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!

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 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.

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.

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).”

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!

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.

A robbery in San Sebastian's renowned Spanish language school, El Aula Azul?. Whodunnit? What did they steal? Ester tells the story of the robbery and another story about a trip her school took.

Listen to the whispery, seductive sound of the Corpus Christi lead singer’s voice as she sings a beautiful declaration of love and of the angst it can create. The video, directed by Nadia Mata Portillo, captures the mood perfectly.

“La Quinta Estacion” is Spanish for “The Fifth Season.” Although this band originated from Spain, after a Mexican telenovela (soap opera) adopted one of their songs as its theme, they toured the country and decided to make it their home. “Que te quería” (“That I Loved You”) is the first fiery single from their 2009 album.

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!!

Amaia Montero, formerly the singer of La Oreja de Van Gogh, began her solo career in 2007. This song, “Quiero ser,” lasted for thirteen weeks at the number one spot on the Spanish charts in 2009. Listen and you’ll see why: her voice is captivating.

Maria is a tour guide. She lives in Málaga, one of the most beautiful and popular tourist destinations in Spain. In this video, Maria tells us a bit about the many attractions that her city offers. It seems Maria does her job well because we now very much want to visit!

Ester brings lots of interesting and entertaining riddles to El Aula Azul. Think fast!

What happens when you mix Mexican pyschedelic rock band Zoé with Spanish rock singer/songwriter Enrique Bunbury? The answer is: Nothing. Or, in Spanish, “Nada,” the title of this song. Take a listen and you’ll see that the combination of sensibilities creates a whole lot of something.