International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance

A Non-Governmental Organization in Formal Consultative Relations with UNESCO

MUSIC IN PORTUGAL AND SPAIN

Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture

Salwa El-Shawan Castelo-Branco and Susana Moreno Fernández

Global Music Series. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018

 

Description

Ideal for introductory undergraduate courses in world music or ethnomusicology and for upper­level courses on music of the Iberian Peninsula, Music in Portugal and Spain: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture introduces students to the diverse musical cultures of these two Iberian countries. This unique text engages students with the sounds and meanings of Portuguese and Spanish musics that thrive in local and transnational communities. The book characterizes selected musical genres, styles, and practices, and examines the main themes and issues that undergird them. Separate chapters are devoted to fado and flamenco, focusing on repertoire, musical characteristics, historical trajectories, iconic figures, and current trends. Christian, Muslim, and Jewish legacies, and the musical repercussions of the colonial expansion of Portugal and Spain are also discussed. Throughout the chapters, the authors show how the social, cultural, and political environments contribute to shaping music and its meanings and how music and dance are used to construct, vindicate, and articulate region and nation. The authors also engage the reader in fiestas in Portugal and Spain through case studies, showing how music is central in these ritualized social events.