Hola a Todos
I`m new to this board,and would just like to say Thankyou.. you have given me the names of some artists to look out for on my next visit to Spain when I am searching through the CD`s ....Gracias
I`ve enjoyed reading your posts and I could feel the passion that you share with me for Spanish/flamenco.

I have a few cds in my collection, not very exciting I`m afraid....
Carlos Vives, Chayanne, Estopa, Sergio Dalma, Café Quijano, Gloria Estefan, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira and many of the Los Éxitos compilations.
I will now look out for some of the names mentioned in the previous posts when I return to Spain in April.
Gracias

Hola Isabel, and welcome to our "multimadrid community"...and as you've probably already been reading, we're all pretty passionate about just about everything here, the music, foods, festivals, the "Vibe" the buzz that you and we all get out of being here, for us is quite something.

I'm glad to hear that you are getting into Spanish music, there are many varied genres to get into, but I hope that, like me and other expats, you will tend to lean more towards the traditional stuff, Flamenco music of course is a fundamental part of life for many here, it basically encapsulates the essence of the "real España" as it was for so many decades, and indeed many of us actually like to hear just how it all was before modern influences crept into the music market here, but I'm not sure that you would be in tune with that kind of stuff or not, but I would advise, if you want to get in touch with Spanish culture properly, you should consider getting a few of the more popular Flamenco artists that are around today, and still cranking out the "old stuff" albeit a little jazzed up & funky, and if you can take it, get some of the more serious stuff, of the likes of Diego El Cigala or Jose Merce, or "Falete" (who is fantastic) and the increasingly ever more super fantastic Miguel Poveda from Barcelona, who is a truly astonishing modern Flamenco singer, who actually produces records in his native language of Catalan, as well as in National Spanish/Castellano.

But you know, I could drop names left, right & centre, there are just so many good artists out there, but it would create a huge post on here, better that you just cruise around the various CD shops both in Madrid and in Barcelona (as I have done for years) and spend more time looking at the less commercial artists, and more at the other sections, especially the Flamenco section, as you too will begin to see & find young artists who are trying to keep Spain "Spanish sounding" instead of falling into the business of producing "bird droppings on a tin roof" and calling it music.

I'm probably a bit of an extremist when it comes to defending Flamenco music in Spain, and openly encourage other people to the Nth degree to try and get into it, but then I am of an older generation and have been hearing that kind of music in my family, and homes of many Spanish friends while growing up all my life, even here in London, I grew up with & went to school with lot of Spanish kids, and so was used to hearing the familiar sounds of the voice, guitar, hand clapping & "Zapateado" (distinctive foot work, part of Baile Flamenco) 'flamenco dancing', but even so I still encourage newcomers to Spain to get into it, and discover a whole new world, full of 'Aficiodados' (fans, or should I say addicts!!) like me, millions in fact, and once you've seen a few really hard core shows of Cante flamenco & Baile flamenco, and have studied the history of Flamenco culture, you wont want to bother with the commercial pop stuff, certainly not from outside of Spain.

Well I hope you enjoy your visit in Abril, and that you will check out all the CD sections, from A to Z, and also make use of the various websites on which you can browse through millions of artists CD's/albums, and even make on-line purchases like I do here in London, (like this one for example; www.esflamenco.com ) while I'm away from Spain, it's even cheaper to buy them on-line & get them delivered by DHL, I know, I've checked the store prices, and have saved plenty of dosh that way.

Well good luck whatever you do, and if I can think of any singers that you might like, I'll let you & others know in due course. In the mean time, read what it says at the bottom here, and think about it!!

Saludos y Salud.

Hola Santiago
Thankyou for your wonderful reply.
Oh! I can tell you that I definately have the passion but,it is sometimes hard to know which CD`s to buy, there are sooo many of them and of course here in England, we are not exposed to Spanish music ...only the bird poo that is fed daily to us via the airwaves.

It is cold and grey here, so I play my Spanish music constantly,and it takes me back instantly to my times in Spain, I love all of it. but particularly the "Andalucian" music (if there is such a thing) that has the Moorish influence in it.
I have "acquired" (hehehe) the Gypsy kings music and after hearing a few snippets last night from "El Barrio"...I shall definately walk the streets to get hold of a copy when I return to Valencia in April for a few weeks, but in the meantime I will check-out your link.
Gracias. xxx

hey isabel...if you like the flamenco sound fused with arabic...you will love, love, love EA. they are from granada, i think, and they totally mix "pelos en punto" flamenco wailing, with hip-swirling arabic sounds. i can't find much on the web (but i am kinda lazy right now). i did find this link to an album review.

ea album

also, check out javier ruibal who also does a fair amount of mezclando himself.
javier ruibal

i am going to see him next sunday, so i'll let you know how he is.

un beso,
candela

Also, a friend just turned me on to Carmen Paris-really interesting fusiony type stuff!