Please email us at castanets@ilusionflamenca.co.uk

Future workshops and courses
Please register your interest in future castanets  courses and workshops by emailing us at  castanets@ilusionflamenca.co.uk or sign up to our newsletter here 

Castanets Historytne

Castanets are percussion instruments that are used to accompany some flamenco songs.  Castanets were invented more than 3,000 years ago, probably by the Phoenicians who used everyday wood to make these percussion instruments. Thanks to trade they became popular in several Mediterranean countries, including Spain, where they welcomed the castanets into its culture, giving them the place and importance that they have today, first in classical  and later in flamenco music. Spanish castanets have evolved in shape, to create that distinct flamenco sound. They take their name from the Latin castanea, that is, chestnut, as castanets are of a similar colour and shape. On a curious note, in their beginnings castanets were regarded to have magical protective powers warding off bad spirits.