Radio Tarifa

Biography

Radio Tarifa is a Spanish World music ensemble, combining Flamenco, Arab-Andalusian music, Arabic music, Moorish music and other musical influences of the Mediterranean, the Middle Ages and the Caribbean. The name of the ensemble comes from an imaginary radio station in Tarifa, a small town in the Spanish province of Cadiz, Andalusia, the closest part of Spain to Morocco. Instead of simply fusing musical styles as they are currently known, Radio Tarifa studied the common past of those styles, before the final conquest of Granada in 1492, when the Moors and Jews were exiled from Spain. This invented style sheds light upon the real styles of Spain, most notably flamenco, although the band rejected all musical purism, preferring to mix arrangements of traditional compositions with their own melodies and combining instruments from Ancient Egypt, classical Greek and Roman times with modern saxophones and electric bass.

History

Faín and Vincent founded an early music group playing music from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance called 'Ars Antiqua Musicalis'. When they met Benjamin Escoriza from Granada in Madrid in the late 1980s, the last piece for a new band was in place.
Their first album, Rumba Argelina×Rumba argelina1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Rumba argelina3:362Oye China7:173Lamma bada3:334Mañana3:405La canal4:426El baile de la bola2:517Soledad4:198La mosca2:409Tangos del agujero3:1610Nu al rest7:1311La pastora3:0612Ronda de Sanabria3:2313Bulerías turcas3:1214Nina3:06, was recorded in 1993 and became a success in Europe, and again, when it was re-issued (through association with Nonesuch Records) in America in 1997. Faín played strings and percussion as well as conducted and arranged discs and live groups. Benjamín sang and wrote lyrics. Vincent played wind instruments. The critical and financial success of that disc made it possible to put together a touring band which played in 17 European countries, as well as in Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Palestine, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Canada and the United States".
After 14 years of intense musical activity, the band announced they would take an indefinite break; their farewell concert was performed in Barcelona on 11 November 2006. On 9 March 2012, singer Benjamin Escoriza died at the age of 58.
After a hiatus of nearly 20 years, Radio Tarifa released a new album "La Noche×La Noche26 September 2025 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1La Noche2:452Me Preguntas2:383Tarantos4:544Picaba En Vano2:445Luz4:216La Niña Del Almendro Viejo3:507Ay Ojos Negros1:508Sabah2:219Soleà Del Desamor4:3010Quel Sol Che Raggia3:0511Samai Sintigo3:3512Sakura2:2913Songe Obscur5:0714Digifonía2:27" on September 26th, 2025 featuring original band members Faín Dueñas, Vincent Molino, Benjamín Escoriza (from previously recorded material prior to his death), and several guest musicians and vocalists.

Personnel

Benjamin Escoriza - vocals and lyrics
Fain Sanchez Dueñas - darbuka, percussion, strings, arrangements and musical direction.
Vincent Molino - ney, crumhorn, poitou oboe

Guests

Jaime Muela - flute, soprano saxophone
Pedro Esparza - soprano saxophone
Amir-John Haddad - oud, backing vocals
Wafir Sh. Gibril - accordion
Ramiro Amusategui - bouzouki
Jorge Gomez - flamenco guitar, electric guitar
Sebastian Rubio - pandereta, bongos
David Purdye - electric bass, backing vocals
Peter Oteo - electric bass
Javier Paxarino - flutes, wind instruments