---
title: "Gaita band"
slug: gaita-band
definition: "Asturian group of several gaiteros with percussion —snare and bass drum— playing traditional repertoire in unison, common at parades, romerías and competitions."
synonyms: ["banda de gaitas", "bandina"]
publishedAt: 2026-06-17
---
A **gaita band** is a group of several gaiteros playing the **Asturian
gaita** in unison, backed by a percussion section —snare and bass drum,
sometimes a bombo—.

It's one of the most visible forms of traditional music in Asturies: it
opens parades, accompanies romerías and competes in contests. The
diminutive **bandina** is used for small or local-scale ensembles.

They had their peak in the **1990s and early 2000s**, when they spread
across Asturies as a driving force behind the gaita's revival.

It differs from the charanga, a brass-and-percussion ensemble of a
different origin: the gaita band is organized around the gaita, not
around brass.