Are you visiting Spain on holiday? Would you like to experience some authentic Spanish folk music? Here we give you the facts & information you should know about folk music in Spain.
Folk Music in Spain
Spain is composed of many different regions with their own historical and cultural backgrounds and nowhere is this more evident than with Spanish folk music. Folk music in Spain varies greatly between the different regions of Spain, with each region of Spain preferring a type of folk music that best reflects local cultural influences.
Galician folk music in Spain
The region in Spain most noted for its folk music is Galicia, which is in the North of Spain and encompasses the town of Santiago. The type of folk music played in this part of Spain has distinct Celtic influences and has been compared in some ways to the folk music of Ireland. The most notable element of this type of Spanish folk music is the use of bagpipes similar to those used in Scottish folk music.
Folk music popularity in Spain
Folk music in Spain is still quite popular despite the prevalence of other more contemporary genres of music in Spain including pop music, rock music and even Spanish rap music. Some of the most famous folk music stars in Spain are treated with the same celebrity status as pop stars of footballers in Spain. A top earning folk musician in Spain can earn salaries that would rival most other celebrities in Spain. The top selling folk music albums in Spain compete with international pop music in the Spanish music charts.
Folk music concerts in Spain
Folk music concerts in Spain can be relatively small or very large affairs. Larger folk music concerts in Spain can draw crowds in the tens of thousands. Folk music concerts in Spain can rival pop music concerts with performers wearing costumes and choreographed dancing and light shows all being part of the show
Folk music fusion in Spain
Part of the reason for the success of traditional folk music in Spain in modern times has been the flexibility and dynamism of some of the top performers of folk music in Spain. Today much folk music in Spain is fused together with Spanish pop or rock music to give it a contemporary feel while keeping alive the long standing tradition of folk music in Spain. Other genres of Spanish folk music that are widely popular both in Spain and abroad include flamenco music & dancing which originated with the Gypsy community in Andalusia and incorporates many Arabian influences.
