The
Principality of
Andorra
, image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg
, symbol_type = Coat of arms
, national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...
is home to folk dances like the
contrapàs and
marratxa, which survive in
Sant Julià de Lòria
Sant Julià de Lòria () is one of the parishes of Andorra, in the far south of that country. It is also the name of the main town of the parish, which at 908 m is the lowest settlement in Andorra. Other settlements in the parish include Bixes ...
especially. Andorran folk music has similarities to the music in nearby regions of France and Spain, but is especially
Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
in character, especially in the presence of dances like the
sardana
The ''sardana'' (; plural ''sardanes'' in Catalan) is a Catalan musical genre typical of Catalan culture and danced in circle following a set of steps. The dance was originally from the Empordà region, but started gaining popularity throughou ...
. Other Andorran folk dances include
contrapàs in
Andorra la Vella
Andorra la Vella french: Andorre-la-Vieille is the capital of the Principality of Andorra. It is located high in the east Pyrenees, between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital.
, the city has a popu ...
and
Saint Anne's dance in
Escaldes-Engordany
Escaldes-Engordany () is one of the 7 parishes of Andorra. The Escaldes-Engordany parish was founded on 14 June 1978 and has the second largest population after Andorra la Vella. The parish is composed of the areas of les Escaldes, Engordany, El ...
.
Radio Nacional d’Andorra runs both
Radio Andorra and the music station
Andorra Música.
Music festivals in Andorra include the
ChamJam Music Festival,
Ordino
Ordino () is the most northerly parish in the Principality of Andorra. It's mostly the main area of Valira del Nord or ''Valira d'Ordino'' river valley. Ordino is also the name of the main town of the parish. Other settlements in the parish are El ...
and the jazz
Escaldes-Engordany International Jazz Festival. Violinist
Gérard Claret is the director of the
Young National Orchestra of Cambra d'Andorra.
The
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
of Andorra is "
El Gran Carlemany" (''Great
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...
'').
It was adopted on 8 September 1914, the
feast day of Andorra's
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
, the
Virgin of Meritxell.
The
progressive metal
Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...
band
Persefone is one of the most notable music groups to originate from Andorra.
Eurovision
Andorra (through national broadcaster
RTVA) has participated in the
Eurovision Song Contest on only six occasions, from 2004 until 2009. In 2004, Spaniard
Marta Roure's "
Jugarem A Estimar-Nos" was the first
Catalan language
Catalan (; autonym: , ), known in the Valencian Community and Carche as ''Valencian'' (autonym: ), is a Western Romance language. It is the official language of Andorra, and an official language of three autonomous communities in eastern ...
entrant to the Eurovision Song Contest, and Andorra remains the only
participating country presenting songs in Catalan. Andorra did not progress beyond the semi-finals in any of its six attempts; its best result was in 2007, when punk band
Anonymous and the song "
Salvem el món" finished 12th among 28 countries in the semi-final. Andorra decided to withdraw from the 2010 edition due to lack of funding from the TV station's shareholders and due to spending cuts within the network, and has not returned.
References
MIDI samples of traditional music from the Iberian peninsula Includes some Andorran folksongs collected by Palmira Jaquetti.
{{Andorra-stub