Concerts - Plazas y Patios 2015

The ancient colegio de Santo Domingo de la Cruz since 2002 has been hosting photography and other kinds of exhibitions. But the gardens of the college, structured in three levels connected by stairways, are perfect for the concerts of Plazas y Patios 2015.

On Saturday august 1st, the band Et Encore played in the gardens of Santo Domingo de la Cruz. The group, composed by people from different countries, mixes traditional Irish songs with popular Belgian ones without overlooking a touch of rock and folk. The singer Pascal "Billy" Vantomme, a mix of glee, plays the acustic and the electric guitars, banjo and dulcimer, accompanied by drums, percussions, flutes, bass and violin, and other instruments. Everything has allowed a night of fun with unconventional and really original music.

The following week, on Saturday august 8th it was the turn of the Randy Greer Quintet.

The North American singer Randy Greer is considered one of the few heirs of the Nat King Cole's inimitable vocal style. The quartet accompanied him was extraordinary: with piano, double bass, sax and drums they offered us a repertoire of pure jazz and swing featured by the Greer's velvet voice and his sophisticated sense of rythm, developed during more than 30 years of career that lead him in Spain from the United States

Ester (Italia)

15 Beatles covers in Spanish

They were among the first ones, alongside with Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones, to bring together thousands of fans at their concerts, even when that meant queueing for long hours, full of excitement -some fans even ended up fainting. The Beatles (in Spain, 'Los Beatles'), started the fan phenomenon, and theirs was granted its own name: beatlemania.In Spain, despite Franco's regime tried to prevent it from happening until the very last minute, The Beatles performed for the first time in 1965. Just a sign of the enormous success they have since had in our country. Numerous Spanish and Latin American artists have released or performed covers of songs by The Beatles. Here is a Youtube playlist with 15 of those, some better than others (a few are quite surreal):

And here are the artists featured on the playlist, the name of their covers and the name of the corresponding original songs by The Beatles:


Celia Cruz - 'Obladi Oblada'

Los Mustang - 'Please please me'

Los Buitres - 'Love me do'

Los Shippy's - 'Señor Cartero' ('Mr Postman')

Laredo - 'Mirlo' ('Blackbird')

Tin-Tan (Germán Valdés) - 'Quiero rascarme aquí' ('I want to hold your hand')

Los Ángeles - 'La ayuda de la amistad' ('With a little help from my friends')

The Sandpipers - 'Ayer' ('Yesterday')

El Príncipe Gitano - 'Obladi Oblada'

Carmen Sevilla - 'Yellow submarine' 

Juan y los Matemáticos - 'Cuando tenga 64' ('When I'm 64')

Camilo Sesto y Dhario Primero - 'Creo en ti' ('Let it be')

Cuatro Apriori - 'La verdad' ('No reply')

Los Ángeles Azules - 'La vi allá' ('I saw her standing there')

Los Temerarios - 'Voy a perder a esa chica' ('You're gonna lose that girl')

Los Rockets - 'Abrázame' ('Hold me tight')

Alejandra Guzmán - 'Twist y gritos' ('Twist and shout')

Extracurricular activities 18.05.2015 - 24.05.2015

Let's keep enjoying the good weather and the city in our extracurricular activities. Here is the program for this week:

Monday 18, 5:00 pm: Film – A good start for the week. Come improve your Spanish with our Spanish cinema session. 
Approximate duration: 1 h 40 min.
Furthermore, May 18th is International Museum Day. Find out the museums with free admission and special activities. 

Tuesday 19, 5:00 pm: Scavenger hunt – We are going on a scavenger hunt to discover the secrets the city keeps and some of its most peculiar spots.
Approximate duration: 1 h 30 min.

Wednesday 20, 6:00 pm: Merienda - Let's go have an afternoon snack (merienda) at Café Bar Mandala. They offer a wide range of juices, coffees, cakes, tapas, ice-creams... 
Approximate duration: 1 h.

Thrusday 21, 5:50 pm: Workshop: Celebrations and music in Salamanca - By the always joyful Carmen, one of our teachers. 
Approximate duration: 1 h 30 min.

Friday 22, 6:00 pm: Hiking – Come enjoy the delightful views of Salamanca from the outskirts. Don't forget to bring comfortable clothes and shoes and a bottle of water.
Approximate duration: 2 h.

Saturday 23: Excursions – Valencia or La Alberca? You choose. Further information at the reception desk.

Please don't forget that you need to sign up for each activity at the reception desk (in order to reserve your place). The minimum number of participants required for each activity is usually three. Unless otherwise stated, the meeting point is Tía Tula school.

Try to participate in as many activities as you can; they are designed not just for you to have fun, but also to improve your knowledge of Salamanca and Spanish culture, and to put into practice the Spanish you have learnt in class.

Our way. 15 Spanish covers of "My Way"

Numerous artists from around the world have recorded their versions of the classic My Way, from Aretha Franklin to The Strokes, including The Three Tenors, Sid Vicious and Kanye West. The melody comes from a French song (Comme d'habitude), and the lyrics were made up by Paul Anka. But if My Way is associated with an artist, that artist would be Frank Sinatra, who played it for the first time and turned it into one of the most popular songs of all time. As we were saying, a great number of artists have sung it and adapted it to different ryhtms ever since. Many of them in English, but others went further and translated it into other languages. Here are 15 covers of My Way (A mi manera) in Spanish, corresponding to different music genres. You can listen to them on Youtube and Spotify:

These are the artists featured on the playlist: 

Siempre Así | Raphael | Il Divo | Gipsy Kings | Julio Iglesias y Paul Anka | Junco | Los Panchos | La Trova | María Martha Serra Lima | Óscar D'León | Estela Raval | Los del fuego | Rayito Colombiano | Richie Ray y Bobby Cruz | Infierno 18

The lyrics to A mi manera aren't the same in all the covers. These are the lyrics to Raphael's version:

El final se acerca ya,
lo esperaré serenamente. 
Ya ves,  que yo he sido así,
te lo diré, sinceramente.
Viví, la inmensidad
sin conocer jamás fronteras,
y bien, sin descansar, y a mi manera.

Jamás tuve un amor
que para mí fuera importante.
Tomé solo la flor
y lo mejor de cada instante.
Viví y disfruté,
no sé si más que otro cualquiera.
Y, sí, todo esto fue a mi manera.

Porque sabrás que un hombre al fin
conocerás por su vivir.
No hay por qué hablar ni que decir,
ni que llorar ni que fingir,
puedo seguir hasta el final
a mi manera.

Tal vez lloré o tal vez reí,
tal vez gané o tal vez perdí.
Ahora sé que fui feliz,
que si lloré, también amé.
Puedo vivir hasta el final
a mi manera.

Bonus track: two special covers
These are not in Spanish (that's why they are not included in the playlist above), but we love the covers by Los Piratas and Andrés Calamaro:

Music about the Earth and the environment

Today, April 22nd, is Earth Day. Why don't we celebrate with music? Here are 20 songs in Spanish about the planet and the environment. Discover new rythms and artists and keep practising your Spanish. Various genres are represented: pop, hip hop, flamenco, celtic, gospel... there is even a Disney song:

Macaco - Moving
Macaco - Mamá Tierra
Bebe - Ska de la Tierra
Mägo de Oz - La costa del silencio
Mägo de Oz - La venganza de Gaia
Maná - Dónde jugarán los niños
BSO Pocahontas - Colores en el viento
José Mercé - Amapolas de papel
Los Piratas - La canción de la Tierra
Roberto Carlos - El progreso
La Unión - Hermana Tierra
Geronación - El hombre y la Tierra
Bersuit Vergarabat - Madre hay una sola
Marta Sánchez - Amén
Laura Pausini - Hermana Tierra
Melón Diesel - Planeta verde
Antidoping - Planeta
Café Tacvba - El ciclón
Ana Belén - Planeta agua
Alejandro Lerner - Puedes cambiar el mundo

Concerts in Salamanca this weekend

Salamanca has a full and varied musical scene. Besides festivals such as Fàcyl and Etnohelmántica and the annual classical music and jazz series, national and international music stars choose the city to reach their fans. Furthermore, the live music offer keeps growing and numerous pubs and bars hold concerts and jams every week. This weekend is packed with options for every taste. We pick some:

Thursday, April 16th

 
La Maravillosa Orquesta del Alcohol (La M.O.D.A.) 

Style: acoustic with folk, country and blues influences and a rock and punk spirit.
Guitars, accordion, mandolin, drums and other percussion forms, bass guitar and banjo are the instruments that complement the singer's voice, David Ruiz, in their songs. 
11:00 pm at Sala Potemkin. Tickets: 10 euros.

 

Friday, April 17th

Leiva 
Style: pop rock
After the duo he was part of, Pereza, split up, Leiva launched his first solo album in 2012. The renowned artist visits Salamanca with his new album, Pólvora.
10:00 pm at Auditorio Sánchez Paraíso. Tickets: 23 euros.
 

Rapsusklei
Style: rap, hip hop, reggae, dancehall
MC Diego Gil, aka Rapsusklei, one of the most renowned in the national scene, comes to Salamanca to showcase his latest work, Reality Flow.  
8:00 pm at Music Factory. Entrada: 10 euros.

 
Saturday, April 18th

Cowabunga
Style: Southern surf rock
"Cowabunga is a band from Burgos which plays rock with Southern rock, surf rock and garage influences, as well as others that I am too lazy to bother to list". That's right; prepare to be surprised with their eclectic yet coherent style.
10:00 pm at La Sociedad Hard Rock Club. Ticket: 4 euros (includes a drink); tickets to be bought at the door.

 
Bye Bye Lullaby
Style: independent folk-rock
This well-known Salmantinian band returns home with their second album, Origen.
10:00 pm at Sala B del CAEM. Entrada: 6 euros

Fancy going to one or more of these concerts? There are many more to choose from this weekend. Find more concerts at Exprime Salamanca.

Zumba playlist

As many of you know, Lourdes, one of our Spanish teachers here at Tía Tula, is also a dance and fitness instructor (you can see her in action here). She is a huge fan of Zumba, the high-energy Columbian dance phenomenon that combines aerobics and elements of Salsa, Samba and Reggaeton, among others. We asked her for the perfect Zumba playlist!

Zumba is the perfect work-out, helping you to burn calories, tone muscles, increase co-ordination and improve cardio-vascular fitness - all while dancing to your favorite tracks. What's more, Zumba can help ease tension, reduce stress and put a smile on your face!

Why not have a listen to our Zumba playlist, available on Spotify?

A Youtube playlist is also available, complete with choreographed dance routines. Fancy giving it a try?

 

Click here to see what happened last time Lourdes led a Zumba class at Tía Tula...

If you like the sound of Spanish music we recommend having a listen to our very own Tía Tula playlist, created as part of the UN initiative #HappySoundsLike.

#HappySoundsLike | Happy music in Spanish

Today, March 20th, is the Internationational Day of Happiness and at Tía Tula we have decided to join the UN's #HappySoundsLike initiative by suggesting songs for the playlist created for the occasion by Mix Radio. We have also made up our own playlist especially for you, containing songs in Spanish that make us happy. 

And how do these songs make us happy? By making us dance, putting a smile on our faces, reminding us of good times, making us want to unstoppably sing them at the top of our lungs... We hope you feel the same while you listen to them. The best part? You will practise your Spanish and get a better understanding of our culture.

Tía Tula's #HappySoundsLike playlist is available on Youtube, Spotify and Grooveshark. Choose your medium and follow us to be up-to-date: we will share more music in Spanish.


Youtube

You can listen to the playlist from here or visit Tía Tula's Youtube channel. May we suggest you subscribe so you can be up-to-date on what goes on at the school?

Spotify

If you already have a Spotify account, you can access the playlist from here.

Activities 9.3.2015 - 14.3.2015

Spring is around the corner and you can already feel it. Enjoy the nice weather and keep practising your Spanish outside the classroom with our fun activities:

Monday 9, 6:00 pm: Monument – Come enjoy the spectacular views from the towers of La Clerecía – Scala Coeli . Approximate duration: 40 min.

Tuesday 10, 7:45 pm: Language exchange – By popular request, the language exchange is back. The perfect opportunity to meet people and improve your Spanish speaking skills. Approximate duration: 1 h 30 min

Wednesday 11, 7:30 pm: Cookery class – Do you want to surprise your friends a family with a delicious paella once you are back home? Well, the first step is to learn with a Spanish teacher ;-) Approximate duration: 1 h.

Thursday 12, 5:50 pm: Workshop: celebrations and music in Salamanca – By the always joyful Carmen, one of our teachers. Approximate duration: 1 h 15 min.

Friday 13, 7:45 pm: Tapas tour – Taste mouth-watering tapas in some of the best bars of the city centre. Approximate duration: 1 h 30 min.

Saturday 14: Excursions – Several destinations available. Further information at the reception desk. 

Please don't forget that you need to sign up for each activity at the reception desk (to reserve your place, the minimum number of participants required is usually three). Also, unless stated otherwise, the meeting point is always the same, Tía Tula school. Lastly, if there's no price mentioned with the activity, it means it is for free.

And don't hesitate to participate in as many activities as you can; they are designed not just for you to have fun (that is guaranteed) but also to improve your knowledge of Salamanca and Spanish culture, and to put into practice the Spanish you learn in class.

University New Year's Eve

Photo retracted from http://www.nocheviejauniversitaria.com/historia-nochevieja

La Nochevieja Universitaria (something like a student’s New Year’s Eve) is one of the most ‘important’ events of the academic year although it doesn't have many things in common with studying and a lot more to do with enjoying the student life itself. It has a ‘long standing’ tradition (this year is its 10^th anniversary) and became an event not only for the students in Salamanca but also for the students from the whole of Spain and even other countries.

Photo retracted from http://www.nocheviejauniversitaria.com/historia-nochevieja

It started in 1999 when around a dozen of students gathered in Plaza Mayor to celebrate the end of the year with their classmates and flatmates before they all headed to their respective homes to spend the holidays with their families. The following year they did it again but with more people since the word spread and the ‘event’ kept growing. Since it was becoming a ‘large’ phenomenon, in 2004 an event management company took over the event and from then onwards it keeps gaining popularity. In 2013, almost 45,000 people attended the event and the whole show made it to the national news. This year La Nochevieja Universitaria takes place on December 11^th and even more students are expected to arrive.

Photo retracted from http://www.nocheviejauniversitaria.com/historia-nochevieja

The show (live music, visual show, etc.) at Plaza Mayor is open to everyone, however, people can buy tickets for ‘pub crawls’, VIP back stage access, special ‘La Nochevieja Universitaria package’ including ‘gominolas’ (gummies), Santa hats and other accessories needed to make it a special and unforgettable night. The ‘gominolas’ are tied to the Spanish NYE tradition of eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight for good luck in the New Year. However, in 1999 the students didn't have grapes and thus they ate 12 gummy bears. Since then the tradition has evolved and now you can even buy gummies that look and taste like grapes but are in fact made out of jelly thus bridging the traditional NYE with the student one. 

What is definitely worth mentioning is the amazing 3D light show that took place last year. This visual spectacle raised certain questions since it was sponsored by a brand of rum and some people were asking whether it was appropriate. However, rum or no rum, it was seriously cool (as you will see for yourself in the video at the end of the post) and I would have definitely liked to see it live.

Photo retracted from http://www.nocheviejauniversitaria.com/historia-nochevieja

Lot of students will also stay in Salamanca overnight or even for the weekend since accommodation can also be included in the 'package'. Therefore, it goes without saying that this event is also economically significant to the hospitality sector which is highly important for Salamanca as well as the municipality itself. In 2011 only the consumptions related directly to La Nochevieja Universitaria reached a revenue of 150,000 euros. To ensure that everything runs smoothly the municipality strengthens the police presence as well as the intensity of the cleaning services.

So, as you can see, if you are in Salamanca on December 11, 2014 it is almost obligatory to attend La Nochevieja Universitaria. It might even be a good idea to invite your friends over and let them experience this unique event and its atmosphere. After all, it’s not every day you will see something like this…