The Benidorm International Song Festival or Festival Internacional de la Canción de Benidorm (in Spanish) is an annual song contest which takes place each summer, since 1959, in the city of Benidorm, Spain. The contest, based on the San Remo Music Festival, was born to promote Benidorm and the Spanish music. Over the years it has suffered considerable modifications: some editions didn't celebrate, several changes have been done in the prizes, etc. It became international in 2004. The contest is usually broadcasted on television by TVE or Canal 9. At present, the first prize winner is awarded with the Golden Mermaid Trophy (Sirenita de Oro) and €36,000 (about US$47,000) to produce a record. Second and third place winners receive the Silver Mermaid Trophy (Sirenita de Plata) and the Bronze Mermaid Trophy (Sirenita de Bronce), respectively. For many people, Spanish music is virtually synonymous with flamenco, an Andalucian-Gitano form of music. ... Andalusia is a region in Spain that is best-known for flamenco, a form of music and dance that is Gypsy in origin and popular throughout the world. ... Aragon is a region in northeastern Spain. ... The Balearic Islands have become a center for musical innovation in the 20th century. ... The Basque are an ethnic group living in parts of France and Spain, with the majority in the latter country. ... The Canary Islands used to be inhabited by the Guanches which are related to Berbers; they mixed with Spaniards, who live on the islands now. ... Central Spain includes the cultural melting pot of Madrid and Castille. ... Catalonia (in Spain and France) has one of the oldest documented musical traditions in Europe, and has had a rich musical culture continuously for at least two thousand years. ... Extremadura is a region in Spain near Portugal. ... traditional Asturian dancers The traditional music of Galicia is probably the least related to the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, although some similarities exist with the neighbouring areas of Asturias and Cantabria or Castille and northern Portugal and it is characterized by an extensive use of bagpipes. ... Murcia is a region in Spain whose music is most famously the religious Auroras songs, which are derived from La Mancha and Andalusia. ... Navarre and La Rioja are relatively small regions bordered by Aragon and the Basque Country. ... Valencia is one of the musical centers in Spain, and is known for its own variety of jota distinct from the Aragonese version, as well as bandes found in almost every village in the region. ... Flamenco dancer Belén Maya, photograph taken by Gilles Larrain at his studio, 2001 Flamenco is a song, music and dance style which is strongly influenced by the Gitanos, but which has its deeper roots in Moorish and Jewish musical traditions. ... For many people, Spanish music is virtually synonymous with flamenco, an Andalucian-Gitano form of music. ... Spanish hip hop music began in the late 1980s. ... Spain has produced a great variety of rock and roll, but the most distinctive style may be flamenco-rock. ... A music festival is a festival that presents a number of musical performances usually tied together through a theme or genre. ... The debut of Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest was in 1961. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The coast of Benidorm, a holiday resort full of skyscrapers. ... San Remo Music Festival (Festival della canzone italiana), running since 1951, is an Italian popular song contest held annually (first part of March) in San Remo. ... For many people, Spanish music is virtually synonymous with flamenco, an Andalucian-Gitano form of music. ... Current Televisión Española logo. ... Canal 9 (or Canal Nou) is a Spanish television station. ... A gramophone record, (also vinyl record, phonograph record, LP record, or simply record) is an analogue sound recording medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groove. ...

Golden Mermaid Trophy winners

Note: (#) In 1983 the contest became a musical exhibit without winners. Complaints against this decision emerged.
Note: (*) Pop-Rock modality. (**) Ballad modality. Rafael Martos, commonly known as Raphael, is a Spanish singer. ... Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (born September 23, 1943 in Madrid, Spain) is Spains best selling singer and one of the best-selling Spanish singers of all time. ... Dyango is not the singers real name; he was born José Gómez Romero in Barcelona, Spain, where he grew up. ... For Popular music (music that is popular, rather than of a specific genre or style), see Popular music. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... A ballad is a story in a song, usually a narrative song or poem. ...

External links

• Benidorm International Song Festival, in English and Spanish.