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 Current Director

NUESA HESTORIA

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

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.