“For me the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal) has two main instruments and music systems, the bagpipes in the North and the guitar in the South. The North represents the old Medieval modal system and the South is the Baroque, with its harmonies and chords. Even if Rodrigo composed it for guitar, I find this tune lies between both worlds. It’s such a good tune that it could be traditional, for me that’s the biggest possible praise!” Carlos
That tune became an audience favourite in Carlos’s last tour with the Chieftains in the US in 2005.
This is a live version.
Here is another version of the same song with orchestra in Havana. Curiously, in Cuba there are so many Galicians that all Spaniards are called “gallegos” and the bagpipes are considered the stereotypical instrument for Spain!