Spanish Music

Spanish music is virtually synonymous with flamenco, an Andalusian genre of music. However, regional styles of folk music abound, and pop, rock and hip hop are also popular.

Spanish pop radio flourished at the end of Francisco Franco’s regime. By the late 1950s, a generation of performers were coming of age. At the same time American and British music, especially rock and roll, was having an impact on Spanish audiences. The Festival de la Canción De Benidorm was founded in 1959 in Benidorm, a seaside town attempting to boost local tourism. Inspired by the Italian Festival di San Remo, it was followed by a wave of similar music festivals in places like Barcelona, Majorca and the Canary Islands. First major pop stars were all women, and they rose to fame through these music festivals. An injured Real Madrid player-turned-singer became the world-famous Julio Iglesias. During the 1960s and early 70s, tourism boomed, bringing yet more musical styles from the rest of the continent and abroad.

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