Concept in Definition ABC

The couplet is a gender Spanish musical that arises from popular culture. Scholars of this expression artistic affirm that the sources of the couplet must be sought in the popular verses of the ancient minstrels of the Middle Ages, as well as in other manifestations such as the cuplé, the tonadilla and flamenco culture in general. The concept of copla sometimes receives other names: Andalusian copla or Spanish song.

Main characteristics of the couplet

The verses are songs that normally address a series of themes: love in all its variants, the idea of ​​Spain or the country of origin, women and the daily life of humble people.

These types of songs express an idea of ​​the Spanish way of being, characterized by vitalism, joy and intense passions.

Although it is a Spanish genre, its Andalusian dimension must be borne in mind. In fact, most of the interpreters are from Andalusia and the aesthetics and values ​​that are transmitted are typically Andalusian.

With regard to the authors of these songs, we must highlight three: Rafael de León, Antonio Quintero and Manuel Lopez-Quiroga (better known as maestro Quiroga). These three authors of the 20th century are the lyricists of the great interpreters of the copla: Concha Piquer, Estrellita Castro, Miguel de Molina, Juanito Valderrama, Antonio Molina, Rafael Farina, Rocío Jurado, Manolo Escobar or Lola Flowers.

Splendor, decline and recovery of the couplet

In the first decades of the 20th century, an interest in Spanish popular traditions was recovered (for example, the tradition oral poetry popular and flamenco). This trend allows a new impulse for the couplet as a musical genre.

In the period from 1930 to 1960 the couplet lived its moment of glory. There are several reasons that explain this phenomenon

1) the quality of the authors and interpreters,

2) radio and movie theater as platforms for its dissemination and 3) the fact that the Franco regime used the copla as an instrument of exaltation of the Spanish tradition.

From 1960 the couplet began to lose acceptance popular. There are several causes that explain its decline, but we can highlight two:

1) the public is interested in other musical styles, such as pop of Anglo-Saxon origin or protest song and

2) Spanish society has evolved and associates the couplet with an isolated and undemocratic political regime.

In recent years, some scholars consider that the couplet is "waking up from a siesta." This resurgence of the couplet is explained by several reasons:

1) at present it makes no sense to associate it with Francoism, since the regime disappeared more than 40 years ago and

2) new interpreters have emerged who have merged the copla with other musical genres.

Photos: iStock - deepblue4you / Pel_1971

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