The best known Spanish music is flamenco - but if you take a closer look, you will find rich variety of regional styles. Many of them are linked to other parts of Europe. For centuries, Galicia - the north-western part of Spain - was connected with Ireland by marine routes. Today, we find related styles and musical instruments on bath sides of this link: irresistible dances, bagpipes and frame drums, ancient ballads.

Chieftains came to Galician port Vigo to record with local musicians - and consequently provoked questions if the local music has Celtic roots. The resulting CD Santiago was released in 1996, when the Spanish regional music was still catching a new breath after a long hibernation during the rule of General Franco. This is also the reason, why so many new bands emerged in 80's and 90's after Franco's death.

The Galician ensemble Xistra de Coruxo started in 1988 while accompanying the traditional dance group. The members learned from veteran bagpipers, but also mastered non-traditional instruments such as piccolo and clarinet. The group's repertoire includes a rich variety of local forms: Muineiras, Jotas, Pasacorredoiras, Marchinas de Reis, etc. Later the added styles, which entered Galicia about 100 years ago: rhythms-rumbas, mazurkas, polkas.

Their most advanced CD Musical Republic of Xistralia explores Galician biras and Portuguese muneiras, bagpipes of varying tonalities are mixed with cavaquinhos and violas and a array of vintage folk instruments: brass pots and castenets, tréculas and triquilitraques, etc.

Antón P. Segade - acordion, vocals

Pablo González Alonso - Percussion, vocals

Xerardo F. Santomé -bagpipe, strings, vocal

Patricia Cela - percussion, tambor

Fernando Abreu - clarinet, bass drum, vocals

Xurxo F. Santomé -woodwinds, bagpipes, percussion, voice