U.S. Regional and Local Music Scenes
Local Valencia, Spain Music Scene
Valencia is a city with a heavy folk tradition, embracing the spirit of folk and bandes,
whose brass sounds have defined the sound of the region for the past century. One of
the biggest musical events of the year is the Certamen Internacional de Bandas de
Musica, which is a music competition that's been going on since 1886, attracting
visitors from all over Europe. Some of the most talked about local artists in Valencia include rock band Uzzhuaia,
folk singer Juanjo Perez, alternative band Fanaticos, R&B group The Beabops and
worldbeat artist Marcos Requena.
The qualities that have made the Valencia music scene familiar to so many people
for decades have been organic, energetic, uplifting sounds. Opera music has been
preserved in the region and has mixed with folk, which is evident in zarzuelas.
Some of the city's most celebrated venues have been Plaza de Toros, Palau de les
Arts Reina Sofia, Palau de las Musica and Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno.
While it's accurate to say that Valencia embraces eclectic sounds, it's the
folk tradition that has had the most impact on the region.
One of the things that brings local musicians together are compilation CDs.
Diverse albums can be the ideal solution for a group of artists who can't
afford to release their own CDs. A recording budget can be expensive enough, but
when you add in CD manufacturing and then the costs of promotion, it can easily
run up a bill of $10,000 or more. A pressing of 1000 CDs along with art work
and packaging can cost about $1000. As downloads gain in popularity and CDs become
more rare, it could drive up the cost of CD manufacturing.
In order to save money, 10-20 Valencia artists come together and pay for the CD
manufacturing. Then they are each allocated a fair
number of units that they can resell. The artists might be able to save money
completely if they find a sponsor, such as a local newspaper, radio station
or night club. Another way to fund the project can be through a crowdfunding site
such as KickStarter. Compilation CDs are popular with collectors, especially if
each artist is hard to find otherwise on disc. The compilation concept is also
a great idea for archiving local music history.
A common theme that ties all the tracks together, might help the cause of a
compilation CD, especially if the theme is a social cause relevant to the
residents of Valencia. A CD that helps raise
money for charity or natural disaster victims can make local television news and
spark interest in the community as an historic time marker. A sports theme CD
about winning might end up getting played at a local stadium, especially if the
songs promote the sport, the teams, the community and the spirit of teamwork
and winning. It can even include the National Anthem of Spain.
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