City of Rock

Ourense has had few ambassadors as popular as Los Suaves, the legendary rock band led by brothers Yosi and Charly Domínguez, who for two decades have earned faithful and passionate followers. These musicians have always maintained a close relationship with the city, present in their songs, lyrics and disc covers, such as the legendary San Francisco Express. This feeling of rock spreads through Ourense’s nightlife, in the area of “Os Viños”. Here, in the square next to the Cathedral that the city devoted to them a few years ago; there, a plaque with their characteristic black cat recalls them:

Poets of love, of disappointment and of life, who from Ourense have composed rock for the whole world.

Following their school of rock, the city has seen the appearance of other historical bands, such as Megapearls, Mitocondrias or Cosecha Roja (today Burgas Beat). In the current scenario, we should highlight BestLife (UnderYourSeat), with a certain Anglo-Saxon influence, and Os Amigos dos Músicos, who play quality folk-pop and are regulars of Café Pop Torgal. The owners of this little café near the university area, the Pedrouzo brothers, have programmed first line acoustic concerts, as well as interesting seasons like the American Autumn. Especially active and punk-minded are the team in charge of El Pueblo, a venue for concerts on Hernán Cortés street, deep in the old city.

Folk music has also played a significant role in the city’s music scene, notably with band Mutenrohi, in which Cristina Pato played the bagpipe. They were inspired from the rich Galician musical folklore that institutions such as the Royal Bagpipe Band or the Choir of Ruada have promoted for years. Mixing traditional music with other tropical sounds and rhythms, two unforgettable bands, Lamatumbá and O Sonoro Maxín, stood out for their anthems, essential in the festivals that flood Galicia every summer.