Dissertation - Ángeles Caídos: Cupletismo y Prostitución en Barcelona (1880-1936)

My dissertation focuses on the cuplé (a type of risqué song interpreted by women) in Barcelona. These shows became very popular, not only because they provided affordable entertainment but also because they offered sicalipsis, an erotic component. Among proletarian women, the profession as cupletistas or singers was very popular although dangerous as it frequently led to the world of prostitution, a situation that many authors denounced in their texts.The sicaliptic or frivolous theatre, also known as género ínfimo had an undeniable French influence that was considered immoral, so the was cuplé reformed and it became a mirror for the ideas of the Spanish nation. I analyze a corpus of lyrics that offer a view of the different themes portrayed in the cuplé and an insight into the role of the cupletista within the rapidly changing society.This dissertation also explores the portrayal, on the part of many authors, of the cupletistas as fallen angels ―a literary type of woman who has fallen into disgrace and decadence― as opposed to the angel of hearth and home, the dominant feminine model during the nineteenth-century.