FRUKT GLOBAL SCENES #6B - CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPECIAL - MADRID'S NEW MUSIC

Real Madrid need no introduction - by a country mile the dominant European football force, and pushing for an incredible 15th Champions League title this Saturday (if you include the older European Cup trophy!). But you may be less familiar with the city’s musical heritage and its current wave of new talent. 

There have been a few major stars emerge from the city, most notably Julio Inglesias and of course his equally successful son Enrique, who both crossed over into English-language markets with huge success, but there haven't been many acts who have raised their profile outwith the Spanish market. However, the recent surge of Latin pop acts singing in Spanish has meant it is becoming increasingly common for Spanish-language acts to break into overseas charts.

Here are eight emerging local acts to introduce you to the current Madrid music scene, and two heavyweights already touring the world.

Sila Lua

One of the most exciting new acts from Madrid, Sia Lua played the recent Great Escape Festival in Brighton. She has nearly 5m Spotify streams and her flamenco-inspired rap flow is something quite unique when you hear it layered over a mix of deep, warm electronic productions.

Depression Sonora

Producing lo-fi scuzzy DIY anthems, Depression Sonora has become an unexpected online hit, with nearly 165m Spotify streams and almost 1m followers across social and streaming sites. 

DORA

A regular at the major Spanish music festivals like Mad Cool, DORA has previously worked with Pional (The XX, Empress Of) and crafts a unique sound that blends many genres and influences.

Ralphie Choo

Mixing glitch, rap, and flamenco with great creativity, Ralphie Choo has won over tastemakers around the world, including the famous Colours Studio (his live session has nearly 200k views). His debut album was rated 7.7 by the notoriously picky Pitchfork last year!

Natos y Waor

Creating a leftfield rap sound mixing pop and a darker deep-house groove, Natos y Waor are headlining Madrid’s large Wizink Centre in October in a major show, demonstrating their growing fanbase in their hometown.

Irenegarry

Fans of beabadoobee and Laufey will warm to this rising Madrid indie-folk artist with a beautiful voice. NME has already supported her music and Spotify has featured her on its influential Radar playlist. 

Regal

A popular draw on the Spanish techno scene as well as further afield, Regal has nearly 300k online followers and is playing major clubs this summer including Watergate in Berlin and Ibiza’s Amnesia.

Repion

This fantastic dream-pop band continue to grow their profile in the Madrid music scene and tour prolifically, playing various festivals across their homeland this summer.

Indira Paganotto 

Recently featured on the May cover of DJ Mag in UK, this superstar DJ/producer has a typically busy few months ahead, with the likes of Movement festival in Detroit and a show at Fabric in London.

C. Tangana

Arguably the most successful act from Madrid in recent years and with a growing global audience, C. Tangana’s most recent album ‘El Madrileño’ went to #1 in the Spanish album charts in 2021. He has nearly 8m online followers and was nominated for a Grammy this year, showing how his profile has risen in the US.