamenco, folk dances such as sevillanas (Seville), verdiales (Malaga), seguidilla and Flamenco-rooted rock known as rock andaluz (Andalusian rock).
Musical instruments used in Andalusia include the flamenco guitar, the gaita rociera (also known as flauta rociera or pito rociero), tamboril, castanets, laúd (lute), gaita gastoreña, cajón flamenco and bandurria.
Arab Andalusian (música andalusí) is the term use to define the classical Arabic music of Medieval Al-Andalus, which was the name given to Muslim-occupied Spain as well as current North African classical Arabic music. After the end of Moorish rule in 1492, the Arab Andalusian musical tradition migrated to the large cities of North Africa, such as Fez, Tlemcen, Algiers, Constantine, and Tunis.
Andalusian Folk Music artists: Aliara, Javier Ruibal.
Asturian Music
Asturias is a region in northern Spain. Asturian music (música asturiana) is considered part of Spain’s Celtic music scene. Musical genres include: pasacáis/pasacalles, muñeires, muliñeira/molinera, rondas/rondes, saltón, alborada, marcha, fandango, jota/xota, and habanera. Musical instruments used include the gaita asturiana (Asturian bagpipe), drums and accordion.
The most famous Asturian artist is piper and electronic bagpipe inventor Hevia (José Ángel Hevia Velasco). His first album, Tierra De Nadie, released in 1999, was a hit in Europe and went triple platinum in Spain.
Other top Asturian acts include Llan de Cubel, Eva Tejedor Mier, Felpeyu, Tejedor, Xuacu Amieva.
Extremaduran Music
Extremadura is a region in western Spain, bordering Portugal, which is an autonomous community comprised of the provinces of Caceres and Badajoz.
Traditional music found in Extremadura includes secular and religious songs and dances such as jotas, perantones, pasacalles, alboradas, toques procesionales (processional music), ofertorios, charrás, pindongos, tonadas festivas, alboradas and toreras.
There is an important flamenco scene that includes top performers at a national level.
Traditional groups in the Alta Extremadura (Upper Extremadura) use the format of gaita (a three hole flute, not the bagpipe), tamboril (drum) and vocals.
Spanish musical genres:
Arin arin – Ancient circle dance from Bilbao, in Spain’s Basque Country. Men and women who participate in pilgrimages dance it in couples. Also known as porrusalda, purrusalda, or porrue.
Arrolo – Spanish lullaby from the Galicia region.
Arroró – Spanish lullaby, also found in Spanish-speaking America.
Arrullos – A type of lullabies found in Spain and Spanish-speaking America. Arrullos are sung by mothers or nannies while holding the baby in their arms, or when they are rocking the baby in a cradle to sleep.
Añada – Lullabies from Asturias.
Bolero – The bolero is a traditional Spanish musical air and dance at 3/4. The bolero parado is a type of bolero from the Balearic Islands (Spain). The name parado (stopped) comes from the abrupt end of the dance. In Cuba, Spanish influences mixed with African elements gave birth to the Cuban bolero, a very slow 4/4 rhythm, accompanied by maracas and bongos. Bolero Viejo (old bolero) is a type of bolero from Spain. In the Balearic Islands it is sometimes known as bolero vell. Boleros are popular in Spain and Spanish-speaking America.
Calvario – Spanish Easter songs. Calvario means calvary in Spanish.
Folia – Dance and rhythm from the Canary Islands. The dance has a lot in common with the mainland Spanish fandango. The couplets are usually sad or melancholic, a type of longing, etc. It is also danced in a circle, although there are some variants in a row (for example in the islands of El Hierro and Gran Canaria) with very elegant gestures that recall the ancient Spanish court dances.
Jota – Folk dance and song of Aragon, Spain, that spread to other parts of Spain. Performed usually by one or more couples and consisting of hopping steps in 3/4 time. The jota de la vendiminia is a wine harvest jota dance from Ciudad Real (Castile-La Mancha). Guitar, bandurria and percussion accompany the dancers.
Muñeira – Traditional Galician song and dance, also known as muiñeira. The muñeira is accompanied by gaita (bagpipe), tamboril (drum) or redoblante, pandereta (tambourine), pandero (frame drum), bombo, charrasco and sometimes conchas (sea shells), which are also known as cunchas or vieiras (scallop shells). The muñeira has been adopted by many contemporary Galician folk groups and recreated with new arrangements. Variations include muñeira do Espantallo, muñeira ribeiriña, muñeira carballesa and muñeira redonda.
Other Spanish musical genres: chotis (Madrid), ensalada, fandango, farruca, sardana, sevillanas (Seville), verdiales (Malaga).
Aragonese Music
Balearic Folk Music
Basque Folk Music
Canary Island folk music
Beselch Rodríguez, Domingo Rodriguez “El Colorao”
Castilian Folk
Aljibe, Espliego, La Musgaña, María Salgado, Tradere
Catalan Music
Galician Folk Music
Anxo Lorenzo, Berrogüetto, Camerata Meiga, Carlos Núñez, Citania, Chouteira, Cristina Pato, Doa, Fía na Roca, Leilia, Matto Congrio, Mercedes Peon, Milladoiro, Muxicas, Na Lúa, Rodrigo Romaní, Susana Seivane, Uxia, Xosé Manuel Budiño
Gypsy Rumba (rumba gitana)
Murcian Folk Music
Azarbe, Juan José Robles and Manuel Luna
Sephardic
World Music – Flamenco Fusion – World Fusion – Mestizaje – Contemporary Folk
Amparo Sanchez
Ana Alcaide
Ariadna Castellanos
Benjamin Escoriza
Buika
Canteca de Macao
Ea!
Eduardo Niebla
Efrén López
elbicho
Javier Paxariño
Ketama
La Bruja Gata
L’Ham de Foc
Manuel Iman
Mártires del Compás
Ojos de Brujo
Pata Negra
Radio Tarifa
Tito Alcedo
