Folk music from Spain

A series of rhythms spread throughout the peninsula that, over time, varied becoming different in each region or disappeared in some and remained particular to others, as is the case of the jota, which many people believe is particular to Aragon, being a dance that is interpreted in almost the entire peninsula. In general, the manifestations understood as folk music or music of traditional transmission have their origins in the period between 1800 and 1950. There are few occasions in which it is possible to trace Baroque or Renaissance origins, as is the case of some dances linked to religious rituals. If attributing medieval beginnings to certain repertoires is already risky, claiming Greek, Iberian, Celtic or Phoenician origins denotes ignorance or a lack of musicological professionalism.

Among the most important types we must highlight the cante deep, cante jondo or flamenco, the copla, the cuplé, the fandango, the isa canaria, the jota, the muñeira, the paloteos or balls de bastons, the pasodoble, the pardiscas, the rebolada, the sardana, the verdiales and the Danza Prima.

Andalusia

Although its best-known music is flamenco, Andalusia has a very important folk music: fandango (including the peculiar fandango of Huelva), granadinos, malagueñas, saeta, sevillana, seguidillas, soleares, tango, etc. It is also necessary to mention the importance of the extension of the popular ballads, as well as the traditional songbook, whether profane (work songs, children's songs, carnival...) or religious, as well as a very varied and interesting body of popular dances.

Own instruments are the flute and the drum, the guitar and the castanets from western Andalusia and as a group it is worth highlighting the Verdiales panda (rondalla of plucked strings, violin and percussion) from Malaga.

Since the 80s there has been an important renewal of traditional music in Andalusia with the contributions of different formations such as Grupo Folk Migas, Andaraje, Almadraba, Lombarda, Aliara, Contradanza, etc.

In addition, the Andalusian Community has important festivals focused on folk and ethnic music such as Etnosur (Alcalá La Real, Jaén), Parapanda folk (Illora, Granada), Appointment with the folk music of Jódar (Jaén), Muestra of traditional music from Pozoblanco (Córdoba)...

In terms of music, Eastern Andalusia and the Region of Murcia are quite similar.

On the other hand, Sephardic music continues to be cultivated by artists such as Aurora Morena, Luís Delgado and Rosa Zaragoza.

Aragon

Aragonese music is characterized by a dense percussive rhythm, to which some attributed North African (Berber) origin.

The guitarro, a small guitar that can also be found in the Region of Murcia, could be of Aragonese origin.

The jota, currently spread throughout the country, may have originated in southern Aragon. The instruments used in the jota include castanets, tambourines, bandurrias and flutes.

Among the popular dances, paloteos (palotiaus) and dances (ritual dances) stand out, accompanied with traditional instruments such as dulzaina, boto bagpipes, chiflo and psaltery or chicotén, and Ribagorza horn.

In addition, with all the aforementioned instruments, popular danceable themes can be interpreted throughout Aragon: waltz, polka, mazurka, jota, pasodoble, etc. The tamborradas of Bajo Aragón like the one in Calanda are highly renowned celebrations and tourist attractions.

There is a wide variety of folk groups in Aragon. Among them La Ronda de Boltaña, Biella Nuei, La Orquestina del Fabirol, Los Dulzaineros del Bajo Aragón, Zicután, La Birolla and Lurte. Thanks to them, a music that is as new as it is old is being recovered and that came to be almost completely swallowed up by the popular Aragonese Jota.

Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria

Asturian traditional dance couple.

Dumpsters.

Northwestern Spain (Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria) is home to a rich tradition of bagpipe music that some connect with Celtic music, due to different very similar Atlantic cultural traditions in the area. Today all the languages of the region are derived from Latin, but local festivals celebrating Celtic heritage are very important.

• In Galicia the instrumental set of gaita and drummer constituted one of the preferred groups of the local public. Pandereteiras groups are another characteristic traditional grouping. A specific form of Galician music are the so-called alalas, songs that some related to Gregorian singing that may contain instrumental interludes. Although rhythmically many of them relate to the jota, some imaginative dilemmas did not hesitate to attribute them Greek origin or songs of remo phenicias. In the folk field stands out the Milladoiro group. The virtuous of the gaita Carlos Núñez is recognized worldwide. Particularly outstanding is the International Celtic World Festival of Ortigueira.

• In Asturias as in Galicia, the circular dances at a pandereta rhythm in 6/8 are a common feature. The vocal style of the so-called "sturdy", ornamented with abundant melismas, recalls that of other areas of the Iberian peninsula. From Asturias come the famous gaitero José Ángel Hevia and the group of « Celtic music» Llan de Cubel, recognized worldwide. The festivals abound like the "Folixa na Primavera (for the month of April in Mieres), the Interceptual Festival of Avilés (month of July in Avilés and region), and the recently introduced " Celtic nights" throughout Asturias.

• The folklore of Cantabria presents a great variety along its valleys with complicated dances of spears or doves, popular forms such as the pericote lebaniego or jotas montañesas or religious like picayos. There was a rich tradition of vocal music where the characteristic mountainous tone stands out with the voice alone or accompanied by gaita, rounds, flange bites accompanied by rabel and pandereteras. A quite popular instrumental grouping is the one formed by a drum and an acute clarinet called locally as mountain pitu. Other traditional aerophones have been the gaita, expanding, and the vocalaine, the silbu or the albogues already in disuse. Cantabria folk music has not had the same projection on the outside as the Galician or Asturian, although Cantabria has also lived since the 1970s the current of recovery with groups such as Ibio, Luétiga or Atlantean and a multitude of festivals highlighting the Orejo Interceltic Festival.

Balearic Islands

The xeremiers or colla de xeremiers form a traditional grouping of flabiol (a one-handed five-hole flute) and xeremies (bagpipes).

Heavily influenced by traditional music, singer Maria del Mar Bonet is one of the most important voices in Spain. Tomeu Penya, Miquela Lladó, Biel Majoral and Joan Bibiloni are also popular.

Canary Islands

On the islands of the Canary archipelago, rope rondallas are very popular. The timple, a small chordophone related to the cavaquiño and other guitars from the Iberian Peninsula, has performers of great virtuosity. Characteristics of the island of El Hierro are the groups of pito herreño (a transverse wooden flute) and drums. Some ritual dances on the island of Tenerife are accompanied by the sound of the flute and the drum played by the same musician. Carnival music has a great Cuban influence.

Some popular dances in the Canary Islands are:

• Isa
• Followed
• Tajar
• Candil Dance
• Ribbon dance
• Danza de Enanos
• El Santo Domingo
• The Tanganillo
• Folia
• Malagueña

Castilla y León, Madrid and La Mancha

The area has been open to diverse musical influences throughout its history, which is reflected in its extraordinary variety today and makes any reductive stereotype difficult, although the most autochthonous forms seem to be the carol and the seguidilla.

León and Zamora, with a common linguistic substratum with Miranda do Douro and Asturias, even have common features with Galicia. The bagpipe was used in these areas and in the north of Castile until the beginning of the XX century. The use of chifla and tamboril by the same interpreter has a rich traditional repertoire, especially in Salamanca.

In almost the entire area there is a vigorous tradition of music for dulzaina and string rondallas. Among the popular dance rhythms are the charrada to the beat of 5/8, the wheel dances, the jota and the green beans. As in other areas of the Iberian Peninsula, ritual paloteos are practiced. Although it shares many of the characteristics mentioned, Madrid is especially associated with chotis, a dance of Central European origin that was danced in the XIX century characteristically to the sound of the organ.

Catalonia

Although the usual cliché reduces the traditional dance to the sardana played by a cobla, there is a great variety of paloto or stick dance, ball de gitanes and cercaviles (passacaglia). The flabiol (five-hole flute played with drum accompaniment by the same performer) and the dulzaina have their own repertoires. The sardanística cobla makes use of them and other peculiar wind instruments such as the tibla and the tenora. The sac de gemecs, a bagpipe with a peculiar morphology, has recently experienced renewed interest.

The habaneras or havaneres are melodies of Afro-Cuban origin and binary compás very widespread in choral practice. Among the popular celebrations with great prominence of percussive musical elements, the Patum de Berga should be mentioned.

Extremadura

Extremadura has common points with Portugal, Andalusia and Castilla y León, especially the western fringes of the latter two (western Andalusia and the Kingdom of León), although Extremadura has a rich autochthonous folklore that sinks its roots in its songbook and his ballads There is a wide repertoire of dance music for three-hole flute (here called "gaita") and tambourine, as well as an inexhaustible tradition of rondallas with infrequent chordophones. As in other areas, the dances include the jota, the fandango and the paloteos. Vocal styles are enormously varied and can oscillate between starkly understated and exuberantly ornamented. As in neighboring areas of the western fringe, melodies in a minor mode predominate over melodies in a major mode, with Andalusian or oriental minor scale melodies also being considerable, which gives Extremadura music a melancholic and serious air. although in dance melodies this factor is not usually given so much. The folklore of the Olivenza area has a Portuguese influence, including the famous dance of the olive oil lamp. As in Andalusia and Murcia, flamenco is appreciated and cultivated, Extremadura being associated with styles such as jaleos from Extremadura or tangos from Extremadura. Topically, the use of the zambomba used to be associated with Extremadura. In fact, as in Andalusia, the repertoire of Christmas carols and songs is remarkably voluminous.

Region of Murcia

In this kind of music, the maintenance of live folklore stands out (which preserves its popular and spontaneous character) played by the bands of souls and the Auroros. Regarding the instrumentation, the guitars stand out, as they are instruments directly inherited from the Baroque.

La Rioja and Navarre

In La Rioja and Navarra the most representative folkloric manifestation is the jota, with the subgenres of Navarra and Riojan jota. Which, together with the Aragonese, form the so-called "jotas del Ebro" since these three varieties are related to each other. The jotas del Ebro are one of the most characteristic of this musical genre in Spain. In these regions they are sung with white clothing, a handkerchief and a red sash.

As for the musical instruments used to interpret this musical style, the Navarrese bagpipe, popular in both regions, stands out among others, as well as the accordion.