OUR SCHOOL: SAN JUAN BAUTISTA – LA SALLE

SPANISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND DANCES

Spain's traditional music is essentially a multi-faceted mosaic of

the many cultures of Spain's long and colorful history. For this

reason, the traditional music and dance vary as you travel from

region to region.

For the fourth part of our project “Traditional Music and

Dances” we would like to share with all of you some of The

Spanish Traditional Dances that are typical from some of our

regions. You will learn a bit about:

Jota. The fast tempo jota originally hails from Aragón but is

popular - with minor modifications - throughout the rest of

Spain. With probable Moorish influences, the jota is typically

danced in two's as couples raise their hands above their heads

playing castanets.

Flamenco. Attributed to Andalucía's persecuted gypsy

culture, flamenco is a passionate form of music and dance

combining Jewish, Moorish and Andalucían influences.

Paso Doble. The paso doble is a quick and lively one-step

traditional Spanish dance.

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.

Muñeira. Whether alone or in two's, the muñeira - or "Miller's

Dance" - is a typical dance in Galicia and Asturias accompanied

by soulful bagpipe music.

CANTABRIA

Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community

with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque

Autonomous Community (province of Biscay), on the south by Castile and

León (provinces of León, Palencia and Burgos), on the west by the

Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of

Biscay).

Regional Customs

It can be a differentiation and description of the different regional

costumes of Cantabria according to the different geographical locations of

the autonomous region. We have chosen the traditional one from the

mountains.

Women’s custom The Catabrian Montañés regional costume for women consists of:

Shirt: Strong home canvas with very wide sleeves.

Skirt: long, four or six fingers above the ankle, in cloth, being the most

common tones bright orange, green and yellow. At the bottom, one or two

strips of black velvet.

Tights: Knee-length white or blue.

Footwear: black cloth shoes.

Jewls: colorful necklaces and long

earrings.

Headdress: silk or cotton floral scarves

with brilliant tones.

Men’s Custom

The Cantabrian Montañés regional custome for men is formed by:

Shirt: strong home canvas, long up to the knees, open up the chest, closing

with thread with the shape of candy buttons.

Trousers: made of thin cloth.

Vest: silk carved with tiny and colorful

prints.

Jacket: made of dark cloth, short, without

rolling, round-tipped or peak, sleeve

straight.

Band: silk or worsted wool, red, blue,

green, purple...

Footwear: tall and strong in the natural

color of the leather.

Headdress: High hat of black felt.

Complements: Pinto stick.

CANTABRIAN DANCES

Dances, songs and popular music of Cantabria are very rich.

Throughout the year, especially between

San Juan and San Miguel, parties which

combine two types of attraction occur by

peoples: the religious celebration in honor

of the patron saints and the Virgin of the

place and the pagan amusements with more

or less survival of folk traditionally.

Processions, music and dances, Holy cults

and folk competitions, composed a classical

picture that is repeated with little

variation.

Both songs and traditional dances of the mountain, and even the regional

costume, are an elemental elegance, but next to the simple marzas, Maya

and picayos (almost bare recitation) find other events more complicated,

such as La Danza de Ibio, the Baile de las Lanzas (in Ruiloba), the

Trepeletré (in Liébana).

TYPICAL INSTRUMENTS The vocal melodies are accompanied by tambourines, whistles, drums,

castanets and a rebec (medieval string instrument).

Rebec

Rabel

CATALUÑA Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, with the official

status of a nationality. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona,

Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona, the

second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the center of one of the

largest metropolitan areas in Europe.

Regional Customs Women’s custom

The Catalan regional costume for women consists of several

elements:

The "bully", a net made of thread that adorns his head and gives

them comfort when dancing.

Velvet black dress, in the case of the "pubilla’s" dress (formerly

known as the heiress daughter of a family), or white shirt for the "Catalan"

suit (implying that it was a woman's farmhouse worker.)

The "mantellina" or "Mantell" can be of lace or other fabrics that

women wear to cover their shoulders.

The "mitenes" are nets made of the same material as the bully and

used to cover the arms, from the elbow to the middle of the thumb and the

top of the other four fingers.

Petticoats are pieces of fine white linen, which go under the skirt to

add volume.

The skirt made of linen and decorated with floral motifs.

An apron placed over the skirt, usually black.

Jewels, with ornamental function, brooches and earrings highlight

women.

Men’s Custom

The Catalan regional custome for men is formed by:

The “black barretina” that is the red and black cap that covers the head. A

white linen or cotton shirt or blouse. The “jupetí”, a black velvet vest that

covers the shirt. “Faixa”, a strip between 30 and 50 cm wide that holds the

shirt and the “jupetí” by the lumbar zone.

Knee-length black velvet trouser. The traditional footwear was the esparto

canvas shoes although at the moment also moccasin shoes are used.

CATALONIAN DANCE

As the Catalan part of our cultural identity, in Barcelona events could

not ignore traditional folk dances.

The sardana is a type of circle dance typical of Catalonia. The dance was

originally from the Empordà region, but started gaining popularity

throughout Catalonia during the 20th century.

TYPICAL INSTRUMENTS

Music for the sardana is played by a cobla, a band consisting of 10

wind instruments, double bass and a tamborí (very small drum) played by 11

musicians. The cobla has five woodwind instruments: the flabiol which is a

small fipple flute, and the tenora and tible (two of each) which belong to

the oboe family. These and the tamborí are typical Catalan instruments.

The brass instruments include: two trumpets, two fiscorns (a type of

saxhorn created by Adolph Sax during the 19th century), and a trombone

(usually a valve trombone). The double bass was traditionally a three-

stringed one, but now the part is usually written for and played on the

modern (four-stringed) instrument.

MADRID

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the

city is roughly 3.3 millionand the entire population of the Madrid

metropolitan area is calculated to be around 6.5 million. It is the third-

largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its

metropolitan area is the third-largest in the European Union after London

and Paris.

Regional Customs

Male costumes consist of a vest with a carnation on

its lapel, tight dark trousers, a black and white cap,

shiny ankle boots and a white scarf around the neck.

Females cover their hair with a white scarf and a

carnation and they dress either a tight white blouse or

polka dotted skirt or the traditional ankle-length polka

dotted dress with a Manila shawl over it.

MADRILENIAN DANCE

Chotis

The name derives from German Schottisch (Scottish) and originated

in Central Europe (Bohemia) as a typical folk-dance.

Chotis reached Madrid in 1850, being danced for the first time at

the Royal Palace on the 3rd of November of that same year, under the

denomination of German Polka. From then on, its popularity spread and

Chotis became the most genuine dance in the Madrilenian area, to the point

that it represents their festive spirit.

It is fairly easy to dance Chotis. It is a partnered dance in which the

couples are facing each other. The woman dances around the man while she

makes him turn around his own central axis. The man holds the woman with

one hand and keeps the other inside his vest pocket. His feet are kept

together while he spins on his shoe tips while the woman dances around him.

At a certain music beat, they both move three steps backwards and three

steps forward followed by more turning and spinning.

TYPICAL INSTRUMENTS

It is usually performed by a typical

Madrilenian instrument, the barrel organ.

This portable instrument is a 19th century

English invention. To perform its music it is

necessary to turn a crank which moves a

cylinder in which different pins and staples play the keyboards inside a

wooden box.

ARAGÓN

Aragon is an autonomous community of Spain, resulting from the historical

kingdom of the same name.

It is located in northern Spain, and is bordered to the north by France, on

the west by the autonomous communities of Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y

León, La Rioja, Navarra and on the east by Catalonia and Valencia.

Aragon is divided into three provinces: Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza.

Regional Customs

In Aragón the typical costume is known as

Baturro or Baturra´s costume. Is the

costume that used the Jota dancers.

For men: Men should wear a knee length

black shorts along with a white shirt with a

vest. The belt (usually red) should be

placed at the waist, over shirt and pants.

In the head they wear a handkerchief with

black or red boxes. On the feet, they

dress soled espadrilles or sandals.

For women: The Aragon costume for

women consists of old underwear, under a

long skirt with flower print. A white shirt

or blouse and above it, a shawl or scarf

usually dark colored. The legs are covered

with white stockings and shoes, sandals or

espadrilles.

ARAGONESE DANCE

Jota

Aragonese Jota is the most outstanding manifestation of Aragonese

folklore as well as constituting a genre in itself which is present in most

Spanish communities. The way it is performed nowadays derives from late

18th and early 19th century customs.

It is carried out by dancers, singers and a small music band or rondalla

consisting mainly of guitars, lutes and bandurrias (lute-type instruments).

TYPICAL INSTRUMENTS

The rondalla is mainly composed of stringed instruments such as the guitar,

the lute and the bandurria although lately similar guitar-like instruments

(guitarro, guitarrico, requinto) are being recovered and played together

with castanets and tambourines. In an ordinary rondalla the guitar is the

low note that is played with a strumming technique. The highed-pitched

bandurria is in charge of the instrumental accompaniment whereas the lute

introduces the counterpoint.

ANDALUCÍA

Flamenco is a genre of Spanish music, song, and dance from Andalusia, in

southern Spain, that includes cante (singing), toque (guitar playing), baile

(dance) and palmas (handclaps).

In recent years flamenco has become popular all over the world. UNESCO

declared flamenco one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible

Heritage of Humanity.

Andalusia is in the South of Spain. The territory is divided into eight

provinces: Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and

Seville. Its capital is the city of Seville.

Court of the Lions

La Alhambra

Córdoba Mosque

Seville Giralda

Flamenco occurs in four

settings:

The juerga that can include

dancing, singing, palmas

(hand clapping).

The cantaores (singers) are the

heart and soul of the performance.

Camarón de la Isla was one of the

most famous cantaores.

There are also tablaos,

establishments that may have their

own company of performers for

each show. Many internationally

renowned artists started their

careers in tablaos flamencos.

The professional concert. A dance

concert usually includes two or

three guitars, one or more singers

and one or more

dancers. One of

the singers may

play the cajon, a

wooden box drum

played with the

hands and

palmeros

(handclaps).

The so-called Nuevo Flamenco or

"new flamenco", popularized by

artists such as Camarón de la Isla,

may include flutes or saxophones, a

piano or other keyboard, even the

bass guitar and the electric guitar.

Finally, the theatrical presentation of flamenco is now an extended and

sophisticated performance in its own right, comparable to a ballet, by such

ensembles the famous Sara Baras Ballet Flamenco Company.

Sara Baras and Joaquín Cortés are internationally famous flamenco dancers and

regularly tours the world.

GALICIA

Muiñeira is a traditional

dance and musical genre

typical to Galicia, north-

western in Spain. Muiñeira

“is the Galician word for

the English word “miller”.

This traditional “Miller´s

Dance” is called this way

because it was danced by

country people while they

were waiting in the mills to

grind the grain into flour.

“A Muiñeira” is a very

rythmic, fast, bright and

colourful dance. It is usually

danced in Galician festivals,

where there is a traditional

enviroment and many popular

customs from old times are

revived.

It’s danced in a group formed

by mixed pairs.

Galicia is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.

It comprises the provinces of A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense

and Pontevedra.

Their music is classified as

part of the body of Celtic music.

Santiaqo de Compostela cathedral.

Hércules Tower

“A Muiñeira“ is danced to the time of 6/8. It has two or more parts and

these parts have 8 times each.

It consists of two or three parts: one to execute puntos and the other to

execute voltas, which always have 16 times. The volta can be executed in a

ring or in a diagonal.

Dancers often form a circle. Jumps are incorporated, synchronized with

percussion

accompaniment.

The position of the arms

is very characteristic

because they move from

one side of the body to

the other according to

the rhythm of the

music.

TYPICAL INSTRUMENTS

The instruments that are

played to accompany this dance

are:

Galician bagpipe

Gaiteiros, or bagpipe players. Gaita is the most

representative Galician musical instrument.

Carlos Nuñez is one of the most

famous bagpipers in Spain.

Bass drum

Tambourine

Shell

In the different areas of the region, this dance can be accompanied by

other typical instruments from each place; or even, sometimes these

dances are only accompanied by songs sang by a group of female singers

called “cantareiras”.

Regional Customs