The ''copla,'' ''copla andaluza'' ("

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The ...

n ''copla''"), ''canción andaluza'', ''canción española'', ''tonadilla'' or ''canción folklórica'' is a form of Spanish popular song, deriving from the poetic form of the same name. Although the genre has a long heritage, it flourished in the 1930s and 1940s, and is epitomized by songwriters Antonio Quintero, Rafael de León and

Manuel Quiroga Manuel López-Quiroga Miquel (January 30, 1899 – December 13, 1988), better known as Maestro Quiroga, was a Spaniards, Spanish composer especially known for his ''copla (music), coplas'', ''cuplés'', and ''zarzuelas''. He was also a pianist ...

. One of the first singers of ''coplas'' was Raquel Meller. Initially she sang '' cuplé'', which later evolved in Andalusian and Spanish song into the ''copla'' as it is known today. Other well-known singers of ''coplas'' are

Imperio Argentina María Magdalena Nile del Río (26 December 1906 – 22 August 2003) was an Argentine professional singer and movie actress, better known as Imperio Argentina; she became a citizen of Spain in 1999. María Magdalena Nile del Río was born ...

, Manolo Corrales, Estrellita Castro,

Concha Piquer María de la Concepción Piquer López (13 December 190612 December 1990), better known as Concha Piquer (and sometimes billed as Conchita Piquer), was a Spanish singer and actress. She was known for her work in the '' copla'' form, and she perfor ...

, Miguel de Molina, Lola Flores, Marifé de Triana,

Juanita Reina Juana Reina Castrillo (August 25, 1925 in Seville – March 19, 1999 in Seville) better known as Juanita Reina, was a Spanish actress and copla singer. She was born in the Sevillian district, la Macarena, Seville and studied in Enrique el ...

Manolo Escobar Don Manuel García Escobar MML (19 October 1931 – 24 October 2013), better known as Manolo Escobar, was a Spanish singer of Andalusian '' copla'' and other Spanish music. He was also an actor and performed in multiple musicals. His popular ...

, Juanito Valderrama,

Sara Montiel María Antonia Abad Fernández MML (10 March 1928 – 8 April 2013), known professionally as Sara Montiel, also Sarita Montiel, was a Spanish actress and singer, who also held Mexican citizenship since 1951. She began her career in the 1940s an ...

and Antonio Molina. Particularly of note is Carlos Cano, who was a key figure in reviving the popularity of the ''copla'' in the later 20th century. More recent singers of ''coplas'' include Rocío Jurado, Bambino, María Jiménez, Isabel Pantoja, Martirio, and

Miguel Poveda Miguel Ángel Poveda León (born 13 February 1973) is a Spanish flamenco singer known by his stage name Miguel Poveda. Biography Born in Barcelona, Spain, his father is from Lorca in Murcia and his mother from Puertollano ( Castilla-La Mancha ...

and, even more recently, Pasión Vega, Clara Montes, Pastora Soler, Aurora Guirado, Diana Navarro, Pilar Boyero, Concha Buika, Montse Delgado and

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

singer

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French ...

, who released an album of ''coplas'' entitled ''Pasión Española'' in 2008. Some of these artists, particularly Pasión Vega (born 1976) and Diana Navarro (born 1978), have bent and stretched the genre in directions that have come to be known as ''Nueva Copla'' ("''New'' ''Copla''"). Some examples of famous ''coplas'' include "Ojos verdes" (Green Eyes), "Tatuaje" (Tattoo), "La falsa moneda" (The Fake Coin), "María de la O," and "Rocío." The lyrics often feature marginalized characters, including prostitutes, sailors, escaped convicts, gypsies and so on, and have themes based on the "illegitimacy of all relationships outside the recognized heterosexual marriage" (i.e., mistreated women, abandoned children and extramarital affairs). Because these were stories of love gone wrong, of women who crossed the line of sexual mores, and of men's honor, they used to be criticized for being old-fashioned and sexist. However, more recently, modern performers have given the songs a new twist by "selecting ''coplas'' that vindicate a women's power, their independence and their passion." ''Id''. at 287.

References

{{Authority control Spanish music Spanish folklore Andalusian music Song forms 20th century in music

See also

References