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The gypsies and their complex musical tradition, though they are often associated with Spanish culture in general, are in fact the creation of one region, Andalusia. Spain’s other regions each have unique folk styles. These are often defined by instruments used as much as by what is played.
The music of Aragon, for example, is noted for the use tambourines, flutes, castanets, and a certain percussive instrument that possibly is North African in origin. Northwestern styles are characterized by a tradition of bagpipe music, chant songs, and circle dances. In the regions of Leon, Castile, and Madrid, song and instrument have retained a mix of influences from all of the gypsies, the Jews, and the Moors, to name just a few.
Taken as far back as it goes, the Spanish musical tradition might be said to have begun in Roman times, when the great conquerors introduced any number of concepts from the ancient Greeks. The Christians developed their own musical forms during this time, although these were much influenced by Roman culture. The Visigoths, who overran Spain at the fall of the Roman Empire, brought with their ritual chants. The Jewish people of Spain developed a style in close connection to the Moorish or Arab tradition. The sounds of the Moors have been inspiration to folksingers from just before the middle-ages through the early Renaissance, and are today still heard in the south of Spain.
Under the imperial standard of the Empire, the Romans systematically imposed the Roman rite, stamping out independent religious development and its sacred music where possible. By comparison, the general religious tolerance characteristic of Moorish Al-Andalus permitted culture in all its forms to blossom and flourish. Christian and Judaic music ritual found expression, and even inspiration, in Islamic Spain. Arabic music greatly influenced popular song styles during this time. When the Northern Christians of the Reconquista finally achieved their dream, they made great attempts to ban all public performance of Moorish music.
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At the start of the Renaissance, instrumental music was still influenced by the Moorish style. In the mid 16th century, as part of the Holy Roman Empire under Charles V, Spain was introduced to the “classical” styles of Italian and German composers. However, by the end of the 17th century the trend was receding and musical creativity moved into folk and popular styles until “classicism” was revived in the 19th century.
Spanish folk music has long revolved around the sounds of the guitar. Popular composers of guitar music from the 18th and up to the 20th century include Francisco Tarrega, Dionision Aguado, and Fernando Sor. Composing in the folk style during Romantic Era were Joaquin Rodrigo, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Jesus Guridi, and Isaac Albeniz.
By the mid 21th century, Spanish popular music was beginning to come of age. The 50s arrived to the tune of British and American rock and roll, and it was not long before Spanish musicians developed a homegrown version. The Spanish music industry rose on the founding of large music festivals, inspired by similar events in Italy. Many of Spain’s first pop performances took place on festival stages, and often performers went on to further fame with audiences across the country. Julio Iglesias was among the first of these artists to achieve success after initially charming a festival crowd.
Arguably Spain’s most distinctive musical style, Flamenco is characterized by the passionate rhythms and dark, painful lyrics which developed in direct response to the hardships endured by the Moriscos, the descendents of Moorish culture who remained after the last Muslim stronghold fell in 1492. Flamenco history encompasses an initially peaceful surrender by the Andalusian people under the Treaty of Granada. A treaty not to be upheld, however, Muslims and Jews who refused conversion to Christianity were at one point systematically executed, while those who did convert continued to suffer persecution. The lyrical soul of traditional flamenco takes its brooding character from these times.
In the lower and working class communities of Andalusian Spain, all the ethnicities – Latin, Morisco, Jewish and Gypsy – played a part in preserving, shaping, and strengthening flamenco music.Though many equate flamenco with dance, song is in fact the essence of flamenco. Sung with a decidedly strong, even harsh, vocal quality intended evocative of historic suffering, themes include the despair, hardship, hope, and pride of the people in times of struggle.
Flamenco is defined also by the sharper sounds of the flamenco guitar (as well as by specific methods and patterns of guitar playing). Born in Spain in the 15th century, the guitar enables nearly perfect expression in flamenco. Melodic acoustic guitar solos are traditionally rendered on the spot by the performer, and without prior composition.
Though more than several dozen specific palos (styles) exist, in broadest definition flamenco can be separated into two prominent styles, canto chico (light song) and canto jondo (deep song). The first is fast and dance oriented, the other much slower. The poetic themes of canto jondo are recognizable to fans of American blues – a deep sadness over love lost and death.
The modern Spanish singer-songwriter finds inspiration in the many traditional style Spanish music, but also in American music and in the music of Latin America. Some popular artists of contemporary Spain include Ramoncin, Antonio Molina, Luis Eduardo Aute, David Bisbal, Paco Ibanez, El Chivi, Loquillo, and Enrique Morente.
The raspy, but sexy voiced Alejandro Sanz, has stood out most recently for his sound that is a mixture of old and new styles. Sanz grew up in the Andalusian countryside, and it was here that he was first inspired to pick up the guitar. Greatly inspired by the legendary Paco de Lucia, he began his career singing De Lucia’s songs as a youth, all day long, to whomever would listen.
Himself a native of Algeciras in the province of Cadiz, the legendary Paco de Lucia has credited his father Antonio Sanchez, elder brother Ramon de Algeciras, and master flamenco guitarist Niao Ricardo as his primary inspirations.
