Funny nobody has pointed out the fact that Paulina Rubio is Mexican and not Spanish...

Spanish music is very heterogeneous. The general idea is that we all play the guitar and enjoy flamenco over here. But flamenco (an art I like very much) is just popular in Andalucía and maybe some areas of Murcia. There are very good, excellent pop and rock music groups, that regrettably sing in Spanish (or BAsque, or Catalan) and are mostly locally known. I´ve always thought that if they were from the US or British many of their songs would be known worldwide.

So, a small and ecclectic list of popular pop/rock music groups:

- La Oreja de Van Gogh
- Fito & Fitipaldis (most popular currently)
- Mecano (top sellers in the 80s and 90s)
- Miguel Bosé
- Loquillo
- El Último de la Fila
- Pereza
- Alaska y Dinarama
- Mocedades
- Amaral
- Estopa
- Héroes del Silencio
- Malú
- Pastora Soler
- Melendi

And down here, two videos I particularly like (quite dramatic and moving the first one)

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvJxSnYWdp0, a song by Anne Etchegoyen, a Basque French lady, in a very moving video singing a popular song by Mikel Laboa (died 2008), the same song sung by Mikel, with the San Sebastian Choir, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtZXavurBcE

Saludos,

Mikel

A more modern singer is Joaquin Sabina. Look him up on YouTube.

But yes, asking about Spanish music is like asking what it's American music.

Excellent version of Laboa's Txoria Txori by Anne Etchegoyen, Mikel, but Mikel Laboa is the best ;-)

And here is Joan Baez performing the same song in the Vista Alegre bullring in Bilbao (1988): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63GO1URJKOs

Here is the beautiful lyrics in a bad English translation:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/txoria-tx...joan-baez.html

Salve Rociera:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvXe3t2TNlc
The Anne Etchegoyen version suggests that the South is also in the North: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mooritaRB-U

you might google alan lomax spanish field recordings. the famous folklorist recorded real "folk" performing their music

And "Adagio a mi pais", by the cantautor Alfredo Zitarrosa from Uruguay, and Merecedes Sosa's "Todo cambia" are very popular among aproximately 28 % of the Spanish since yesterday ;-)
http://www.elpais.com.uy/mundo/adagi...tudinaria.html

In my opinion, Concerto de Aranjuez is the loveliest, and by far the greatest piece of music ever written, in any language or matter. Click on the "Aranjuez" site on Google, and you will see a history of the piece, and also the story of Rodrigo, the composer. Very interesting.

Waldo, the Adagio from Concierto de Aranjuez in Paco de Lucia's version: http://www.lacasadelflamencosevilla.com/

Kimhe- I'm not Spanish--can I listen to Paco de Lucia's version on the site you mention? I don't feel bad that I'm so enamored of this piece of music because it's Spanish. Being Spanish is close to being Italian.

Sorry, Waldo, of course I gave the wrong link. Here's Paco with the Adagio from the Concierto de Aranjuez and more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9RS4biqyAc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhO5OSLZjl8

Kimhe-- I don't know why, but anytime I hear this lovely piece of music, I'm close to being brought to tears. Even Andrea Bocelli, who I think STINKS, cannot butcher up this music, that's how great it is. He screams the tune, but he cannot destroy it! It seems to me, that the music transcends the performing artist. The version by Andre Reiu is also great. Anyone (except Bocelli) seems to rise above themselves when performing this tune. That's how great it is. I'm an old time swing music fan, and I always said that Artie Shaw never made a bad record. That's how he brought out his talent above the selection. I feel that opposite, the performance of this piece enhances any artist that performs it. By the way, Sarah Brightman's rendition is great. I have to say, also, that Miles Davis, a great jazz artist, and no slouch to musical history, once said that this was the greatest piece of music he ever heard.

I assume by now, you think I like the tune!!

:-)

Carlos Saura's excellent movie "Iberia" from 2005 displays all of Isaac Albéniz masterpiece "Suite Iberia" (1905-1909): Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqutTEJR-4g

Some of my favourite parts:
Evocacion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARhj...E38FEDAAF1F865
Granada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWWR...E38FEDAAF1F865
El Albaicin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIhP...E38FEDAAF1F865
El Puerto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBay...E38FEDAAF1F865
Corpus Sevilla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIhP...E38FEDAAF1F865
Sevilla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j3T...1F865&index=18

... and this is the correct link to Corpus Sevilla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbB0...1F865&index=10

And we must definitely add Alberto Iglesias (San Sebastian, 1955). He has made magnificent pieces for Almodovar's movies among many other things. A couple of my favourites from the Spanish Ennio Morricone.

Volver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgWw1KIrkhQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABSvppyQGdE
El Faro (from Julio Medem's Lucia y el sexo/Sex & Lucia): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8xigV9vEvE
Soy Marco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyrpu45owQs
El Cigarral: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJV9YMswjfY
Los abrazos rotos/Broken embraces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LRkUKCQI64

Going back a bit, a classic piece of Catalan music:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T8DjwLt_c4

Or you could try any of Victoria de los Angeles' recordings of Spanish songs:
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...+spanish+songs

And there's no end of zarzuela music around:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6dfOUg9zEc

How can all you people consider all those relatively good Spanish musical compositions when Concierto Di Aranjuez, with all its glory,is out there gracing this tawdry world?