Category Archives: Spanish Culture

Art, Concerts, Flamenco, Spanish Culture, Videos

Celia Morales – a truly talented Flamenco guitarist in Ronda

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It would appear that Celia Morales no longer holds concerts at her venue in Ronda. Though she does sometimes play concerts at the Reina Victoria Hotel.

Be sure to check out the Ronda Guitar House for concerts in Ronda: https://www.rondatoday.com/the-guitar-house-in-ronda/

No trip to Ronda would be complete without hearing at least a small amount of Flamenco guitar. But to visit one of Celias concerts is an absolute treat. She is one of the most talented flamenco guitarist I have ever heard and she can be seen playing regularily in various venyes in Ronda. See her website and facebook page for upcoming concerts. Celia Morales – a truly talented Flamenco guitarist in Ronda

At 15 euros per person, the entrance fee is amazingly cheap to see this wonderful composer and musician. You can go to her website and hear some of her work as the music starts to load as you open the home page. Check out the below video to see here in action. Truly talented.

Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/moralescelia

Celia Morales – a truly talented Flamenco guitarist in Ronda
The Caminito del Rey

Find tickets for the Caminito del Rey: https://www.caminodelrey.es/

Wildside Holidays – Spain

Take a trip on the Wildside! Discover the wildlife and nature of Spain, its Natural and National Parks and find the top wildlife, activity and walking holiday companies.

Iberia Nature Forum

Struggling with identifying those bugs and beasties? Why not check out the Iberia nature Forum!

Discover the Iberia Nature Forum – Environment, geography, nature, landscape, climate, culture, history, rural tourism and travel.

Guided Tours, Spanish Culture

Bullfighting in Ronda

The Ronda style of bullfighting is rumored to have originated by accident in Ronda’s Philip II’s Centre for Horsemanship when a gentleman training on horse was unseated in the path of a bull they used to train officers in horsemanship.

A local man, Francisco Romero distracted the bull on foot using his hat, thus securing both the life of the aristocrat, and inventing a new form of bullfighting perfected by his grandson, Pedro Romero (1754-1839).

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Art/Culture, Concerts, Events, Ronda, Spanish Culture

Pedro Romero Feria & Corrida Goyesca 2022

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The first week in September is the one time of year when Rondeños really let their hair down and everything comes to a stop for the week long party for the Pedro Romero Feria & Corrida Goyesca 2022.

This year the dates are 30th of August to the 9th of September and the Pedro Romero Feria in Ronda is the biggest carnival event in Ronda’s social calendar, a week of partying, live shows, fairground rides, attractions, and of course culminating in the (once a year) Corrida Goyesca, the only bullfight to occur in Ronda’s famous Plaza de Toros.

Although the weeks festivities start on the 30th of August the big weekend of bullfighting and parades is the Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th of September. (The parade of carriages takes place on Sunday 4th).

Pedro Romero Feria & Corrida Goyesca 2022 program
program feria ronda 2022

Route of the Cabalgata (parade) de la Feria de Ronda 2022

On the evening of the 30th, the inaugural fair parade and the turning on of the lights with the firework display is well worth attending. The parade starts at the hotel Reina Victoria at 8:00 pm

  • Calle Fernando Morell Castelló (Hotel Reina Victoria)
  • Calle Jerez
  • Calle Virgen de la Paz
  • Carrera Espinel (La Bola)
  • Avenida de Málaga
  • Feria Ground

The firework display starts at 10:00pm at the feria ground when the rides and attractions are opened.

IMPORTANT: If you want to stay in Ronda to experience the feria and all it has to offer then don’t delay! Places will already be limited!

Most of the streets surrounding the Plaza del Socorro become pedestrian only as bars bring their kegs and counters into the street for the hordes who want to party. The last two days of the feria coincide with one of the highlights of the Spanish bullfighting calendar, the Corrida Goyesca.

The exhibition ground on the outskirts of Ronda pounds to the sound of party music, children of all ages go crazy on dodgem cars, ferris wheels, and all sorts of other amusement rides. The streets of Ronda are adorned with paper lanterns in bright colours, so many in fact that La Bola, Ronda’s main shopping precinct, actually appears to have a fake ceiling.

Corrida Goyesca

Back in 1954, one of Ronda’s most famous bullfighters, Cayetano Ordóñez, developed the idea of combining the bicentennial anniversary of the birth of Pedro Romero, a Corrida, the town Feria, and the artworks of Francisco de la Goya into a single week of pageantry. His son Antonio, known locally as ‘El Maestro’, then managed the event, and due to his friendship with Orson Welles, catapulted the event into the international arena.

Pedro Romero Feria & Corrida Goyesca 2022

Every year in Ronda several of the town’s ladies are chosen to be the Damas Goyescas, and represent the ladies seen in some of Francisco de Goya’s paintings of bullfighting and pageantry from the late 18th century. Many of Goya’s paintings were in fact commissioned by a tapestry workshop in Madrid, the aim being to print the paintings on fabric.

Read about the Goyesca ladies here: https://www.rondatoday.com/damas-goyesca-of-ronda/

Ronda town hall Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ayuntamientoderonda

Spanish Culture

The Spanish Flamenco – A Personal View

“Flamenco”—the word calls up an image of a slender dancer in an elaborate, ruffled costume with her fringed shawl and her castanets. Certainly, this stereotype has been perpetuated in everything from airline posters to dolls made for souvenirs. To some, this is flamenco for tourists, as they embrace the cante jondo, the deep song of agonizing lament sung by a man, a cantaora, without accompaniment, or with a single guitar. This, they claim, is authentic flamenco, the blues of Andalucía, improvised in jam sessions called juergas, sung because it must be sung, not because someone is listening or watching.

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Concerts, Music/Concerts, Spanish Culture, Videos

Lucho and Leticia Perform in Ronda

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Whilst you are walking from the new bridge towards the bullring past the parador with the gorge on your left you will most probably hear the beautiful soft melodies of Lucho and Leticia on the breeze.

Lucho, who is originally from South America, gives a wonderful solo on pan flute, and singing, and is a good partner to Leticia’s voice and harp with his flutes, guitars, and authentic Andean instruments for creating the sound of waves or insects creaking.

Leticia on the other hand plays harp, sings, and whistles, the whistle being quite amazing, at times sounding exactly like Amazonian birds. Her voice is clear, and carries far across the terraces.

Stay for a while, listen and soak up the atmosphere.

You can find more of their music on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/user/lucholeticia/videos?sort=dd&view=0&shelf_id=2