Music in Spain

By Evie and Emma

Traditional Music
• Spain's traditional music boasts a huge variety of cultures due to its long and colourful history.
Influences range from indigenous beats to bagpipes to Celtic music.
• Spanish music first flourished when people of all religions lived peacefully. Upon the conquering of
Spain, Catholic renaissance music rose to dominance.
• Flamenco, a very widely known form of traditional dance and music, is a fusion of four
regions; Gypsy, Moorish, Jewish and native Andalusian. The guitar is the main accompaniment with
a clapping rhythm called palmas.
• Under the rule of Dictator France, music began to disappear in the 20th Century when all arts where
banned to create a more uniform, nationalist country. His death in 1975 resulted in a huge revival of
music and celebration
Some types of traditional music
• Jota- Folk dance music and song of Aragon that later spread to other areas.
Percussion music accompanies dancers who hop around.
• Fandango- Until the arrival of Flamenco, Fandango was Spain's most popular form
of dance and music. The lively, energetic, happy dance is traditionally preformed
in pairs.
• Muñeira- Known as 'the millers dance' is a typical dance in Andalucia. The music
accompanying the dance consists of soulful bagpipes.
• Sardana- Danced in a closed circle by several couples joined at the hands, the
sardana is a popular form of traditional Spanish music and dance from Cataluña.
Some examples......
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd4yqtePa-c - Spanish Gypsy
Music
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dz20Sn1dMI - Muñeira
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0YRLvbu6zA - Flamenco
Spanish Instruments

Spain has a wide variety of music which boasts a huge

variety of different instruments. Instruments usually
accompany dancing and parties but also have a history
of being used during renaissance times for religious
music.
Flamenco Guitar
• The Flamenco guitar originated in Andalusia and is used in toque, the
guitar part of the flamenco.
• The Flamenco guitar is similar to a normal guitar but the way it is
played differs from the classic style. Posture, strumming patterns and
techniques are used.
• Players (tocadores) play the guitar between the sound hole and the
bridge to produce a raspy, more harsh sound quality.

Paco de Lucia: King of Flamenco guitar

Castanets
• Castanets are one of the most prominent instruments in Spain.
• Originating from Mediterranean countries, these small, hand held
instruments have been used in music for centuries.
• Traditionally they are made from castano wood but are also made in
metal. They consist of two cups with a curved dip on one side.
• The two discs are drilled together to make a distinctive sound with
one being slightly higher in pitch and the other lower.
• They are typically used in dances where dancers perform both the
dance and the castanets.
Gaito de Saco
• The Gaito de Saco is a type of bagpipe that is native to Spain.
• Traditionally, the instrument was in folk dances in towns and villages
but dropped in popularity as time went on.
• It consists of a single chanter (puntero) with a double reed which
plays the melody, and single drone (ronco), which has a single reed.
• The instrument has seen a revival in recent times as traditionally
dances are being brought back in areas of Spain.
Maracas
• Maracas, also known as rumba shakers, are rattle instruments that
feature heavily in Latin music. They are usually played in pairs, with
one in each hand.
• Traditionally, maracas are made from hollowed and dried gourds.
Today they are more often made from metal or plastic.
• Maracas are integral to Latin American dance bands and are
becoming very popular in modern pop.
• The bean or sand filled maracas are shaken to produce higher and
lower sounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2imepmjQSg
Spanish dance
Paso Doble
• The paso doble is one of the more famous
Spanish dances.
• The paso doble is a fast-paced dance based
on the rhythm and movement of a bullfight.
• It was also used in the Spanish infantry to set
the speed of march, as well as in 18th-century
comedies, although its origins are in fact
French.
• As a ballroom dance it is usually performed in
pairs, one man and one woman, with the
former said to represent the matador – or
bullfighter.
Fandango dance

• The Fandango was developed in the 18th

Century as a dance for couples. You can sing
or dance the Fandango and it is normally
accompanied by a guitar and
either castanets or hand-clapping
• This lively folkdance began life in Andalusia
in Spain.
• The increasing popularity of the Fandango
meant that it became popular among the
upper classes in Spain. Both the aristocracy
in Spain and in Europe found the Fandango
extremely fashionable at this time.
Sevillanas
• Sevillanas are a song and dance from the
Spanish town of Seville, but they are sung
and danced across the Andalusian region.
• Today, Sevillanas is thought all over Spain
and the world.
• This style of dance is perfromed a fiestas of
all kinds throughout spain, but especially
during Feria, when women wear the Traje
Gitanas, the colourful polka-dot dresses
that add a swirling character and grace to
the dance.
Spanish Musicians

Enrique Iglesias
• He was born on the 8th of May 1975, 43 years old,
He is from Madrid.
• His most famous songs Hero and Bailando.