O Loicas formed in Santiago de Compostela in the mid-1990s, taking their name from the Galician word for fairies. Their music pulls from traditional Galician folk and Celtic sounds, with lyrics mostly in Galician about love and nature. The band's core lineup has included Cristina Pato on gaita, piano, and accordion, Xosé Manuel Budiño on guitar and vocals, Anxo Lorenzo on bass and vocals, and Magali Chouinard on percussion.
Their 1998 album A(Mar) e Canto gave them their breakthrough, with the title track becoming a hit. Other songs like Romance de quinta, Pura Ousadia, and Amor Casual show their blend of traditional melodies with contemporary arrangements. They've released several albums including Terra in 2002, a live recording in 2006, and Oito in 2011.
O Loicas won Spain's Premio de la Música in 2000 for A(Mar) e Canto and Germany's Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik in 2011 for Oito. In 2019, the University of Santiago de Compostela gave them an honorary doctorate. Their work has helped bring Galician folk music to wider audiences while maintaining their regional roots.
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