BEGINNINGS
The Banda Gaites Villaviciosa - El Gaitero was founded in 1986 by master bagpiper José Ángel Hevia, who served as director from its inception until 2001. Under his leadership, the band laid the foundations of its musical identity and became one of the most representative groups of traditional Asturian music.
Donde suena la gaita y se brinda con sidra, vive Asturias.
El Gaitero
"
OUR HISTORY:
39 YEARS OF HISTORY
Over its 39-year history, the band has brought Asturian music and culture to every corner of Asturias, to various regions of Spain, and to numerous countries across the Americas, helping to promote Asturian folklore on an international scale.
We are the Asturian band with the most appearances at the prestigious Festival Intercéltico de Lorient, in Brittany, France, having performed in the 1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2012, and 2018 editions.
In addition, we were the first non-Galician bagpipe band to win the Galician League in 2005, succesfully defending the title the following year.
Galician League 2005
Galician League 2006
Banda Gaites Villaviciosa in Lorient
AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS
In 1993 it won the “I Concurso de Bandas de Gaitas” organized by the Department of Culture of the Principality of Asturias.
In 1994 and 1995 it achieved first place in the “Concurso y Muestra de Folclore Ciudad de Oviedo.”
In 2001 it reached third place in the “I Campeonato de Bandas de Gaitas Asturianas” organized by the International Federation of Asturian Pipers (FIGA). In 2002 it won the runner-up title together with the bagpipe band “Ribeseya,” and in 2003, in the third and final edition of the championship, it obtained fourth place.
In 2004 it won the “XV Liga Galega de Bandas de Gaitas,” where more than 125 groups from Galicia, Asturias, Portugal, and Spain took part, becoming the first non-Galician band to do so. Additionally, in this edition it won the “II Concurso de Cuerpos de Percusión.”
In 2005 it won the “Liga Gallega” for the second consecutive year, as well as all the three phases that make up the competition. With these victories in the Galician championship, the most important in the Iberian Peninsula, it was considered the best bagpipe band in the peninsula at the time.
In 2006 it finished in second place in the “XVII Liga Galega de Bandas de Gaitas.”
In 2011 it received the “Aldea más guapa” award for its career, an annual prize given by the "Asociación de Amigos del Paisaje de Villaviciosa–Cubera".
In 2014 it obtained a second position in the “I Concurso de Cuerpos de Percusión Villa de Candás” and won the “I Concursu de Bandes de Gaites Conceyu de Villaviciosa.”
OTHER DISTINCTIONS:
"Urogallo de Bronce" from the "Centro Asturiano de Madrid."
"Manzana de Plata" from the Municipality of Villaviciosa.
2018 "AMAS" award (Anuariu la música n'Asturies) in the bagpipe category.
TODAY
Currently, the Banda Gaites Villaviciosa – El Gaitero consists of about 20 people divided into two main sections: bagpipes (tuned in B-flat) and percussion. The percussion section includes high-tension snare drums, toms, and bass drum, creating a rich and varied sound that expresses Asturian tradition to the fullest.
