Popular Music of Spain

Though Spanish pop music is presently thriving, the industry suffered for many eras under Francisco Franco’s administration, with few outlets for Spanish artists during the 1930s through the 70s. Nevertheless, American and British music, particularly rock and roll, had profound impact on Spanish spectators and artists. The Benidorm International Song Festival, which was established in the year 1959 in Benidorm, became an early venue where artists could perform current music for Spanish spectators. It was encouraged by the Italian San Remo Music Festival; this festival was accompanied by a wave of similar music festivals in areas such as Canary Islands, Barcelona, and Majorca. Many of the Spanish pop celebrities of the year emerged to popularity through these music festivals, an injured Real Madrid player-turned-singer, for instance, became the world-well-known Julio Iglesias.

source of picture: www.myentertainmentbox.org

During in the 60s and in the early 70s, tourism flourished, introducing then more musical patterns from other part of the continent and abroad. Though, it was not until the 80s that Spain’s flourishing pop music company started to take off. During that period a cultural rebirth known as La Movida Madrilena created a bang of modern art, film and music that reverberates to this time. Once derived and out-of-step with Anglo-American musical movements, current Spanish pip is as risky and cutting-edge as any scene in the world, and comprises everything from shiny electronica and Eurodisco, to home grown rock, ska, blues, punk, hip hop and reggae and many others. Musicians such as Alejandro Sanz and Enrique Iglesias have become popular internationally, selling millions of albums worldwide and winning many music awards such as the coveted Grammy Award.