Valencian Folk Music

Valencian folk music is the traditional music of the Valencian Community in eastern Spain, sung largely in Valencian and centred on the cant d'estil, a florid, improvised solo song style, and the jota valenciana. Its characteristic sounds are the dolçaina (shawm) and tabal (drum) that lead festival processions and muixeranga celebrations, the rondalla string ensembles behind sung dances, and the brass bands rooted in nearly every town. The repertory spans work songs, albaes sung at dawn, fandangos, seguidillas and religious song. Revivalists led by *Pep Gimeno 'Botifarra'* and groups such as *Al Tall* and *Carraixet* have carried it from village oral tradition to concert stages since the 1970s.