Música Española: getting to know Spain through her music.
 

I thought to start this thread as a way to get to know the cities and & regions of Spain though her music.
Not just flamenco to which I am partial, but all the variations this lovely country has inspired.

Listen with your eyes closed if you can.

<b> Cordoba </b> by Isaac Alb&eacute;niz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRp2p...eature=related

and about the composer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Alb%C3%A9niz

2. Concierto de Aranjuez Part 1
by Joaqu&iacute;n Rodrigo, 1939

Paco de Lucia soloist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxpRVbhWlLI

The very recognizable part 2..

Concierto de Aranjuez


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8LL1...eature=related

Hi amsdon,

The Aranjuez Part 2 is an all time favorite...what a beautiful piece of music! And, a wonderful way to start my day..thank you.

Some music from Galicia, where I live;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-xaCxwww5A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awVphvubV2w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnxAlr2pIgE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj2LfZXpDcw
and one I took myself...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoZ-ZR74ap4

Thanks guys, I agree.

I don't know if enough people realize the wealth of music created by Spanish composers and the fact that so many were inspired by particular settings in Spain.

The Alhambra has inspited numerous pieces.

<b> Recuerdos de la Alhambra</b>
(Memories of the Alhambra) is a was composed in 1896 by Spanish composer Francisco T&aacute;rrega when he was in Granada.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BOj9ZdpSOg

Oops too early I meant &quot;inspired&quot;

Continuing your little musical tour through Spain:

<b>C&aacute;diz</b> has been popping up on these posts more frequently, especially on posts about good seafood. It's largest city, <b>Jerez de la Frontera</b>, has been especially known for sherry, horses, and flamenco.

Many here have asked where one can see flamenco besides tablaos.
Pe&ntilde;as are privately run organizations established for the presevation, development and the simple enjoyment of flamenco. There are many through out Andaluc&iacute;a, in fact throughout Spain. They are lsited on the main flamenco websites such as this one
http://www.deflamenco.com/sitios/indexi.jsp

I used this You Tube clip because of it's great flamenco but also because of it's little informative
slideshow on C&aacute;diz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucIdt...eature=related

<b> Sevilla </b> is known as one of the cradles of flamenco.
Even still one of it's most popular songs/dances is NOT technically flamenco, rather a folk song dervived from another form.
This dance reflects the fun gregarious nature of the people of Sevilla.

Sevillanas is a part song/dance
that is danced in couples, originally as a way to get closer to your partner but nowadays just for the fun of it. It is one of the forms enjoyed by young &amp; old, despite their level of (or lack of) expertise. It has many versions some quite charming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isTQwaqZDJw&amp;NR=1

A cute modern one...can you figure out the words?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63cq0DZAEmk

Whoops should read a &quot;4 part&quot; song / dance. Each part known as a &quot;copla&quot;

So we've covered music inpired by Cordoba, Aranjuez, Galicia, (Thanks Ribeirasacra), Granada, as well as that typical of Cadiz &amp; Sevilla

I'll end this little project now In Huelva as DH is wondering what on earth I've been up to.

One of the beautiful things about flamenco is that even though it has evolved and sometimes even fused with modern music and other cultures (yes there is also RAP), the original pure flamenco is still passed on from generation to generation, as seen in this clip of a pure fandango de Huelva sung by a talented artist of the younger generation.

If you listen carefully you'll hear the pride in being from Huelva
&quot;Viva Huelva Viva Huelva Y su fandango....&quot;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmX2y...eature=related

more on the region of Huelva


http://www.spain.info/TourSpain/Dest...va?language=en

Keeping with a musical tour through Spain I am re-posting some of Maribel's great contibutions from another thread (Hope you don't mind Maribel they lend very nicely to a this compilation)

This heads us north to the Basque Country, Navarra, Galicia, Asturias, Catalunia, &amp; Salamanca.


From her post Maribel said:

&quot;Here's a video of the Jota aragonesa
http://tinyurl.com/9q4bn7

In the Basque Country and Navarra, there's the &quot;aurresku&quot;
http://tinyurl.com/899ebt

Maribel also said:
&quot;We had the aurresku performed at our wedding in Navarra&quot;

In Galicia and Asturias (Celtic Spain), the &quot;mu&ntilde;eira&quot;
http://tinyurl.com/a3xpuc

In Catalunya, the &quot;sardana&quot;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardana

In the province of Salamanca you do have the &quot;Charrada&quot;, which you can see performed in regional costume in the town of Ciudad Rodrigo during the Festival de la Charrada on Easter Saturday (April 11) at 5 pm in the town hall square. There will also be &quot;dulzaineros&quot; who will play a double reed oboe like instrument, the dulzaina (similar to a Breton bombarde) during this annual folkloric festival.

http://tinyurl.com/932m48


Thanks Maribel you are such a wealth of information. Hope you don't mind the pilphering.

<b> Triana</b> is a neighborhood in Sevilla (Andalucia) that has flamenco as it's soul.

Interestingly Triana has inspired
a variety of musical works, some
of which seem to have very little in common with flamenco, other than a certain passion.

<b>&quot; Triana&quot;</b> by Isaac Abeniz was was one such work. Inspired by a city that is so &quot;Spanish&quot; &amp; originated in another century it has a definate modern feel.
An appropriate interpretation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4oEZfLiIEg

I've been busy...continuing our trip through musical Spain here's a clip from a documentary that shows flamenco through the eyes of a non gypsy..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HaXPtiqbtY&NR=1

Do a search in Youtube for Zarzuela, the so-called 'Spanish operetta':
Agua, azucarillos y aguardiente
Doña Francisquita
La Gran Vía
Luisa Fernanda
La del manojo de rosas
El dúo de La africana
El niño judío
La revoltosa
La verbena de la Paloma
…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarzuela

Revulgo's suggestion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNuOd...eature=related

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hOiZ...eature=related

Spanish dance & music is really less about flamenco & more about the regional fokloric music of each area.

The typical costume of Valencia, with its gorgeous detailed designs are very distinctive & it is important to note the accesories as well as the hair.

http://www.portalvalencia.net/fallas/traje-fallera.html



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLx6O...eature=related

More Valencia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awjgP...eature=related

Semana Santa (Holy week) in Spain is filled with processions music. The "saeta", the song sung acapella in flamenco style to the Virgin

I like this home made video I found on you tube because you can see the tranasition from the procession's music & mood & then just feel without really seeing the other people how the saeta slowly overtakes the crowd with her emotional "saeta".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFq6TeZpb4k