Jota Dance

 Jota, a traditional style of music, is thriving in Spain. Jota blends the guitar, castanets, tambourines, and sometimes the flute. Jota dancers extend their arms high above their heads, clicking castanets while dancing in a dramatic fashion to present stories of love and humor. Jota music and dance closely resemble the sound and movements of fandango. Fandango combines music and dance as a form of traditional Spanish courtship. Men and women dance the fandango in sweeping, exaggerated motions, filled with drama and emotion. The music and dance begin in a slow rhythm and then increase in tempo to the sounds of guitars, castanets, violins, cellos, and clapping hands. Sometimes you will see fandango dances featuring two men in a competition of skills. Zarzuela is another traditional form of music. The musical style may have gotten its name from Madrid's Palacio de la Zarzuela, where royals once hosted local performers during lavish parties. This form is popular with the younger generation. It is said that you can hear Zarzuela on mainstream TV and radio.