Different aspects of the culture that developed across the world in the wake of Christopher Columbus' voyages of exploration. And also para todos los que quieran practicar el español -- ¡la lengua de Cervantes y Bad Bunny! Chat, hang out, consult resources, and mucho más...

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Flamenco: the soul of Spain?

Ask many people around the world what comes to mind when they think of Spain, and chances are flamenco will land near the top of the list. The sinuous moves; the rapid, hypnotic shoe tapping; the staccato hand-clapping; the mesmerising guitarwork; the plaintive singing - if you've never witnessed a performance in person, your first time in particular will stay with you forever.An art form and indeed a sensibility closely intertwined with the culture and traditions of Andalusia, flamenco grew…

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Peculiarities of Spanish in Equatorial Guinea

NordNordWestHere's one for my fellow language geeks! Not too many are aware that Africa has a Spanish-speaking country! Equatorial Guinea in West Africa was Guinea Española, ruled by Spain for nearly 200 years, and Spanish is an official language which unites the country, spoken by most of its population alongside local languages like Fang, Benga, and others. And though on the surface local Spanish greatly resembles that spoken in its former colonizer, there are some interesting differences:…

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  • Gracias! Mi maestra es de Chile. Estoy estudiando español de america, no castellano. Pero he estado en España, tambien, y me gusto mucho.
  • Bienvenida, Steph! Bienvenida también cualquier sugerencia para mejorar este grupo de castellano. Where is your teacher from, just out of curiosity?
  • Hola! I am new here, and very rusty with my vocabulary, but hoping to get better quickly! My son is in a Spanish Immersion preschool (Latin American Spanish) and I take a Spanish class once a week through his school to refresh. However, the more usage the better, verdad? It's already been fun just trying to translate the comments... so from now on, I will try to only write in Spanish. Oh, and the songs with lyrics are helpful and fun as well!!
  • Anybody in Miami tonight: great FREE Spanish folk music concert at the Centro Cultural Español in Coral Gables!

    Eliseo Parra and Rosalia Roio in Concert!

    Friday, October 30, 2009
    8:00 p.m.
    FREE!

    CCE Miami
    800 Douglas Rd (SW 37 Avenue)
    Coral Gables, FL

    Eliseo Parra and Rosalia Roio in Concert!
    Música tradicional española/Folk Music
    Info: Tel. 305 448 9677 email: info@ccemiami.org

    Eliseo Parra is one Spain's leading performers and researchers of folk music. He has traveled to small villages to rediscover old songs, musical instruments and learned how to play some instruments in the traditional style. He reconstructs folk music by adding modern elements. His background may seem surprising to some. He began as a rock musician and afterwards became interested in jazz and Caribbean rhythms. Eventually, he ended up rediscovering Spanish folk music.

    Rosalia Roio, Guitar player, songwriter, composer and vocalist, a truly original musician. With a fabulous energy and singular mastery of her instrument, able to un-earth the ancient popular music of her native Spain and embody it in an astonishing performance full of passion and mastery. Rosalia's music is an inspired encounter of beauty, guts and virtuosity. Though educated with some of the bests musicians in the world, Rosalía's songs reveal a truly un-affected, creative and brave artist who has become a cult musician for an international audience. Her music is a fusion of traditional Spanish Folk music that has been largely forgotten. The adaptations combine this folk heritage, which is not derived from Flamenco, with jazz and Latin colors. She has taken many sources and created a new musical vision enriched by her virtuosity guitar technique.
  • Our newest "Top Tune From Around the Planet" is a sweet hit from Costa Rica. Following is the video and lyrics -- enjoy!


    BOCETO PARA ESPERANZA

    Si fueras a tocar esa memoria
    parece eterno, el polvo de tus ojos.
    Pero el olor de aquella pagina no vuelve
    se fue con los desvelos de tu frente.

    Si fueras a tocar aquellos dias
    la extraña magia de todo lo que llueve
    tocar a sol que esta arrugado entre las hojas
    al perro y a la tia tejedora.

    Cuando el aire tenia rastros de azul,
    en el patio cabía toda la luz.
    Llevame donde pueda abuela dormir
    si fueras a volver, llevame alli.

    Si fueras a quedar en lo que queda
    aquella casa debajo de los años,
    aquella forma de mecerse los almendros
    el agua que inventaba la tinaja.

    El tiempo esta dejándonos un tiempo
    para volver al patio de tus manos,
    reconocer entre las sabanas tendidas
    las caras que perdimos hace tanto

    Cuando el aire tenia rastros de azul,
    en el patio cabía toda la luz.
    Llevame donde pueda abuela dormir
    si fueras a volver llevame alli.
  • Bienvenida, Myriam! Qué cuentas desde el Perú?
  • Watching cine is another good way to practice Spanish, so I thought I'd call your attention to an interesting flick I just saw this past week, called Casi Divas. It's a 2009 Mexican movie just released in the U.S. and while it has plenty of flaws, it also offers some pretty interesting glimpses into various sectors of Mexican life and society, from the big glitzy side of Mexico City to the dangerous maquiladora-land, Ciudad Juárez, to the Zapotecan culture of Oaxaca. It's in theaters subtitled, and will soon be out on DVD, and somebody also uploaded it in its entirety to YouTube (but in 10 separate chunks, and not subtitled). Here's the subtitled trailer:

  • Lyrics to Colombian singer Juanes' "A Dios le pido," featured in this week's "Top Tunes From Around the Planet":

    Que mis ojos se despierten con la luz de tu mirada,
    yo a Dios le pido.

    Que mi madre no se muera y que mi padre me recuerde,
    a Dios le pido.

    Que te quedes a mi lado y que más nunca te me vayas, mi vida,
    a Dios le pido.

    Que mi alma no descanse cuando de amarte se trate, mi cielo,
    a Dios le pido.

    Por los días que me quedan y las noches que aún no llegan,
    yo a Dios le pido.

    Por los hijos de mis hijos y los hijos de tus hijos,
    a Dios le pido.

    Que mi pueblo no derrame tanta sangre y se levante mi gente,
    a Dios le pido

    Que mi alma no descanse cuando de amarte se trate, mi cielo,
    a Dios le pido.

    Un segundo más de vida para darte, y mi corazón entero entregarte.
    Un segundo más de vida para darte, y a tu lado para siempre yo quedarme.
    Un segundo más de vida yo a Dios le pido.

    Y que si me muero sea de amor, y si me enamoro sea de vos,
    y que de tu voz sea este corazón todos los días, a Dios le pido .

    Y que si me muero sea de amor, y si me enamoro sea de vos,
    y que de tu voz sea este corazón todos los días,
    yo a Dios le pido...
  • GRACIAS JOSE, POR LA BIENVENIDA Y POR LA INVITACION, AUN NO LE SE BIEN A ESTO, PERO YA LE IRE AGARRANDO LA ONDA COMO DECIMOS LOS MEXICANOS,JE,JE
    SALUDOS Y DALE UN BESO A G DE MI PARTE PORFIS!
  • Jose - Gracias, en primer lugar, por las felicitaciones.... llevo ya unos 10 o 11 años estudiando el español… después de tantos años y tanto esfuerzo uno acaba hablando algo… jeje

    Estoy de acuerdo con lo que has dicho de los asturianos. Yo de hecho salía durante casi un año con una chica asturiana y cada vez que iba a Asturias a estar con ella y su familia, notaba que eran mas "habladores." Eso sí, tienen su acento asturiano y hablan a veces con vocabulario muy poco utilizado en otras partes de España... así que cuesta entenderles al principio, pero son muy majos.
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