This dissertation concerns the survival of the "Copla", regarded as the primary national musical form in Spain, during The Transition period. La Copla had its beginnings in the era following World War I, flourishing especially during the 1930s and 1940s. Each Copla is considered a three minute play because it contains an introduction, a climax and falling of the action. Several of those songs contain stories regarding the loss of a loved one or other nostalgia, leading many Spanish to personalize Copla lyrics with their own stories of loss. It is important to keep in mind that from 1939 through 1975, Spain was under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Throughout that period many Spanish people were exiled, while those who remained lived under terror and oppression. Moreover, the country was isolated due to the government's policy to make Spain a self-sufficient nation. In these times of great hardship, the Coplas brought cathartic healing, and made this genre the preferred music of the Spanish people.

However, by the 1960s the government realized that it needed to reform and modernize in order to continue thriving in world that was becoming increasingly globally connected. As other music genres penetrated the Spanish market, young generations discovered new musical tastes and expressions. Further, many Spanish youth were allowed the opportunity to study abroad, exposing them to other alternative ways of life. Upon their return to Spain, they often refused to continue accepting the status quo in their homeland. The government increased the pace of reform in order to appease a growing opposition. In the midst of this social and cultural upheaval, La Copla's popularity started to decline rapidly. With these challenges in mind, I undertook this endeavor to study how this important musical genre came to survive despite all the social, political and musical changes during the Transition period in Spain.

The main focus of my analysis is the period of La Copla beginning in 1973, a year which was marked the by the assassination of the president of government, Luis Carrero Blanco (1904-1973), and ending in 1982, the year in which new government took power in Spain and one of the most important composers of Copla died. I chose six Coplas to analyze within the historical and political context of that period. In particular, I pay special attention to Coplas performed by Juanita Reina, Antonio Molina and Isabel Pantoja.

I conclude my argument with an overview of La Copla in the XXI century and how this genre not only was able to survive, but still flourishes in the voices of younger generations. I demonstrate that Copla is alive and stronger than ever, and its melody will continue to resonate with succeeding generations of the Spanish people and foreign Copla's followers. La Copla will continue to express the pain and longings of the Spanish nation while embodying the resilient, unbroken spirit of its people.