Menú
Menú
Grupo Folklórico Alto Aragón de Jaca
The Group «Alto Aragón» of Jaca has been the first group in investigating and broadcasting the best of Aragon’s folklore, and particularly the songs and dances of our zone in the Pyrenees. We’re working in order to improve our performances, while keeping the tradition alive since 1975.
Agenda
Who are us?
Our history starts in Jaca. In this city, in the center of the Pyrenees, in 1975 a group of people that had spent several years investigating and working with the authentic folklore, met together and formed the Grupo Folklórico «Alto Aragón». Actually, the group has over 64 members, and with our pupils, we are nearly 200 people. In our performances we combine the folklore of the 3 counties of Aragón but we also offer a sample of the dances of the mountains of our zone. These dances are not well known but very typical and different of the rest of Aragón. Each valley has its own caracteristics and identity. The variety of the costumes, dances and also the instruments played is evident.
Our folklore is extremely variated and interesting. Our repertory includes the popular «jota» that is played with castanets. This dance is very brave and energic. But we dance very different types of jotas. This is essential in our shows and diferenciates us respect to other groups that only dance one type of «jota». There are also different types of castanets and costumes depending on each «jota». Other types of dances and songs that we consider are: «palotiaus», «danzas», «boleros», «valses», «albadas», «mazurcas», «sobremesas», etc.
The «palotiau» is danced with a pair of sticks made of wood, and is very spectacular and vigorous. Same «palotiaus» are danced with castanets and also with «espedos». The «espedo» is a large iron-made stick, very similar to a sword and it was used in our towns to roast the meat. There are other components in the spectacle: ribbons, shawls, typical jackets, etc. The costumes are different also in each dance. The instruments played are: guitarres, accordions, mandolines, lutes, bass, «chiflo» (very similar to a flute with three holes), and «salterio» (a box made of wood with hand-made chords), and percussion: tambourines, bottles, drums, goat-skin bass drum, etc.
DISCOGRAPHY
We have recorded four CD, that contain an overwiev of nearly all of our folklore. They are named: «En recuerdo a unos valles» , «Pueblos y gentes», “Calandrias” y “Nueces y turrones, manzanas y peras”.
SPECTACLES
We have made a lot of performances in our region, and so in the rest of Spain.
We have also travelled abroad to take away our dances and musics: The continents where the group has stayed are Europe, America, Africa and Asia.
SPECTACLES
We have made a lot of performances in our region, and so in the rest of Spain.
We have also travelled abroad to take away our dances and musics: The continents where the group has stayed are Europe, America, Africa and Asia.
COSTUMES
We don’t make copies, because we try to get the same textures used by our ancestors. Our olders have showed us everything about the design, the making and the mainteinance of their dresses. Another important thing is the hairstyle of the girls and the way of wearing our typical hats and hairshawls in certain dances.
