When we talk about Noitarega, we aren´t talking about a new group. We are talking about a legendary band in the scene of traditional Galician music that has known how to earn the respect and affection of the public.
Many years went by since Xosé Oliveira, Fernando Costas, Manuel Alonso and Xosé María Gutiérrez founded the group in 1989. However, they resisted the passage of time in a more than decentway.
Precisely, to commemorate its 21 years of existence, Noitarega offers “XXI”, an album recorded at Muu Estudios in Vigo and produced by Pedro Feijoó and the own group. This album shows the clear evolution of the band remaining faithful to its style and it counts on an excellent collaboration: Anxo Pintos (Berrogüetto), Ernesto Campos, Xaime Estévez (Os Terribles de Donas) or Luís “O Caruncho”, among others.
Throughout these years, Noitarega has won numerous prizes, such as the prize of the Folk Contest “Sementeira” in Cambre (A Coruña), or the Bagpipe Contest in Ponteareas (Pontevedra). Noitarega has offered countless perfomances across the Galician and Spanish geography (Novagalicia Auditorium in Vigo, International Festival of Mérida, Expo 92 in Seville, Casa de Galicia in Madrid, Palau de Congressos of Montjuïc in Barcelona, etc.), as in France (Bordeaux), Portugal (Lisbon) or in the United States (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut). They also performed on stage with important artists like Berrogüetto, Luar Na Lubre, or Susana Seivane. Noitarega has become one of the foremost exponents of traditional Galician music and an ambassador of Galician culture all over the world.
Musically speaking, both concerts and albums of the group are a milestone in regard to a new interpretation of traditional Galician music. They combine the traditional flavor with new striking instrumental and interpretative options. This is achieved with a purely native instrumental basis (bagpipe, hurdy-gurdy, small drum, bass drum, a Celtic flute known as pito pastoril, a transverse flute called requinta, bones that receive the name of tarrañolas, spoons, tambourine, a triangle known as ferriño, large tambourine, etc.) and making completely innovative arrangements, such as combining different tones of bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy with whistle and requinta or a mixture of different percussion instruments.