SPAN 133 - Hispanic Cultures

Spring 2019 Topic: Hispanic Cultures: Music in Contemporary Spain

Argetine-born musician Andrés Calamaro has stated that “Para mí es importantísimo cantar canciones no mías sino de todos. Se aprende mucho (…) Haciendo eso uno aprende de música, es como ir a la facultad.” In this course we will examine the interrelation between music, culture, and society from the mid-20th century until the present. Music will be studied in relation to constructions and representations of gender, ethnicity, and the nation within Spain. We will listen to and discuss musical pieces from diverse genres such as flamenco, rock, rap, punk, and pop. In addition to the music itself, course materials will include films, documentaries, and critical texts on the cultural study of music. It will be central to the course to examine how music has been influenced by, and commented on, historical, socio-political and cultural processes and transformations. While becoming familiar with Spain’s musical culture over the past century, students will investigate the relationship between culture and society in general.

Fall 2018 Topic: Cultures of exile in the Hispanic World

In ”Cultures of exile in the Hispanic World” we will examine and discuss the effects of exile on a variety of media and genre, from short stories and films, to music and plays. Focusing on issues of national identity, migration, and representation, throughout the course we will analyze culture produced in and on exile on both sides of the Atlantic. Materials for this course include works by Cristina Peri Rossi, Max Aub, Pablo Neruda, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Luisa Valenzuela, among others.

May be repeated for credit (maximum of 3 units)

Prerequisites: SPAN 131  or permission by instructor. Recommended for majors.

Course Designation/Attribute: LP

Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically

Placement Guidelines
Please visit the Department of  Languages, Literatures and Culture for the language placement guidelines.