Ana Fernández-Villaverde, aka La Bien Querida, sings hauntingly about regret in “De Momento Abril.” Sharing the stage with this Spanish songstress are guitars, violins, a piano, a drum set and a cajón—that is, a box-shaped percussion instrument to sit on. The cajón is originally from Peru, but it’s used in modern flamenco and other musical genres.

Listen to Silvia, a teacher at San Sebastian's Spanish language school, El Aula Azul, tell about her family, which she describes as a normal family: not too big. It’s not that small, either. You might want to take out a pen and map out her family tree!

Manu Chao is French, but he has Spanish roots. He sings in six or seven different languages, from Spanish to English to Arabic, and his music has even more diverse influences. “Clandestino,” the title track from Manu’s first album, deals with the issue of immigration: “I wrote it about the border between Europe and those coming from poorer nations. Look around – maybe thirty percent of the people in this street are clandestino (illegal).”

Ah, family… We love them all, each in their own special way. Ester, a teacher at San Sebastian's Spanish language school, El Aula Azul, tells us what makes cousin Carolina attractive and what makes us love cousin Pedro. These two Spaniards couldn’t be more opposite.

Novalima is very aware of the importance of Peruvian folk music, not just in their sound but in another musical genres as well. Paco de Lucía, a Spanish flamenco musician, might have made the sound of the “cajón” (a box-like musical instrument) famous, but that sound is Peruvian as it gets.

Can money buy happiness? That’s the subject of this friendly debate between Ester and her friend…Ester. It seems that too much reasoning has split our El Aula Azul friend in two. Can money at least cure our friend Ester?

Novalima mixes Peruvian folk music with electronic beats. Touring has become an important source of inspiration. That’s how they translate their musical roots onto the dance floor. Universal tunes with local sounds!

How is the weather on the fifth season? According to this video we should expect some winds with a few sunny flashbacks. And there is also a chance of Marc Anthony, mostly know for being Jennifer Lopez’s significant one.

Continue learning about what specific kinds of music go into the mix to make the special sound that is Novalima.

San Sebastian? Barcelona? What’s the difference? Listen in to get an unbiased (wink, wink) comparison of the two Spanish cities from Ester, an instructor at San Sebastian's renowned Spanish language school, El Aula Azul.

The Peruvian group Novalima took a break from their European tour for an interview. Learn about the branching out and coming back together that the band members went through to achieve their rich and eclectic sound.

Silvia from San Sebastián shares her daily routine with us. She leads a very active lifestyle that includes a meal with her parents, work at a Spanish language academy for foreigners (El Aula Azul), a drink with friends, and even some quality time with her cats!

“Reinvention” could be Enrique Bunbury's middle name. He’s a prolific composer, always finding inspiration in various books, movies, songs, and moods. And he thrives on creative collaborations. In the second part of YABLA’s exclusive interview, Bunbury opens up and tells us about the creative process behind his music.

We had the chance to interview Spanish superstar Enrique Bunbury about his music, his art. The former Héroes del Silencio lead singer has been enjoying a successful solo career since 1996. Now he’s promoting his most recent album, Las consecuencias, which couldn’t be more different from his previous album.

Meet Enrique Bunbury, a big name in rock en español. The Spaniard was the lead singer of the classic rock band Héroes del Silencio for 12 years. When the group disbanded in 1996, Bunbury began his solo career. "Frente a frente"—a cover of the song first recorded by Euro-pop star Jeanette in 1981—is the first single from Bunbury’s 2010 album Las Consecuencias.