Buskers

You come across buskers everywhere in big cities  In France there was everything from the obligatory human statues to string quartets.  In Spain however, at least in the south, it is generally Classical/Flamenco guitars which dominate.  

There have been some statues too.  In the cathedral square in Granada was a beautiful angel, and down won of the side streets a stereotypical warrior of Islam, a fearsome caricature with a turban and giant scimitar, who bowed majestically when I dropped  a Euro in his hat.  

The Angel

But in every side street it seems, you come across guitarists.  One was playing a piece I had learned myself many years ago as a student of classical guitar.  Others are more traditional flamenco either half singing/half shouting themselves or accompanied by another.  At nights in some of the Tapas bars I am told this can also be accompanied by dancing - but we were never wake long enough to see this ourselves.  

We dined at the top of the Albaycin - the old muslim quarter of Granada - last night.  The square in front of the church of San Nicholas was full of people.  Many are tourists, but there are many locals too, or Spanish on tour themselves.  They are here for the beautiful views of El Alhambra, but there is also, of course, a guitarist accompanying a singer to entertain and make a few Euro.  His standard is the Gypsy Kings number, Bombalaya.  Not strictly flamenco, but well know by tourist and Grenadian alike, and very popular.  

On the terrace of our restaurant with the same beautiful view of El Alhambra, we could still hear the strains in the distance.  The restaurant has provided its own entertainment though, in the form of a very accomplished guitarist who played more modern, but flamenco influenced guitar, along the lines of Paco Pena.  Music as an accompaniment to food is common.  Earlier, in one of the  squares near the Cathedral we had also come across a duet of bass and another instrument like a stringed xylophone, entertaining the patrons in one restaurant and a guitarist/singer in another.

Busker near the Cathedral

Entertainers in one of the restaurants

Around the Plaza Nuevo ('new' because it has only been here since Ferdinand and Isabella 'freed' the city from the Moors back in 1492) there is different street theatre - groups of men (and women) strangely  dressed - some with tea-shirts with a portrait photo on them, who we think are there to celebrate a friends impending nuptials.  There is raucous singing as they move through the streets which increases in volume when they meet another like-minded group.

Saturday night in Granada is very entertaining!