The Spanish Recipe for RG Group Success 1994-2016; Music (Part 1 of RG Success Recipes series)

The Spanish music is miraculous! It's like a magic wand which can transform any RG routine into a fairy tale with a happy end. It's like yeast that always leads to amazing choreography and guarantees a place among the medalists, just provided the performance is OK. Spaniards are warm-blooded like Bulgarians, and even hotter, and when performing decently under their national music, they twice proved insurmountable for BG groups. i.e. in 1996 Olympics and 2016 Olympics.

What's the Spanish recipe for success? It must have been due to their perfect music choice to a great extent? Let's try to check it out by looking at their most successful routines at Olympic Games and WCh, the largest RG events, between 1994 and 2016.

SPANISH MEDALS FROM OLYMPIC GAMES:

1) 2016 Olympics, Rio - Silver medal AA: 5 : VidaCarnaval, Bahiana/Batucada, Sambuka by Carlinhos Brown, Inner Sense & Richard Sliwa, Artem Uzunov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hwWMKppcnU ; 2+3 : Cementerio Judío, Soleá, La Aurora de Nueva York by Compañía Rafael Amargo, Montse Cortés [SP music!] , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkHzjDTWHAs .

2) 1996 Olympics, Atlanta - Gold medal AA: 5: America/I Got Rhythm, music from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein/Benjamin Goodman [SP music?]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVT9DMEn1Nk 3+2 : Amanecer Andaluz [SP music!], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVT9DMEn1Nk ;

SPANISH MEDALS FROM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AA:

3) 2015 WCh, Stuttgart - Bronze medal: 5 : Europa by Mónica Naranjo, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qnXFzSUD4U ; 2 + 3 : Ameksa (The Shepherd) by Taalbi Brothers (District 78 Remix) [SP music!], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sh1neGTr6Q .

4) 1998 WCh, Seville - Silver medal: 5 Balls : El Vaiven by Jose Luis Barroso [SP music!], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGK7WrWpJ98 ; 3 Ribbons 2 Hoops : Juego de Luna y Arena by Jose Luis Barroso [SP music!], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUmPp0IOdJE .

5) 1996 WCh, Budapest - Silver medal: As shown above for 1996 Olympics.

6) 1995 WCh, Vienna - Silver medal: 5 Hoops : Fantasia de Asturias from Suite Española by Jesus Debonz (originally Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz) [SP music!], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFndcOTB4dQ ; 2 Ribbons + 3 Balls : Verano Porteño by Astor Piazzolla [SP music?], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYlbnV2iLm4 .

7) 1994 WCh, Paris - Silver medal: 6 Ropes : Theme from Addam' Family by Marc Shaiman, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjd1ZPpXoAw ; 4 Hoops + 4 Clubs : Furia Española [SP music?], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGnscS6qw7M&t=1s .

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Could you spot any pattern?

As far as I got it, at least one of their two routines is always under Spanish tradition inspired music, usually 3+2 one.

As to their 5s , at the two Olympics where they decorated themselves and their country with medals, the music choice lavished and praised the host music heritage; they performed under US classics in Atlanta and Brazilian evergreens in Rio.

Of course, the music chosen is always beautiful, passionate, and catchy, and their performances are inspired and without major mistakes. And also high quality choreography and proven coaches... Let's mention here, that the Bulgarian Emilia Boneva set the foundation of this beauty, which we can be proud of.

So let's just sit down in the peace and quiet of home, away from the sport fever, and enjoy these routines.