Granada -

Granada was a Spanish symphonic/flamenco-rock band that released the 1975–78 Movieplay albums Hablo de Una Tierra, España, año 75, and Valle del Pas.

Members: Carlos Cárcamo (flute, violin, piano, Mellotron, harpsichord, acoustic guitar, vocals, percussion), Juan Bona (drums, percussion, backing vocals, ?-1976), Antonio García Oteyza (bass, ?-1976), Michael Vorteflich (guitar, ?-1975), Javier Monforte (guitar, 1975-76), Carlos García-Vaso (guitar, 1976-78), Julio Blasco (bass, 1976-78), Antonio Rodríguez [Antonio Smash] (drums, percussion, 1976-78), Joaquín Blanco (bagpipes, bombard, 1976-78)

Background

Granada, named after the city and province, was formed in 1974 by multi-instrumentalist Carlos Cárcamo, who’d played in psych-rockers Skorpis, which also featured guitarist Javier Huidobro. They made one song together as Granada, “Rompiendo la Oscuridad,” before Huidobro left the project. Cárcamo enlisted guitarist Michael Vortreflich, bassist Antonio García Oteyza, and drummer Juan Bona.

Producer Gonzalo Garciapelayo took notice of the band and secured them a deal with Movieplay.

Hablo de Una Tierra

Granada released their debut album, Hablo de Una Tierra, in April 1975 on Movieplay. The album features guest contributions from two members of Tílburi, Antonio Renteria (acoustic guitar) and José L. Barceló (mandolin), on “Nada es Real.” Singer Carlos Tena and flamenco guitarist Manolo Sanlúcar appear on “Hablo de Una Tierra.”

Cárcamo, who wrote all the material, sings and plays flute, violin, piano, Mellotron, harpsichord, acoustic 12-string guitar, and percussion. The cover shows him tipping his hat at a table stacked with sliced pomegranates.

Hablo de una tierra opens with richly layered textures where Carlos Carcamo alternates between flute, Mellotron, and piano, weaving them around acoustic and electric guitars. The title track highlights a dialogue between flamenco guitar and Mellotron, producing a dramatic interplay of plucked and sustained tones that ebb and surge over percussion and subtle keyboard washes. “Rompiendo la Oscuridad” blends acoustic passages with airy flutes and gentle Mellotron chords, creating a spacious, contemplative atmosphere punctuated by occasional jazzy piano runs. The ensemble shifts from intimate, delicate sections to moments of more forceful intensity, with biting guitar solos cutting through layered keyboards and sustained string tones.

A1. “Granada Es” [Granada Is] (6:25)
A2. “Rompiendo la Oscuridad” [Breaking the Darkness] (5:31)
A3. “Hablo de Una Tierra” [I Speak of a Land] (6:35)

B1. “Nada Es Real” [Nothing Is Real] (5:01)
B2. “Es el momento de oír un buen rock’n’roll” [It’s Time to Listen to a Good Rock] (6:38)
B3. “Algo bueno” [Something Good] (6:07)

Throughout the album, Carcamo balances ornate instrumental interplay with expressive vocals, allowing folk motifs, symphonic textures, and Latin-tinged phrasing to converge in dynamic, flowing arrangements.

Sessions occurred in April 1975 at Musigrama, Estudios Loeches, Madrid.

Hablo de Una Tierra was a popular release in Madrid, where Granada played Primeras 15 horas de Música Pop Ciudad de Burgos (First 15 hours of Pop Music Ciudad de Burgos), a music festival on July 5, 1975, that also featured performances by Iceberg, Bloque, Tílburi, Gualberto, Eduardo Bort, Storm, Triana, Orquestra Mirasol, and Companyia Elèctrica Dharma.

España, año 75

Granada released their second album, España, año 75, in June 1976 on Movieplay.

The band center the album on extended, sectional themes with gradual builds, shifting rhythmic pacing, and long instrumental exchanges shaped by keyboards, flute, and Spanish guitar. Their lineup features composer and multi-instrumentalist Carlos Cárcamo (acoustic piano, electric piano, Mellotron, synth, harpsichord, flute, violin, mandolin), guitarist Javier Monforte (Spanish and electric), bassist Antonio García-Oteyza, and drummer Juan Bona, with soprano saxophonist Jorge Pardo appearing on the side-long opener.

España, año 75 opens with the suite “El Calor Que Pasamos Este Verano,” which stretches over four sections, moving from brisk, folkloric passages into more languid, jazz-inflected interludes. “Por Dónde Andamos” launches with layered keyboards and acoustic guitar ornamentation, while “Todo Hubiera Sido Tan Bueno” introduces relaxed tempos with subtle rhythmic shifts and airy electric piano. “La Auténtica Canción Del Verano” alternates extroverted synth runs with a saxophone solo, juxtaposing semi-funky rhythms against delicate flourishes, and “No Me Digas Bueno, Vale” escalates with dual guitar lines and electric piano that add hints of Arabic and flamenco textures.

The second half unfolds with “Septiembre,” dominated by tranquil, melancholic motifs interspersed with livelier moments, and “Noviembre Florido,” which blends soft Spanish guitar phrases with string synth accents in brief, ceremonial passages. The closing “Ahora Vamos A Ver Qué Pasa (Vámonos Para El Mediterráneo)” emphasizes mandolin and violin over brisk, folk-inspired momentum, providing an energetic, textured finale.

A1. “El Calor Que Pasamos Este Verano” [The Heat We Spent This Summer] (17:17)
— a. “Por Dónde Andamos” [Where We Walked] (3:54)
— b. “Todo Hubiera Sido Tan Bueno” [Everything Would Have Been So Good] (3:35)
— c. “La Auténtica Canción del Verano” [The True Summer Song] (5:38)
— d. “No Me Digas Bueno, Vale” [Don’t Tell Me Okay, Fine] (4:10)

B1. “Septiembre” [September] (8:00)
B2. “Noviembre Florido” [Flowery November] (7:02)
B3. “Ahora Vamos a Ver Qué Pasa (Vámonos Para el Mediterráneo)” [Now Let’s See What Happens (Let’s Go to the Mediterranean)] (7:24)

Across España, Carcamo balances intricate instrumental interplay with flowing tempo variations, melding folk instrumentation, synth layers, and expressive keyboard and guitar dialogues into cohesive, dynamic arrangements.

Sessions occurred at Estudios Sonoland in Madrid with producer Gonzalo García-Pelayo.

Valle del Pas

Granada released their third album, Valle del Pas, in 1978 on Movieplay.

The album shifts between compact, theme-driven pieces and longer, gradually developed instrumentals shaped by keyboards, flute, and guitar phrasing with tightened rhythmic pacing. The lineup features keyboardist-flutist Carlos Cárcamo, guitarist Carlos García Vaso “Basso,” bassist Julio Blasco, drummer-percussionist Antonio Rodríguez, and folkloric multi-instrumentalist Joaquín Blanco (bagpipe, bombard).

Cárcamo wrote four songs and co-wrote “Ya Llueve” with Joaquín Blanco. Blasco contributed “Noches Oscuras, Ocas Contentas.” Rodríguez and Basso co-wrote “Breve Silueta de Color Carmín.”

On Valle del Pas, Granada stretches their palette with a fresh lineup, emphasizing guitar-led passages supported by synth textures, piano, and a jazz-oriented rhythm section. The album balances Celtic-inflected folk with intricate structures. “El Himmo del Sapo” and the title track layer bagpipes, flute, and violin over shifting tempos and pastoral interludes, while “Calle Betis” blends string ensemble touches with flamenco-like phrasing to evoke Andalusian landscapes.

“Breve Silueta de Color Carmín” features intimate flute and piano duets, producing reflective, contoured lines, while longer tracks allow guitar and keyboard dialogues to explore dynamic peaks and restrained passages. The closer “Ya Llueve” weaves bagpipes and folk instrumentation into a sophisticated, rhythmically flexible finale.

A1. “No Sé Si Debo” [I Don’t Know If I Should] (5:03)
A2. “Breve Silueta de Color Carmín” [Brief Silhouette of Crimson Color] (4:22)
A3. “Noches Oscuras, Ocas Contentas” [Dark Nights, Happy Geese] (5:48)
A4. “El Himno del Sapo” [The Toad’s Anthem] (4:00)

B1. “Valle del Pas” [Pas Valley] (7:47)
B2. “Calle Betis (Atardeciendo)” [Betis Street (Sunsetting)] (6:47)
B3. “Ya Llueve” [It’s Raining Now] (4:43)

Throughout, Granada integrates traditional motifs without losing forward motion, creating a cohesive work where instrumental interplay and textural variety sustain the music’s momentum and narrative arc.

Sessions occurred at Estudios Torres in Madrid with producer Gonzalo García-Pelayo and engineer Joaquín Torres.

Movieplay issued the album in a gatefold sleeve.

Discography: