Spanish jazz has been experiencing a particularly abundant interest in recent years. The entry of this music in our country has been welcomed with a remarkable naturalness and exquisite fruits that we collect today come as a outcome of this.Today, there are more than 150 jazz festivals of different nature and dimension in Spain, going from audiences of thousands of people to small clubs. There are also three spanish jazz meetings focused in spanish jazz internationalisation.
According to data from SGAE's 2019 yearbook, National Music society of authors and publishers, in 2019, a total of 91,106 modern music concerts were held (jazz is included in this label), an increase from the previous year of 1.9%, 1,666 more concerts. Madrid concentrated 24.8% of the total, 22,592. It is followed by Andalusia, with 23.2% (21,140 concerts), and Catalonia, with 13.6% (12,365 concerts).
On the other hand, as a result of the interaction with the most representative and native music of our culture, flamenco, with jazz and its evolutions, in Spain a unique genre in the world called "Flamenco Jazz" is now growing healthily and has countless representatives around the world.
Education is an important reason of good condition for spanish jazz. Existing schools are consolidated in the last 20 years and new schools are erected in oher regions.
The professional associations are also growing, especially in the last years. Standing out is Plataforma Jazz España, the first national jazz association of spanish jazz festivals. There is also a musicians national association, Unión de Músicos Profesionales, and a Jazz Big Bands Association in Spain.
Today’s Jazz in Spain enjoys a new generation of great talents such as pianists Marco Mezquida (Menorca) and Moisés Sánchez (Madrid), excelling in both technique and emotion.
Saxophonists as Ernesto Aurignac (Málaga) and Antonio Lizana (Cádiz) are both Andalusian musicians that mix jazz with other music such as classical or flamenco.
Also worth mentioning are trumpeter Voro García (Valencia) and singer Andrea Motis (Barcelona. As well as futists like the galician Maria Toro (Galicia), harmonica players like Antonio Serrano (Madrid), singers like Eva Fernández (Barcelona)...and many others that represent the present day jazz scene in Spain.
Guide compiled by Plataforma Jazz España
Spain
EJN - Europe Jazz Network - Europe-wide association of producers and presenters of creative jazz and improvised musics 9, rue Gabrielle Josserand • 93500 Pantin France - SIRET Number 500 425 699 00013
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