Andalusian Record Shops part 2: Granada

The last stop of our Andalusian road trip was Granada. Our stay there lasted for 3 days, and we enjoyed everything about it. Obviously the famous Alhambra is a joy to the eyes and the heart. One of the world's definitely must-visit sites. The adjoining Albayzín district is, just like the Alhambra and Generalife gardens, declared an official UNESCO World Heritage Site. But Granada isn't a museum city. It's a lively and noisy Mediterranean city, of the kind a Greek like me feels instantly at home in. More than any other place, it exemplifies the marriage of Spanish and Moorish culture that's typical of Andalusia. And yes, it's very touristic but that doesn't reduce its charm (too much). Calle Elvira for example has this Moroccan flavour, with its tea salons and hookahs which are charming but not very convincingly authentic. Beside the touristic places, there is also a vibrant night scene with tapas bars and rock clubs. Calle Navas is one of the most popular streets to go out, but I suggest to bypass the more famous bars and head straight for Loop on Calle San Matías 8 (at the end of Calle Navas). This record shop/bar plays great alternative rock music, shows rock documentaries on screen, and serves delicious tapas free with every drink. It sells vinyl LP's, of which there's a small variety but good quality. No CD's or 2nd hand albums, but an eclectic collection of indie rock and garage punk for €18-25. Highly recommended! Other than this, you will find many good -and more conventional- record stores in the neighbourhood around the Cathedral.

Flamenco lovers should head straight towards Gran Vía Discos at Calle Gran Vía de Colón 21. Next to flamenco, you'll find Classical, Latin, Jazz, World and Pop CD's at the usual prices, as well as some offers for €5,95. Festival Discos at Calle Príncipe 7 is likewise focused on flamenco. Crate diggers will find their paradise at Reciclaje (Calle San Jerónimo 13, the street starts directly from the cathedral). This 2nd hand store (typically a Librería/bookshop) is the best place for CD/LP bargains.

A well-ordered shop with a great collection of used CD's (flamenco, classic rock, prog, metal etc. including many out-of-print rarities) for €5-10. Also lots of great vinyl (folk rock,70's and 80's indie, and more) mostly priced €5-10. Discos Bora-Bora on Plaza Universidad has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. When I visited there was some kind of event, apparently an in-store gig had just finished and D.J's were spinning records, while some custom-designed music-related t-shirts and other items were exhibited (and on sale). It's a fairly large shop with a variety of vinyl (classic rock, indie, spanish rock. New LP's €20, used €10-20, some offers for €5. Also sells 7' singles). CD's €10-20 new, some used for €5-10. Last but not least, also in the neighbourhood, is Discos Marcapasos (Calle Duquesa 6). It's very well stocked, especially in the more underground/ alternative/ garage rock scene. I enjoyed finding albums from some obscure bands and unusual rock band T-shirts (€15). LP's cost around €20 (new) or €10-15 (used). CD's in the usual price range (€15-20) but also many offers for €6,5-10. All in all I got a very positive vibe from Granada. Behind the many touristic shops and cafes mostly gathered near the Albaicin district, there's a youthful, modern, vibrant city where the nights are long and music is king. If you're ever there, don't limit yourself to the wonderful Alhambra. Explore all of the city including, by all means, its record shops.

Andalucian Record Shops Part 1:Seville and Cordoba

I recently took a trip to the region of Andalucia at the South of Spain. Beautiful weather, great sights and sounds, tasty food, and friendly people (though most only speak Spanish, so communication can be an issue). As always, I tried to visit as many record shops as I could in the area, and to buy something from most of them. The plane touched down at the Costa Del Sol airport in Malaga, but our stay there was too short to look for records. From there we started our road trip with a hired car, making stopovers at a beach resort (I forget the name) and at The Rock of Gibraltar. I did look for records there, but I'll have to keep my remarks for another post. God forbid I should discuss Gibraltar in a post on Spain - especially now that the subject is extremely sensitive, with Brexit on the way. The next day found us in Seville. We visited the wonderful Real Alcázar just as a film crew was preparing to shoot a scene of destruction. Seeing as Seville is the setting for the Kingdom of Dorne in Game Of Thrones, I'll bet something bad is about to happen to those devious Sand Snakes. Remember you saw it here first! Other than that, the city seemed preoccupied with the preparations for the Semana Santa. There wasn't a single bar, bakery or boutique without big posters of Jesus on the cross or the Virgin of Macarena (I know, I also thought that Macarena was just a 90's dance craze) everywhere you looked.
I took a couple of hours from my schedule trying to map the record store situation in the city. My first stop was the giant Fnac store (Avenida de la Constitución 8, opposite of the Cathedral). Among books and electronics there's a big selection of CD's and some LP's. I find the listening stations of such shops to be a big plus, especially when you're in a foreign country and want to buy some local CD's but aren't sure which. Here you can choose from a rich selection of flamenco (Andalucia's pride and biggest cultural export), as well as Spanish folk, pop and rock. If however you prefer to browse at smaller shops, you should search for the narrow but very central Calle Amor De Dios. There, on number 4, you can find Discos Latimore.

It's the best place in Seville for vinyl (mostly used, all kinds of music and usally around €10-20) as well as pop-related T-shirts (€14) and similar paraphernalia. Further down on number 17 there's Record Sevilla. Lots of 2nd hand records and CD's. Used LPs around €10-20, with some offers at €5 and new albums €20-30. A good selection of CD's (used mostly €5-7, some offers €3) flamenco, Spanish and international Rock and Metal. Still further down the road (no.66) there's TotemTanz which sells DJ equipment and dance music. Not far from here is the Feria street where every Thursday there's an open market. Records and (especially) cassettes are on sale also. Mostly junk, but one man's junk is another's treasure isn't it?

In Triana, on the other side of the Gualdaquivir river, is Don Cecilio, a shop that apparently keeps irregular hours and has the appearence of an antique/junk shop. The online shop lists some interesting records, but browsing was like any ole' thrift store, just random stuff: about 50/50 of Spanish and international music LP's (€5-20), 7' singles, and almost no CD's. Lots of old cassettes though, if that's your thing. Next stop in our journey was Córdoba with the impressive Mezquita Mosque/Cathedral and the old town with its narrow streets and beautiful patios. I visited what seems to be the city's last record shop, Vitalogy Records on Calle Alfonso XIII. This one was pleasantly unclattered and especially good at Reggae, funk, eletronica and rock. New LPs cost above €20, used ones €10-20. No CDs but I guess one can buy those at the Media Markt across the river. Like most of the records stores I already mentioned (and, indeed, shops in general in this region) Vitalogy observes siesta time, meaning you should never bother to go record hunting between 2 and 5 p.m. Eat your lunch and then take a nap, or enjoy the sun at some plaza with strong coffee with ice cubes ("Café con Hielo") to refresh yourself and fight the midday drowsiness.

Just outside Córdoba one can find the ruins of a medieval city called Medina Azahara. We didn't visit it but I'm mentioning it because it gave its name to Córdoba's most famous rock band. Actually, during the 70's a whole sub-genre emerged from Andalucia (Rock Andaluz) merging Flamenco and Progressive/Hard Rock. All Andalucian record shops are well stocked with the complete discographies of the most famous bands of this style (Triana, Medina Azahara) whose records are not that easy to find in other regions of Spain. Record buyers visiting the region should pick up at least one Rock Andaluz album. In the meanwhile, stay tuned for part 2. where I'll present the record stores of our last stop of the trip, Granada.