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

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

n ''copla''"), ''canción andaluza'', ''canción española'', ''tonadilla'' or ''canción folklórica'' is a form of

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

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. One of the first singers of ''coplas'' was

Raquel Meller Francisca Romana Marqués López (9 March 1888 – 26 July 1962), better known as Raquel Meller, was a Spanish diseuse, cuplé, and tonadilla singer and actress. She was an international star in the 1920s and 1930s, appearing in several films a ...

. 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, Manolo Corrales, Estrellita Castro, Concha Piquer, Miguel de Molina, Lola Flores, Marifé de Triana,

Juanita Reina Juana Reina Castrillo (25 August 1925 in Seville – 19 March 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 Cojo' ...

, Manolo Escobar,

Juanito Valderrama Juan Valderrama Blanca (24 May 1916 – 12 April 2004), better known as Juanito Valderrama, was a Spanish flamenco and folk singer. Although he was known for singing copla, he always claimed to be a flamenco singer. Born in Torredelcampo, Juan ...

Sara Montiel María Antonia Abad Fernández Medal of Merit in Labour, MML (10 March 1928 – 8 April 2013), known professionally as Sara Montiel, also Sarita Montiel, was a Spanish actress and singer. She began her career in the 1940s and became the most int ...

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 María del Rocío Mohedano Jurado (, 18 September 1943 – 1 June 2006), better known as Rocío Jurado, was a Spanish singer and actress. She was born in Chipiona (Cádiz) and nicknamed "La más grande" ("The Greatest"). In 2000 in New York Ci ...

, Bambino, María Jiménez, Isabel Pantoja, Martirio, and Miguel Poveda and, even more recently, Pasión Vega, Clara Montes,

Pastora Soler María del Pilar Sánchez Luque (born 28 September 1978 in Coria del Río, Province of Seville, Seville), better known by her stage name Pastora Soler, is a Spanish singer. She is also a songwriter and her compositions usually mix copla (music), ...

, Aurora Guirado, Diana Navarro, Pilar Boyero, Concha Buika, Montse Delgado and

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

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 Music of Spain Spanish folklore Music of Andalusia Song forms 20th century in music

See also

References