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Friday, April 13, 2012 (read 13832 times)
 

San Sebastian Tamborrada - Drum Festival

by Kimberly

Drum roll please! La Tamborrada festival is a traditional drum playing festival celebrated in San Sebastian, Spain and throughout other regions in Spain.

During the Tamborrada Festival the city of San Sebastian becomes a defeaning place as it comes alive with hundreds of thousands of beating drums that play throughout the streets the 24 hours that the 20th of January lasts.

The hand crafted drums are made of many different sizes and are normally classified as barrel or military style drums.  These drum celebrations that take place throughout Spain usually originate from military, religious or festive ceremonies. The San Sebastian Tamborrada has a military origin.

The San Sebastian Tamborrada is held on the 20th of January to celebrate the town’s patron, Saint Sebastian. The events actually begin at zero (00:00) hours on 20th with the raising of the city’s flag in the Plaza of the Constitution.  Several different group representatives begin to play the San Sebastain March, written by Raimundo Sarriegui, as well as other popular compositions.

Hundreds of drum group companies take part in the event, each made up of 20 to 50 military drums and 50 to 100 barrel drums as they parade through the city streets pounding out their songs accompanied by music on the 20th of January.

The drummers of the Tamborrada festival in San Sebastian dress up as either military drummers from the Napoleonic period or cooks. 

The loud Tamborrada festival continues for 24 hours until midnight on the eve of the 21st. There are special events for children in the morning and throughout the 24 hour celebration many important prizes are given out, including the “Tambor de Oro” prize.

The San Sebastian Tamborrada tradition is said to have originated in 1720 when a baker began singing while filling barrels at a fountain near the San Vicente church.  Some young girls passed by and joined in on the fun by banging on some barrels. Soon, a crowd had formed and an impromptu jam session began which, over time, evolved into the San Sebastian Tamborrada festival as we know it today.

The San Sebastian March by Raimundo Sarriegui:

Basque language

Spanish Language

Bagera!
gu (e)re bai
gu beti pozez, beti alai!


Sebastian bat bada zeruan
Donosti(a) bat bakarra munduan
hura da santua ta hau da herria
horra zer den gure Donostia!

Irutxuloko, Gaztelupeko
Joxemari zahar eta gazte
Joxemari zahar eta gazte
kalerik kale danborra joaz
umore ona zabaltzen hor dihoaz
Joxemari!

Gaurtandik gerora penak zokora
Festara! Dantzara!
Donostiarrei oihu egitera gatoz
pozaldiz!
Inauteriak datoz!

¡Somos!
nosotros también
nosotros siempre contentos, ¡siempre alegres!

Hay un Sebastián en el cielo
un único San Sebastián en el mundo
ese es el santo y éste es el pueblo
¡he ahí lo que es nuestro San Sebastián!

De Irutxulo, de Gaztelupe
Joxemari viejo y joven
Joxemari viejo y joven
de calle en calle tocando el tambor
allí van extendiendo el buen humor
¡Joxemari!

De hoy en adelante las penas fuera
¡A la fiesta! ¡A bailar!
Venimos a llamar a los donostiarras
¡Contentos!
¡Vienen los Carnavales!

 


Keywords: tamborrada festival,tamborrada spain,tamborrada,san sebastian tamborrada,tamborrada san sebastian,san sebastian drum festival,drum festival,drum festival in spain

Posted In: Spain, Culture

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