Seville

A courtyard and an open door

The three musicians on the cover are drawn in a Sevillian courtyard, with washing hanging above them. The 1975 debut by Triana had no title, but Máximo Moreno’s painting gave it the name by which listeners came to know it: El patio. The artist based the image on a courtyard near Plaza Cristo de Burgos.

The record begins with “Abre la puerta”, written by singer and keyboardist Jesús de la Rosa. Its invitation to open a door unfolds over nearly ten minutes, with extended instrumental passages. The group brought progressive rock together with flamenco-inflected singing and guitar; the album became a landmark of Andalusian rock, though its first sales were modest.

The group’s name points to Triana, the Seville neighbourhood across the Guadalquivir. Guitarist Eduardo Rodríguez Rodway, De la Rosa and drummer Juan José Palacios made a sound that could carry an image of a local courtyard far beyond the city.