Vigüela | Traditional Song and Music from Central Spain

Vigüela is a traditional folk quintet with a commitment to the rural musical traditions of central Spain. The band was established in the mid-1980s, after the Franco regime, by young people who looked to folk culture for a way to channel their creative desires while staying rooted in their local communities. Grounded in this history, the band members value their tradition and perform it with accuracy and energy, as a living music, full of joy. They play traditional Spanish music, including jotas, seguidillas, fandangos, and sones, using the centuries-old singing styles, dialects, and instruments of their region. That region is Castilla-La Mancha, the southern part of the Iberian plateau, sometimes called “the heart of Spain,” or “Don Quixote country.” The band’s name comes from the traditional Spanish vihuela, a Renaissance model of the guitar. They also play lute, mandolin, guitarro manchego, and medieval fiddle or rebec, along with traditional percussion instruments such as castanets, spoons, and tambourines. They have been performing internationally for 30 years, and have recorded eight albums, bringing the music of their homeland to the global world music scene.
For more information, visit www.loc.gov/item/webcast-10500