[the Canary Islands are not show in this map]

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. 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.

Andalusian Music

celebrated Flamenco singer Carmen Linares

Andalusia is a region in southern Spain. 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 include the flamenco guitar, the gaita rociera (also known as flauta rociera or pito rociero), tamboril, castanets, laúd, 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 Spain in 1492, the Arab Andalusian musical tradition migrated to the large cities of North Africa, such as Fez, Tlemcen, Algiers, Constantine, and Tunis.

Asturian Music

Asturias is a region in northern Spain. Asturian music is considered part of Spain’s Celtic music scene. Musical genres include: pasacáis or pasacalles, muñeires, muliñeira or molinera, rondes, saltón, alborada, marcha, fandango, jota or 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.

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.

Exttremaduran folk band Acetre

Flamenco

Flamenco was born in Andalusia and is also very popular in Extremadura and Murcia. Spain’s capital, Madrid has one of the largest and best Flamenco scenes in the country in terms of artists, nightclubs, concerts and festivals.

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).

Spanish Musicians

Directory of Spanish musicians involved with traditional Spanish folk music, flamenco or world music:

Andalusian Folk Music

Aliara, Javier Ruibal

Aragonese Music

Biella Nuei

Asturian Folk Music

Eva Tejedor Mier, Felpeyu, Hevia, Tejedor, Xuacu Amieva

Balearic Folk Music

Pere Joan & Manel Martorell

Basque Folk Music

Alboka, Kepa Junkera

Canary Island folk music

Beselch Rodríguez, Domingo Rodriguez “El Colorao”

Castilian Folk

Aljibe, Espliego, La Musgaña, María Salgado, Tradere

Catalan Music

Companyia Electrica Dharma

Flamenco

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
Vicente Soto “Sordera”

Flamenco Jazz

Chano Domínguez, Chico Perez, Diego Amador, Dorantes, Maria Toro, Pedro Ricardo Miño, Sergio Monroy

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)

Peret, Rosario

Murcian Folk Music

Azarbe, Juan José Robles and Manuel Luna

Sephardic

Rosa Zaragoza, Ana Alcaide

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

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