Vocabulary: Spanish Music: Popular Genres ("Techno", "Tinker", "Hipster")
If they asked us for a Spanish music genre, it is very likely we would respond "the flamenco"; but there are other Spanish genres that are either an adaption of an international genre or are unique to our country. We'll mention some of them.
- Techno: the Spanish, specifically Valencian, version of electronic music. It is characterized by its marked rhythm. Search for songs like "Así me gusta a mí" by Chimo Bayo or "Viva la fiesta" by Paco Pil.
- Copla: quicker than the flamenco but similar in many ways. Its lyrics usually describe uncontrollable passions.You will find examples in songs such as "María de la O" sung by Estrellista Castro, or "Tatuaje" by Concha Piquer.
- Cuplé: although the name is similar to the previous genre, it has little to do with it.Inspired by the quick French song of the 19th Century, it is distinguished by its impish, brazen and sensual lyrics. The most famous cabaret singers in Spain are, without doubt, Sara Mont and Olga Ramos.
- Movida: more than a musical genre, it is about a contra-culture originating in Madrid in the 1980s based on glam, punk and the new wave. It is inevitable to recall groups like "Mecano", "Alaska y los Pegamoides" or Tino Casal.
- Pachangueo: music which is nothing more than dance and fun.Do you want an internationally known example of the so-called "pachangueo"? We present to you: "Macarena".
- Rumba: the daughter of Cuban ancestors and the flamenco, the Spanish rumba is a fiery dance, especially in its Catalan aspect (Peret or "Rumba Tres") or its story-telling of passions and even of delinquency in Madrid ("Los Chichos" or "Los Changuitos").
- Ye-yé: during the 1960s, young people, tired of copla, cuplé and flamenco, retrained their ears on pop rhythms which came from France (Sylvie Vartan) and England (The Beatles). The most famous ye-yés are "El Dúo Dinámico"and "Los Brincos".
Of course there are many more genres; and we advise you to investigate them. It will enrich not only your vocabulary but your nightclub experience.