(Photo courtesy of La Factoria del Show. “Manuel de Segura”)
Abigayle Rettman
Connector Staff
On Wednesday, March 26 the Umass Lowell Spanish club invited José Manuel Fiastre Alcaraz, known as Manuel de Segura, to speak with students. Professor Óscar Ruiz Hernández organized this event with the help of the Umass Lowell Spanish Club President, Bibiana Bautista. They planned this event to engage students and to discuss topics surrounding Spanish music. Manuel de Segura is a Spanish copla singer recognized for his breathtaking singing voice. We had the pleasure of hearing him sing, and the passion and skill in his voice was apparent. He was born in Alicante, Spain, and has traveled all over the world to places such as Argentina, North Korea, Brazil, Costa Rica, and more.
This event gave us a new perspective on music and taught us a lot about this Spanish art form. Copla is a form of poetry, but it is also a musical genre from 20th century Spain. The term copla derives from the Latin word copula, meaning couple, having to do with poetic structure. This type of music can provoke many emotions; it can be sad, funny, happy, romantic. It is very similar and is influenced by the more well-known musical genre, flamenco. A popular flamenco artist is Rosalía, who has sung with Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, and Lisa. A main instrumental sound in copla and flamenco are guitars; these bring out the romantic feel of the lyrics. Manuel de Segura mentioned how finger snapping is also common to hear, and he does this during his performances. One of the key images of copla is the double step, an iconic dance generally associated with ballroom dancing and Spanish bull-fighting maneuvers. This enhances the dramatic feel created by these passionate artists.
Besides information about Spanish copla, Manuel de Segura answered our questions and shared stories about himself. Something that instantly caught our attention was how he went to North Korea. Upon arrival, he told us his passport and all his forms were checked to make sure he was not a spy. Instantly, he could feel the level of control this country contains. Though North Korea is very different from Spain, he ensured it is still a beautiful country. He came to perform at the Pyongyang Spring Festival and won an award there. Segura told us he no longer has the award because he gave it to the Spanish military. He felt they deserved it after protecting him his whole time in North Korea.
Another question asked was where is his favorite place that he had visited. Segura told us how Buenos Aires in Argentina is his absolute favorite. He claimed it was a dream turned into a reality. They have the best theaters and he loved every minute of performing there. Argentina is where he won two of his many awards. Surprisingly though, he told us his most precious win was back in Spain, in Madrid. This was one of his first-ever awards and holds a soft spot in his heart.
This event explored a genre that many of us at the event were not aware of. It is important to listen and learn about different cultures, whether it be learning about new foods, music, or customs.
