Spain has never really been at the forefront of the pop music scene. Bar the odd exception like Manu Chao who, admittedly, is not entirely Spanish, it is largely known for traditional folk guitar or the kind of formless pop you might expect from a Eurovision entry.

Like seafood paella Chambao are not to everyone's taste. That said, the band, headed by the earthily confident Maria del Mar and Eduardo El Edi, know how to draw a crowd.

Their gig at the Brighton Dome spoke volumes about the international make-up of Brighton. Dispensing with the frippery of a warm-up act, Chambao launched promptly into their set of flamenco chill. The result was almost two hours of cheesy, largely sentimental and unmemorable ballads backed by somewhat twee percussion, such as you might expect of a soundtrack to a promotional film for Spain.

Despite this, when they launched into some of their faster tracks Chambao were passably entertaining, creating a more party-like vibe.

Del Mar clearly had a strong stage presence when playing to a fully converted crowd of adoring fans. Good music transcends cultural divides. While Chambao's sound may have a diehard following in England, it rarely translated to these British ears.