ESTOL DE TRAMUNTANA angles

Estol de Tramuntana was founded in 1981 as a cultural association in Port de Sóller/Majorca. As it has its roots in a fishing harbour, its first emblem was a fisherman.

It has been now for almost 30 years that our association has been dedicated to conservation and promotion of tradition, customs, dances and music, liveries and language of Mallorca.

Over these years we could act as representative of Majorcan music and culture, performing all over Majorca, on the Spanish peninsula ( Barcelona, Vigo, Almeria, Murcia, Castellón etc.) and visiting Germany, England, France and the former USSR.

Our group consists of about 30 dancers and 15 musicians. The instruments used basically are guitar, lute, bandurria, guitarró (small guitar), hornpipe, shepherds flute and drum. We also use traditional percussion as f.e. castanets, reed etc.

The flutists who plays the drum at the same time (called “flabioler”) is our current emblem.

Basically our performances contain three different types of dances: Jotas, Boleros and Fandangos. All these dances where imported at the end of the 18^th and the beginning of the 19^th century from the Spanish mainland and then adapted to Majorcan way of life. Furthermore the group has revitalized over the past years the most genuine form of Majorcan dance called “Mateixes”. A particularity of our dances is that the women are leading the dance and men must follow them. Most of dancing is improvisation although nowadays many dances are composed and performed following determined patterns.

Music was also imported from Spanish peninsula and later adapted to Majorcan style. A big part of the groups repertoire is formed by traditional pieces, known and played all over the island and arranged by our group, completed in the last years by own compositions of our musicians.

In 2002 we have registered our first CD which has been published in 2003.

Another important task for the group is the conservation of our traditional costumes by reproducing antique patterns and using old materials. It’s now for some years that we also arrange tailoring lessons to transmit this part of our culture to the following generations.