The Association of Popular Dances CASTRO FLOXO was made in Orense in 1977 and since then an intense cultural activity has been progressing with an aim of promoting and spreading galician folklore with the dignity, rigour and authenticity which art and popular tradition deserve.

In 1984 with the aim of making it more potential and embellishing. It’s work became directly dependent on the Provincial Deputation of Orense, and since then it has called itself ‘CASTRO FLOXO’, Association of Popular Dances of the Provincial Deputation of Orense.

To guaranthee the authenticity of the investigation and transmission of galician folklore , mainly in the field of music and popular dance, an investigation team is formed, which is advised by the ethnographer and academic Xaquin Lorenzo, who looks over galician geography to try and find some trace of our folklore which may still exist in reality or remain in the memory of the old folks. All the material which has been collected by this team is later conveniently sellected and clasified and it is put away in an archive. This material is later studied very carefully and incorporated into the group to be exhibited in it’s performances. The wardrobe as well as the songs and popular dances which form a part of it’s repertoire are a direct fruit of these investigations.  

On the contrary to what people think, the songs and popular galician dances offer a great variety and embellishment. There is a slight tendency to identify galician folklore with ‘la muineira’, as it is probably the most well known and most represented piece (dance). But this is not so in reality. Galician folklore is Muineira, but not only Muineira.

In all the performances  of CASTRO FLOXO, they try to give an image of the true galician folklore in it’s authentic dimension, offering a variety of music and popular dance: MUINEIRA, JOTA, PANDEIRADA, CARBALLESA, MAZURCA, ESPARABAN, DANZA PROCESIONAL, DANZA GREMIAL, DANZA RITUAL.

The same thing happens with the popular galician outfit; the models and colours are rich, offering an enormous range which extenda from the most simple fatique outfit to the most adorned and rich party dress. This variety of outfits is reflected in the wardrobe that CASTRO FLOXO exhibits, always, in concordance with the dances they do.

Dances of work: Fatique outfits are made of autochthonous materials, mainly wool and linen, and offer a great selection of models and colours.

Party Dances: Elegant outfits which show the characters of different areas in Galicia, made of good materials –cloth, silk, damsk and velvet-. These are embroidered.

Processional D., Gremial and Ritual: Each one of these dances are performed with it’s suitable wardrobe which in each case possesses strange characteristics that make them into unique pieces.  

At the moment, ‘CASTRO FLOXO’ represents the maximum artistic exponent of the ‘County Dancing School’ of the County Council of Orense.

A school that promotes, spreads and teaches our  most authentic traditions in the field of music and folk dances. It constitutes an inexhaustable nursery of dancers with more than three thousand pupils all over the County

Here we are, today’s group ‘The tuna de montes’ founded back in 1975 by some students of the ‘Higher Technical College of Forestry Engineering’ and the ‘University College of Forestry Engineering of the Universidad Politécnica of Madrid’. We must admit that there was another ‘Tuna’ in the ‘roaring’ sixties but their subsistence was defeated by the cruel whims of destiny.  

From the very first day our ‘Tuna’ could count with very outstanding members who undertook the arduous task to set the bases for what, after the destinies of life, full of adversities, wouls become the ‘Tuna of Ingenious of Forestry’, a noble institution of players and singers.  

Step by step these squires of the noble art of ‘Buen Tunar’ travelled around the countries of God, until their talent was finally recognized, after overcoming all kinds of calamities, by several oficial institutions of the honourable art of  music.  

Before giving more details about ourselves, it would be useful for you to get to know a bit more about the history of the ‘Tuna’ in general, as a noble institution belonging to the environment of the university with many centuries of existence:  

The ‘Tuna’ is a student tradition of the Spanish universities. The first groups of this kind date back to the end of the twelfth, beginning of the thirteenth century. Several university students of this epoch decided to gather and dedicate themselves to singing and playing in order to conquer the hearts of the beautyful young ladies. These were enchanted by the sweet sound of the music coming from the wooers’ lutes and other instruments, offering to the ‘minstrels’ not only their heart but sometimes even their vitue. We find this kind of picaresque in the spanish novels of the ‘Siglo de Oro’  

This tradition is continued nowadays in midst of the twentieth century, therefore it is possible to recall those charming fellows by watching the present students, who walk through the streets and cities of Spain with their instruments and songs, dressed in the way of those first characters. You can contemplate them moving by the light of the melancolic moon, delighting the ears and hearts of many a beautyful lady learning out of her balcony to hear the sounds of the ‘Ronda’ offered to her by the squires in the traditional way of the ‘Tuna’.  

Melancolic songs, easy chants, romantic serenades, nights full of joy, love to women, good wine, good viands as well as a number of academic failures due to falling in love are some of the features which describe this old and very noble students’ institution.