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The Great Songbook: Episode 4: Spain

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Episode 4

Episode 4: Spain

Spain

BBC Radio 4 - The Great Songbook, Spain

Cerys Matthews visits Barcelona to rummage through Spain's varied songbook.

With its several languages and varied musical styles, Spain has an unusually complex relationship with its classic songs. Cerys Matthews travels to Barcelona to investigate.

What makes a song typically Spanish? In a country of autonomous regions and different languages, is there such a thing as a 'Spanish songbook'? Cerys Matthews travels to the capital of Catalonia to meet people who live, breathe and sing some of Spain's complex legacy of popular songs. The discussion ranges from Civil War songs such as 'Ay, Carmela' to Franco-era copla ballads, to Beatles-inspired pop songs. She discovers one Catalan protest song that started life in the Franco era; it was subsequently taken up by protesters in Poland, and then more recently in Tunisia, before returning to the streets of Barcelona amidst protests against austerity. Cerys' guests include veteran rocker and writer Sabino Mendez, musicologist Silvia Martinez, music journalist Nando Cruz and cultural historian Alex Fernandez de Castro.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of countries other than America

Everyone has heard of the Great American Songbook. In this series, Cerys Matthews explores the songbooks of other countries

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Episode 4: Spain

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