Help: Galicia or even Asturias...

Subject: Galicia or even Asturias...
From: GUEST,Adolfo
Date: 02 Apr 01 - 10:42 AM

Greetings everybody. I've got a question for you. Here in Spain we have these two regions, Galicia and Asturias, in the NW. Now, when you talk to (some) people from there, they insist on the fact that they are Celts, much more related to the British Isles than with the rest of Spain and so on...My question is...do you Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Manx, Bretons...think of them, include them, incorporate them into your thoughts when you talk about the so-called Celtic music, Celtic countries, etc? As it seems, they are much more conscious of their Celticness than what you are of them. They DO talk of you...do you talk/think of them in turn? (I'm neither Galician nor Asturian, let's make that clear). Thanks.

Subject: RE: Help: Galicia or even Asturias...
From: Lady McMoo
Date: 02 Apr 01 - 10:52 AM

I'm Irish and am a member of the Galician Centre here in Brussels and go to a lot of their weekly concerts of Irish, Scottish, Breton, Manx, Welsh, Galician and "world" music. I certainly think of Galician and Asturian music in the same terms as other "Celtic" music (inverted commas as I don't want to start a hornets' nest about "Celtic"!). The Galicians I know are all very pround of their "Celtic" traditions and heritage as I am of my Irish heritage but they are very respectful of other musical traditions, as I am, and provide a very good platform for these in their Centre. Personally, I don't think of anyone as a "Celt" but as Irish, Scottish, Galician, etc.

Not sure how well this answers your question Adolfo?

Best regards,

mcmoo

Subject: RE: Help: Galicia or even Asturias...
From: GeorgeH
Date: 02 Apr 01 - 01:50 PM

As a great fan of Galician music, my outside perspectiveness is that Celticness has been wished upon it and some of its proponents have seen that as a good marketing opportunity . . . However, essentially I can't HEAR the connection, which is more of a problem.

Of course, the Basques are counted as "Celtic" even more commonly, despite other of their cultural claims running quite contrary to that claim (unique, distinct language; dance style which pre-dates and so may be the origin of the classical ballet "points" . . )

I've said before - and been shouted at for it - that the Iberians I've met see themselves as Galician, Asturian or whatever first, and possibly Celtic second, so I guess I'm with mcmoo on that one.

At the end of the day there's bits of all sorts in just about everything - I just wish the traditional musics of the UK were as vibrant as those of the Iberian peninsula are at the moment.

Subject: RE: Help: Galicia or even Asturias...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Apr 01 - 06:45 PM

They say the first Irish came from around there anyway.

It's good music anyway. The last Fleadh Ceoil I got to, a couple of Gallego lads turned up on the street with their bagpipes, and they went down a storm.

There's a great record the Chieftains put out, playing Galician music. (But then there's a great Chieftais recorde of Chinese Music as well. Whether you call it Celtic or not, it's a state of mind, nothing to to with race and all that stuff.)

Subject: RE: Help: Galicia or even Asturias...
From: wes.w
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 08:39 AM

I've never thought of them as 'Celtic', but forced into a corner, I'd probably say Gallicia was Celtic, it does have echos of Breton and Welsh, but not so much Asturias, which comes across as more Spanish. But this whole label of 'Celtic' does not sit easy for me. All of the regions and countries under this label have their own distinctive music.
As to the Basque, they seem to have more in common with English traditions, like hobby horses, morris dance, etc. On a recent visit I saw schoolchildren being taught morris stepping very like the English version.
But I expect to be shouted at for saying this!

Subject: RE: Help: Galicia or even Asturias...
From: GUEST,Adolfo
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 05:44 AM

Thank you to each and all of you. Definitely, it seems you also know them! However, it's interesting that for some of you it is difficult to find the connection between the genuine Galician or Asturian music and the (here we go again) Celtic music. It's true that the Chieftains or Alasdair Fraser have both attempted to bring all together, but it must be said it's a bit contrived (I would say that, anyway). I also found that bit about the Basques being more English-like particularly inspiring. Some research should be done on that issue. Thanks again.

Subject: RE: Help: Galicia or even Asturias...
From: wes.w
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 08:18 AM

Adolfo,
Some research has already been done. Try books by Violet Alford or/and Rodney Gallop written around fifty years ago, for a good description of the Basque/English similarities. They are not current publications, but you can often find copies fairly reasonably priced via dealers at http://www.abebooks.com
'Singing the Travels' is a good starter for Northern Spain/Basque and beyond.

Subject: RE: Help: Galicia or even Asturias...
From: GeorgeH
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 11:46 AM

Interesting, Adolfo, that you find the Chieftains efforts to "bring it together" contrived . . I would have said that in Santiago (thier "Spanish/Celtic" colaboration) the Spanish influences were more obvious, musically, than the Irish (and, as I recall, they have Carlos Nunez playing throughout that CD). How would you compare it with Kepa Junkera's "Bilbao 0000" which starts from Spanish music and mixes in everything els? I'd have said there were tracks there which SOUND less obviously Iberian than anything on "Santiago" (I really like Santiago, but I wouldn't call it "authentic" - whatever that might mean, anyway . . )

(By the way sorry if my Spanish spelling is all wrong . .)

So . . how about some recommendations?

G.

Subject: RE: Help: Galicia or even Asturias...
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 01:55 PM

I read last week that scientists compared DNA samples from (ethnically as well as residentially)Welsh, Irish and Basque men and found a greater than average correspondence of genes in the Y chromosome. Yes, Basque, not Galician.

Subject: RE: Help: Galicia or even Asturias...
From: wes.w
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 08:02 AM

And I can prove that people from Somerset in England, Normandy in France, and Asturias in Spain contain more cider than average.

Subject: RE: Help: Galicia or even Asturias...
From: Lady McMoo
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 09:53 AM

For some very excellent Galician singing/panderetas I can certainly recommend the all-female group Ialma.

mcmoo