ARADIPPOU LYCEUM LARNACA -CYPRUS

IES LA TORRETA ELCHE - SPAIN

COMPARING CYPRUS AND SPANISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC

Music and dance are very important to

Cypriot and Spanish people. In both

countries, music includes a wide variety of

folk, classical and popular genres and is

influenced by the culture and history of

each country.

As nations with deep roots , Cypriots and

Spanish have maintained their traditional

music throughout the centuries or even

millenniums.

TRADITIONAL

CYPRUS AND

SPANISH MUSIC

AND VARIATIONS

Cyprus is a small island and for this reason the

traditional songs of Cyprus cannot be

distinguished according to the areas or

prefectures. On the other hand, there are “fones”

(voices) which are some musical ways on which

some couplets are based and sung.

(Paralimnitissa -from Paralimni, Pafitissa -

from Pafos) .

Similarly, since Spain is a big country, Spanish

traditional music can be found in variations

depending on the area it comes from .

VARIATIONS of music

TOPICS IN

TRADITIONAL

SONGS

The traditional songs of Cyprus and

Spain are the songs of the heart and

emotions, of joy and sadness, of work,

country, life and death and above all of

great, true love.

Love has been a popular topic for

humans all over the world throughout

the centuries . Love has inspired great

composers, artists, poets and writers.

LOVE

LOVE

The best Spanish and Cyprus songs are a

tribute to love. They are full of feelings,

admiration, sweetness, affection, beauty as

well as love chasing and stubbornness because

of love.

Traditional love songs in both

countries are an ode to those in

love, who desperately seek

equal response and love from

their beloved ones. They refer

to the broken heart and the

pain that unfulfilled love can

give, when one of the two

confesses his/her love and there

is no response from the other

one.

BEAUTY, BEAUTIFUL

EYES, HEARTBREAK

In most songs , the two lovers long to

be near each other , because absence

causes heartbreak and burns wounded

hearts. They challenge each other to

cater for their relationship so that it

develops roots and blossoms.

DESIRE

In both cultures, we can see

that in a relationship, the man

is usually the chaser, the one

who tries to attract the woman.

The way men (love/ subject) and

women (love/object) face love is

distinguished.

MALE/ FEMALE

RELATIONSHIP

TRADITIONAL

CYPRUS AND

SPANISH

MUSICAL

INSTRUMENTS

In both Cyprus and Spanish

traditional music , string,

wind and percussion

instruments can be found. The

violin, the bouzouki , the lute,

the goblet drum, pithkiavli and

tampoutsia, the guitar,

castanets, the accordion, and

bongo drums.

CONCLUSIONStudying and comparing Cyprus and Spanish traditional music, we

were amazed, as we realized there are so many common elements. We

came to the conclusion that people in both countries share the same

feelings, emotions, attitudes, lifestyles and way of thinking. It is

clear enough that we are all human beings who fall in love, are

happy or sad, desire the presence of our beloved ones and sing our

happiness or sorrow. We have music as a wonderful way to express

our feelings ! This is common all around the world, because people

are the same everywhere. And remember...

“ Though the mountains are high, And the oceansdivide,

It’s a small world after all”.