Guide of Aragon music

Introduction

One of the most important cultural values and recognized in Aragon is the music. Aragonese many good groups are recognized nationally and internationally for its achievements and its quality in different styles.

Some had their moment of glory and eventually disappear, others were dissolved and formed new groups, although others have disappeared, are still in our memory and maintain a very high number of followers, others are still very successful career.

Modern music

Zaragoza possesses a great number of singers and groups inside the current music. There are songwriters, which began around the New Song Aragonesa, as José Antonio Labordeta, Joaquín Carbonell and La Bullonera.

Labordeta´s video singing with Joaquín Carbonell and La Bullonera. (youtube)

Or as the youngests Angel Petisme and Carmen París, this last one with a musical style very personal that has a constant mix of fusion rhythms of jota aragonesa, flamenco, andalusi music, jazz and other musical currents.

Carmen Paris´ video- Savia Nueva. (youtube)

Also are from Zaragoza Heroes of the Silence, from which arose Enrique Bunbury. His musical style varies from rock, folk, tango and nightclub until the country. Recently it has been confirmed that a Zaragoza street will have the name of the group Heroes of the Silence.

Enrique Bunbury´s video (youtube)

Santiago Auserón was for years the leader of the group Radio Futura.

Santiago Auserón´s video (youtube)

Amaral has a great success actually. It´s a duo shares by Eva Amaral and Juan Aguirre which mixes folk with latin rhythms, synthesizers and lyrics with poetical content.

Amaral´s video (youtube)

Tachenko is another zaragozano group which style is pop indie and who is having a lot of success.

Tachenko´s video (youtube)

Undoubtedly the rap and the hip hop are others important styles in he Zaragoza scene. The group which is reaching the top is Violadores del Verso.

Violadores del Verso´s video (youtube)

In the type of the punk style Manolo Cabezabolo stands out. Finally, in the type of the blues one Ana Midon´s voice stands out.

Other groups and soloists from Zaragoza music scene are Niños del Brasil, Las Novias, Más birras, Gabriel Sopeña or Mauricio Aznar.

It is noteworthy that Enrique Bunbury studied at Santa Mª del Pilar School in Zaragoza, also Ana Midón and Sebas Puente, writer of the lyrics in the group Tachenko, studied here. Sebas is son of a teacher of this school and his group is having recently a big success.

Actually there have been some young groups or soloists also from our school, like DIM, artistic name of Pablo Latorre, who was part of the Números Rojos group, but later he started his own solo career, in the hip hop style.

Nizgar, a group with Hector Pérez, Arturo Tajahuerce, Nacho Ruiz and Miguel Elosúa, actually students of our school, are playing on metal or powel metal style, trying to begin their career in the world of the music.

Nizgar´s video (youtube)

Folk music

The musical Aragonese tradition, joined the current music, brings us over more to our customs, and hereby songs and rhythms of many years ago or even centuries, we listen to them today with pleasure and interest.

Between the musical groups related to the folklore in Aragón, there are those play, sing and dance the jota, that have their main activity in the Pilar festive celebration. These groups are named rondallas, which are sets of instruments of pulse and prong, constituted by guitars, or guitars, bandurrias and lutes. In Aragón an interesting traditions of rondallas exists in almost all the villages.

Jotas de picadillo-Rondalla “Los amigos”. Festival de Cebón (youtube)

Other bands appear due to Easter and they are very important in Aragón. These bands are created with instruments of percussion, specially drums and bass drums, which play music for the brotherhood they belong to and take part in the events that take place during Holy Week.

SemanaSanta Zaragoza 2008 (tambores) (youtube)

The bands of music are made up of wood winds and basses and percussion. There were 56 music bands in the province of Zaragoza in 1993, while many music bands have appeared in the most of the boroughs districts.

The modern Aragonian folk music began in 1978 with Chicotén, a group of musicians who investigated the Aragonian popular songbooks and collected instruments.

They were followed by Somerondón, who tried to keep the tradition alive.

Somerondón video-XXX Anniversary

Some years later, the modern Aragonian folk music is fashionable again with four groups: Hato de Foces, La Orquestina del Fabirol, Biella Nuei and Cornamusa. But the greatest revolution in Aragonian folk music (as far as the number of supporters is concerned) has been done recently by Ixo Ray, who mixes up the Aragonian tradition with other styles (from the jota till the Mexican folk song and the Ska).

Ixo Ray video (youtube)

In the most traditional folk music it stands out the Ronda de Boltaña, Titiriteros de Binéfar…

Ronda de Boltaña video (youtube)

Classical music

In Zaragoza there are various orchestras, with different characteristics. Stand out those who are tied to the Conservatoire, that they teach the children to touch classic music, and throughout the years to be able to manage to touch in bands or professional orchestras.

The Orchestra of the Conservatory of Music in Aragón is formed in full by students of the Conservatory.

Falla video: Seguidillas and Farruca. El sombrero de tres picos (youtube)

The Camerata Aragón is a result more of the new draft of the Higher Conservatory of Music in Aragón, it is a chamber orchestra also integrated by students. In both cases the objectives include both in the educational level as in the projection of the Conservatory abroad, contributing to the momentum and cultural development of the community of Aragón.

Video St Paul´s Suite nº 2 G.Holst. CSMA

There is also a symphonic band of CSMA that interprets both transcriptions of music for orchestra as original works written for Symphonic Band.

Video Te bon e Paiporta F.Ferrán CSMA (youtube)

The Auditorio of Zaragoza has also an Orchestra of Chamber, the group Enigma, which develops his labor centred principally on the interpretation and diffusion of the music of last century and also of the contemporary music.In his programs includes also works of the current Spanish music, as well as of the Aragonese one.

Conclusions

The musical associations have a great relevancy and importance, not only in the musical aspect, but also socially. There is very important the link that is created between the members of these associations.

In Aragón there are musical groups with different origins, some are neighbours from the same village that get together, others are old students of a school, others appear to pray for a Virgin or Christ…In Aragón there are many options to get into these groups, that ave in common that they want music to continue being an important element in society.

The importance of music does not depend on the seriousness or the big masses that go to pop concerts but the feelings that they produce us. They may excite, depending on the moment, to hear Amaral in a concert, or have fun with the popular music of the Ronda de Boltaña or to listen to music in the Auditorio.

Music department:

Teacher: Maite Alcalde .

Students 1º ESO: Beatriz Castillo, Laura Cegoñino, Álvaro Franco, Jaime Garfella, María Lobato, Mª Esther Loscertales, , Alejandro Pérez, Ana Ramos, , Marta Sanaú, Ilia Santos.

Spanish logos

The Three Wise Men

The Three Wise Men consists in a Spanish tradition that is based on three wise men called Melchor, Gaspar and Balthazar. They came to Bethlehem (a town of Jerusalem) guided by a falling star and brought gifts to baby Jesus. Hence the current tradition of the Three Wise Men who come to deliver gifts to each family member. In case you have been naughty, they will bring you coal. People often gather with family to celebrate the day, they sing carols and eat ‘Roscón de Reyes’: a sweet ring-shaped cake filled with cream, chocolate, meringue and ‘fruits of Aragon’, depending on the tastes of each family. With this cake you can play a little game: there are some little surprises hidden within the ring-shaped cake and you find it inside your piece of cake , you have to pay for the ‘roscón’.

The Three Wise Men also come to our school from the East and infant children tell them what they want as a present. The deliver their letters with their wishes while the birth of Jesus is celebrated. All this takes place in the church of our school.

It's a nice way to celebrate Christmas.

Now, we’d like to show you this popular carol of Aragon, Spain:

Ya vienen los Reyes Magos,
ya vienen los Reyes Magos,
caminito de Belén,
olé, olé, Holanda y olé,
Holanda ya se ve.

Cargaítos de juguetes,
cargaítos de juguetes,
para el Niño de Belén,
olé, olé, Holanda y olé,
Holanda ya se ve.

Qué cargados van,
qué cargados van,
los camellos rebosan juguetes
para el Rey de los cielos
que está en el Portal.

Que está en el Portal,
que está en el Portal,
los camellos rebosan juguetes
para el Rey de los cielos
que está en el portal

Como el camino es tan largo,
como el camino es tan largo
pide el Niño de beber,
olé, olé Holanda y olé,
Holanda ya se ve.

No pidas agua mi vida,
no pidas agua mi vida,
no pidas agua mi bien,
olé, olé Holanda y olé,
Holanda ya se ve.

Que los ríos vienen turbios,
que los ríos vienen turbios
y no se puede beber,
olé, olé Holanda y olé,
Holanda ya se ve.

Dicen que nació,
dicen que nació
sin pañales ni ropa ninguna
y la misma luna, sábanas de Dios.

Sábanas de Dios,
sábanas de Dios
sin pañales ni ropa ninguna
y la misma luna, sábanas de Dios

AGUILAR REQUENA, María

ALEGRE EMBID, Marta

CHUECA ROYO, Alejandro

SALILLAS MARTINEZ, Mª Isabel

CHRISTMAS GASTRONOMY

In Spain, we usually have some similar dishes in every regions at Christmas days. Although many families have specialities of their regions, it´s frequent to have dishes from other regions, like meats and fish, or national dishes which are the same in every regions, like different types of soups.

We have made three different menus for different days at Christmas time.

Christmas soup:

Ingredients: (for 4 people)

-1/4 of kilo of beef or ok meat.

-1 bone (chicken)

-1/4 of kilo of hen.

-1/4 of kilo of cheakpeas

-1 leek

-Half an onion

-Parsley

-1 carrot

-1 garlic

-100 g of bacon cut in wide strips

-100 g of chorizo

-Thin noodles (30 grams per person)

Preparation:

-We put all the ingredients in a stew to boil with 2 liters and a half of water.

-They are boiling for two hours (in a fast pot, it´s enough with half an hour)

-We put the broth in and take off the meat and the cheakpeas.

-We fry the minced onion in a bit of oil and with small pieces of minced chorizo and bacon.

-We add them in the broth and when it starts to boil (bubble) we add noodles as we like.

-We cook it for 1/4 of hour approximately and we serve it.

-We cook the meat which we have taken off before with some peppers and tomato sauce.

-The cheakpeas accompany the soup in another tray.

Roast Beef:

An identity symbol of England, roast beef (roast meat of ox) has become to an international recipe and it has gone around the world. There are a lot of ways to cook it, but all of them must be careful with the treatment of the meat.

Ingredients:

-1 piece of high or mid loin of 1 or 2 kilos.

-50 ml. of olive oil.

-3 sliced cloves.

-100-150 gr. of normal mustard.

-Rosemary and thyme.

-Salt and pepper.

-One spoonful of oregano.

-2 or 3 leaves of laurel.

-1 liter of meat broth (prepared)

-1 glass of wine Pedro Ximénez.

For the brandy sauce:

-1 glass of brandy.

-2 spoonfuls of toasted flour.

-2 onions cut in tracks.

Preparation:

The best is using mid loin or, in its fault, high loin, so that it has the necessary quantity of fat, and this way it doesn´t remain dry. At the moment of serving, however you like: cold or warm, but always cut in very thin slices.

-We ripen and flavor the piece of meat with pepper.

-We heat one finger of oil in a frying pan or sauce pan and we put the Roast Beef on it.

-We leave it being gilded for both sides.

-Once it´s ready, we flavor the meat a bit more with thyme, oregano and some leaves of laurel.

-Add a glass of broth, a glass of wine Pedro Ximénez and a glass of brandy, which after will be used to make the sauce.

-Smear the piece with mustard and put it into the oven. Put the thermometer to 71ºC to control the temperature.

-At half cooking, put the spices again, a bit of mustard and turn it round.

For the brandy sauce:

-In the oil we fry the meat, we guild the garlic and the onion. When they´re ready, add the meat juices and the toasted flour. Finally we mix all.

Marzipan:

Ingredients:

-3 cups of peeled and minced almonds.

-2 cups of sugar.

-1 cup of water.

-2 egg whites.

-4 spoonfuls of glace sugar.

-1 spoonful of vanilla.

Preparation:

-Heat the water and the sugar in a sauce pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to bubble.

-Leave it boiling without stirring until it has a temperature of 110ºC (use the cooking thermometer to control the temperature).

-Withdraw and stir the mixture carefully. Add the almonds, beaten egg whites and vanilla. Mix all very well.

-Put the sauce pan on the soft heat during a few minutes, just until the mixture starts to come unstuck from the end sides of the sauce pan.

-Put a bit of glace sugar on a surface in the kitchen and empty the mixture in the sauce pan on the surface. Knead it well, and then make shapes, stars, half moons, etc.

-Wrap it up silver foil and put it in a hermetic place.

GARCÍA CLAVERÍA, Fernando

QUEROL, Claudia

RIVERA, Chema

3C

Christmas in our school

Dear companions,

We want to tell you the tradition of the Christmas in our school. Christmas are congratulations of Winter than we make in our school. To choose the best Christmas, a contest takes place in which all the pupils of the school can participate.

A group of teachers choose the best of each cycle in the school.

There are seven cycles, one in infants, three in primary, two in secondary and other one in baccalaureate. Of this seven Christmas, there goes out the best, which turns into the winner of the school. The prize for the one who makes the best Christmas, is that they are given him(her) fifty copies of his(her) Christmas and that the Christmas is sent to all the families of the school as a Christmas letter of congratulation. In the letter of congratulation which is sent, one of our teachers called Luis Antonio Puente writes a poem.

The Christmas that they present to the contest has to show the

Christmas spirit and it is possible to make any work from the

water-color, oil... To be accepted by the jury it has to have size of average Din-4. Normally the winner is from secondary or from baccalaureate because they are older than the other pupils and they know how to draw or handle better the computer, because it´s possible to make by hand or using the computer. The design has to be unpublished, that´s to say, It can't be copied.

In primary, teachers use the Christmas contest to get a mark in Arts, and in first and second of secondary they also do it like that.

Here we leave you some of the best Christmas´s congratulations in the history of our school , from 1981 to 2009 with Luis Antonio Puente´s collaboration.

De Christmas in our school

GISPERT CONTAMINA, Nacho

LAFUENTE MOZAS, José

LÓPEZ REVUELTA, Belén

TORRES AGUILAR, Guillermo

CONTEST OF CRIBS

In our school, there is a familiar contest that consists of making Christmas Nativity scenes with any type of material: candy, recycled materials...
The date for deliver the Christmas Nativity scenes is the ninth of December and they are show one week for any person who wants see them.
The Christmas Nativity scenes will be voted by members of the school. There are four general awards, one for pre-school and other different for every cycle of primary, and they are valued:
- To the most creative.
- To the best made with creative materials.
- To the best that appreciate the pre-school hand.
The awards are given during a Christmas party that we have in our school every year.
It's very cool!
Here you have some photos of the cribs.

SANZ MARTINEZ, Marta

SERRANO CHAVES, Mª Isabel

FERRER CATALAN, Pedro Luis