The copla and the Spanish popular song constitute, like it or not, much of the collective feeling and imagination of the Spanish people. The melodies and lyrics, to the joy of some and dismay of others, represent the popular essence of Andalusia and the rest of Spain, to know and listen to these songs is to know and listen to the musical memory of a country whose most quintessential sounds are flamenco and copla. After many years of disdain, more and more artists are revaluating the worth of these songs.
How many Spaniards have listened to or hummed along to songs like "Ojos verdes", " A tú vera", "La bien pagá", "Tatuaje", "María de la O", "La zarzamora", etc.? Copla and Spanish popular song with their impossible love stories, tragedies and unfettered passions are part of the emotional memory of the Spanish people. In many places people still sing them to themselves, whether in the kitchen or at work.
La Argentinita
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Popular songs such as the “tonadilla”, “el cuplé” and traditional Andalusian song are the origins of the copla and Spanish popular song which took form in the 30s. That was when "La Argentinita", directed by García Lorca, put on their first folkloric productions. A path later followed by artists such as Estrellita Castro, Imperio Argentina, Angelillo and
ID="10199">Manolo Caracol.
- "Canciones populares españolas". Federico García Lorca and La Argentinita.
- "La hija de Juan Simón". Angelillo and Carmen Amaya.
- "Antología "la época dorada del flamenco". Vol. 21". Manolo Caracol.
The Golden Age
Concha Piquer
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The Golden Age of the copla is post civil war Spain. Among the great artists of that time the most outstanding, elegant and legendary figure is that of Concha Piquer, who, without a doubt, was the definitive founder of the genre. In collaboration with composers like Quintero, León and Quiroga, Piquer released the most popular coplas of all time.
- "100 Años, Concha Piquer canta junto a Concha Márquez Piquer".
Copla seemed like the exclusive province of women and Doña Concha was soon followed by a legion of popular and folkloric singers who wearing dresses combs and shawls, went round the villages of Spain singing popular songs and coplas. 
Juanita Reina
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Artists such as Juanita Reina, Lola Flores, Gracia de Triana, Carmen Sevilla, Paquita Rico, Imperio de Triana, Gracia Montes and Mari Fe de Triana became the artists that gave music and colour to Franco’s dark Spain.
- "La Copla. Disco 1: Juanita Reina y Lolita Sevilla".
- "La Copla. Disco 2: Juanito Valderrama y Macarena del Río".
- "La Copla. Disco 3: Rosa Ferrer e Imperio de Triana".
- "La Copla. Disco 4: Conchita Bautista y Rafael Farina".
- "La Copla. Disco 5: Gracia Montes y Paquita Rico".
- "La Copla. Disco 6: Miguel de los Reyes y Carlos Cano".
Miguel de Molina
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However, Spanish popular song and the copla was not exclusive to women. Miguel de Molina, Rafael Farina, Antonio Molina and Juanito Valderrama, were the main male stars of this genre.
- "Vino Amargo". Rafael Farina.
- "25 coplas de leyenda". Antonio Molina.
- "Adiós, mi España querida". Juanito Valderrama.
In the post civil war period, the copla was so popular that its success took it to the big screen. The main stars started appearing in a series of 100% folkloric films.
- "Puente de Coplas". Antonio Molina and Rafael Farina.
- "La copla andaluza". Rafael Farina and La Paquera de Jerez.
- "El pequeño ruiseñor". Joselito.
- "La novia de Juan Lucero". Juanita Reina.
- "Sucedió en Sevilla". Juanita Reina.
Lola Flores
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Copla’s popularity and commercial success encouraged many flamenco artists to flirt with this much lighter and commercial genre. Pepe Marchena, Pepe Pinto, La Niña de los Peines, La Niña de la Puebla, the aforementioned Juanito Valderrama and Manolo Caracol, La Paquera de Jerez o Fernanda and Bernarda
de Utrera have been some flamenco artists that have tried their hand at copla.
- "Cantaores de época. Pepe Marchena. Vol 6".
- "Antología "La época dorada del flamenco". Vol. 40". Pepe Pinto.
- "La Niña de los Peines. Patrimonio de Andalucía".
- "Sentío y pasión flamencas". La Paquera de Jerez.
- "Quejío. Ritmo en la sangre". Fernanda and Bernarda de Utrera.
The New Copla
Rocío Jurado
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The final years of the Franco regime and the dawn of democracy saw the appearance of a series of new folkloric artists, like Rocío Jurado and Isabel Pantoja. In time these artists became the great stars of Spanish popular song.
- "Volcán de amor y fuego". Rocío Jurado.
- "Sinfonía de la copla". Isabel Pantoja.
But if there is one artist that gave the copla a new lease of life, removing its conservative and old-fashioned stigma, its was undoubtedly Carlos Cano.
- "Una vida de copla". Carlos Cano.
Along the same lines, giving new airs, eliminating stereotypes and refreshing and modernising the copla are artists like Martirio, with her modern style and Falete, a young singer who restores the folkloric song in a new light.
Martirio
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- "Acoplados". Martirio y Chano
Domínguez.
- "Coplas que nos han matao". Falete.
Among modern flamenco artists there are those who have laid claim to the copla. Miguel Poveda, Mayte Martín, Diego El Cigala, El Negri and Estrella Morente are some of the young artists who have shown an interest in this purely Spanish genre.
- "Lágrimas Negras". Bebo Valdés & Diego El Cigala.
- "Suena flamenco". Miguel Poveda.
- "El último beso". Enrique Heredia "El Negri".
- "Tiempo de amar". Mayte Martín.
- "Mujeres". Estrella Morente.
These are new time for the copla and Spanish popular song. Little by little its poetic and musical value is been given its due, detaching it from any ideologies of the past. Even so, the copla the folkloric singer of the 21st centaury is yet to come.
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