ABSTRACT
During the First World War, Spain remained neutral since it lacked an effective army; its only troops were sent to Morocco to quell the revolutions and it was no part of the Triple Alliance or the Triple Entente. Like many other European countries, Spain saw its demographic growth line modified due to industrialization processes. There was an increase of population in the capitals, which caused a higher demand for cultural entertainment. This new public interested in consuming new cultural proposals consisted mainly of people from the middle and lower classes, who came from rural areas or had been exiled from diverse European countries.The music that represented this new social stratum eager to consume new cultural proposals was the cuplé. These are short songs from three to five minutes long, sung exclusively by women, and with – generally – picaresque themes. This chapter will look at these songs and their link with the social, political and cultural reality of the years from 1914 to 1918.
