Andalusia
There is more to Andalusian music thanflamenco, of
which much more later on in the chapter, although it can
be hard to see past the region’s famous style, itself
derivative of other, much older traditions.The region has
a complex musical heritage, which weaves in rhythms,
tones and scales alien to the rest of the country and to
most Western ears. Some explore the sounds of al-
Andalus, notably Luis Delgado who has
set Middle Ages Arabic-Andalusian poetry to his own
music. Delgado often plays the Andalusianoud, an
Eastern ancestor of the lute. Other music draws on
the region’s relationship with Sephardic Jews. For
something folksier listen to Lombarda or Almadraba,
both bands that fall into Spain’s wider roots revival
movement.The band RadioTarifa got away with
combining most of the above – Arabic, Andalusian,
flamencoand Sephardic – to notable worldwide
success until they split in 2003.
A Irmandade Das Estrelas(1996) Carlo Nuñez.
A fine, piped introduction to the collaborative qualities of modern Galician folk.
Rumba Argelina(1997) Radio Tarifa.
Debut effort from a band that gathers the different strands of Andalusian music.
25 Aniversario(1994) Nuevo Mester De Juglaria.
Castilian folk from a large and famous Segovian band.
Desertore(2004) Oskorri.
Eclectic effort from the veterans of traditional Basque music.
Mô(2006) Joan Manuel Serrat.
Catalan language stuff from theNova Cançosinger who has become a national
treasure.
Getting to grips with modern Spanish folk: five albums
175
- Identity: the
building blocks of
2. Literature
and philosophy
3. Art and
architecture
4. Performing
arts
5. Cinema
and fashion
6. Media and
communications
7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
the details of
The drum with
the hole in it
Extremaduran music,
usually a pipe-led affair,
often gets its rhythm
from thezambomba,a
bizarre drum with a stick
that you plunge in and
out of the skin.
Knees up Madre Marrón
Aragón, Valencia,
Extremadura and Castile
have all been snared by
thejota, a dance in a 3/4
rhythm that breeds its
own brand of music,
varying subtly according
to region. Instruments
and songs all differ,
although most versions
seem to feature a
castanet or two. Lyrics
tackle everything from
separatism to sex.
