With the Spaniards' arrival to Tenochtitlán, Mexican culture as we know it began to emerge with their racial, cultural and spiritual merging with the diverse pre-Hispanic inhabitants of those lands. The Concheros dances about which native Mexican, Alfredo Martinez, speaks to us, are just one representation of this fusion.

It's your opportunity to learn how to make some beautiful ocarinas. Their sound is so sweet!

On June 9, 2020, the world lost Pau Donés, the lead singer of famed Spanish rock band, Jarabe de Palo. In this interview, the charismatic and down-to-earth entertainer talks to Yabla’s Cleer regarding, among other things, the origin of the group’s name and their musical mission and style.

We’ve all heard of the bolero, which has its modern roots in nineteenth century Santiago de Cuba (even though we might not be able to hum one on cue). But what about the cuartetazo? Born in Córdoba, Argentina, and derived from Spanish and Italian dances, the name is derived from the fact that the earliest players were invariably four-piece bands. The rhythm is similar to merengue.

¿Quién es Javier García? With his producer (and two-time Academy Award winner) Gustavo Santaolalla, Javier Garcia talks about his roots and influences. Also, we learn about some noted musicians who contributed to the album 13, including the great trumpet player, Arturo Sandoval.

As an artesan, Javier Marin works with a variety of materials, employing many techniques to create his pieces. He has been kind enough to take the time to explain some of these materials and processes. Javier’s father, in the days well before email, used to transmit telegraph messages via morse code in the building adjacent to where his son now works.

Ecological awareness is universal these days, especially among young people. Javier explains his own use of natural and biological materials, a use that does not involve the destruction of any living creatures, but rather the reuse of materials that have been jettisoned by their original animal owners.

José Rodriguez, the caretaker of a beautiful finca, or farm, is kind enough to show us around and tell us a bit about the area and himself. You will probably realize that pues, as José employs it, is a common muletilla (“filler” word), used to add a bit of emphasis or just as a matter of speech style, and doesn’t really always have to be translated (though it can often be thought of as akin to “well”).

The game of brisca uses 40 cards known as the “Spanish deck.” One aspect of play involves using body language to reveal your hand to your partner. This is why the gentleman says “we blink an eye and we do like this…” He is making a joke about this body language/cards relationship when he says “your head aches when you have the ace of oros.”

Goy plays guitar and sings for Karamelo Santa, one of the best ska bands in Latin America. Argentina is the band’s homeland (they are practically from the Pampas). But the 7 boys with wild hair and wild songs do not sing around a Gaucho campfire; their sound reverberates in the world’s largest cities.

Here’s the second part of the interview with Goy of Karamelo Santo. They are among the leaders of their home country’s independent music scene (Argentina). All their records were self produced—the major labels just weren’t interested in a band which plays free shows for the unemployed and pokes fun at the international monetary fund.

The guys from Karamelo Santo are not only great musicians enjoying success far away from their hometown—they’re also really humble and contribute to new bands' careers in Mendoza. They know how hard the path is, and they’re happy to share their experiences with the very people who recognized them first.

In this video Goy talks about his family, his future as a musician and shares his point of view on piracy. Surely, these guys make music for the sake of music and have a great time sharing their work with the world. So, don’t be shy and take a look at this eclectic, funky and interesting band!

Karla and Isabel tell us about their favorite words in Spanish as well as telling us which are, in their opinion, the longest, prettiest, ugliest and most easily confused words in Spanish.

Meet Mariano Martinez, boat driver and tour guide of Port Lligat. He’ll tell you about how he got here, what the boat trip is like, but don’t ask him too many questions!!