With Easter coming early this year, February has an unusual feel to it with the pre-Easter celebrations of Carnaval, coming so early in the month as highlighted in our column in the last edition. If you read this before the end of the first week of February, it's not too late to enjoy the celebrations in our towns and villages especially Saturday 9 February, which when the Gran Desfiles or grand parades take place.

As part of these pre-Easter celebrations in the North West of the region in pretty Moratalla you will find a remarkable event. Jornadas Nacionales del Exaltación del Tambor starting on Friday 29 February and lasting the weekend is in effect a national drumming competition with tamboristas or drummers from across the country beating their drums very loudly and for the entire weekend and then on to Easter some three weeks later! With their hoods and tunics and the atmosphere generated by the tambores, it really is a spectacle.

The roots of this festival are sketchy but it is alleged that Jesus played the drums (a surprise to me) and so the drumming is an exaltation to this. For more information on this incredible event go to www.tamboresdemoratalla.com

Meanwhile, February is a busy month music wise with some great concerts at the Auditorio y Centro de Congresos Victor Villegas in Murcia. The 2008 Programme has been well and truly launched and February sees some great music, both classical and popular.

My highlights are Spanish flamenco-pop group Chambao, whose music you will have heard on Spanish radio and on what seems like every Spanish TV ad and who play on February 9 and at the end of the month the Glaswegian jingly-jangly rockers Teenage Fanclub. Remarkably 'The Fannies' have been around for almost two decades and are known for their Beach Boys and The Byrds-like harmonies and were once famously described by Liam Gallagher as the second best band in the world. I'm not sure about that but it is a gig I shall not miss. Rock and country fans might also want to note that Steve Earle plays the Auditorio on the 14th of the month.

For the complete programme of concerts and other events at the Auditorium go to www.auditoriomurcia.org

Oh and do remember that we have a leap day this month. Traditionally women may make marriage proposals only in leap years, except in Greece it seems, where this practice is considered bad luck. So there you go! Did you know it is unlucky to be superstitious?