Spain chooses anthem lyrics after 250 years
Spain has finally chosen a set of lyrics for its national anthem, starting with the words: “Viva Espana”.
But although they may echo the light-hearted pop song from the 1970s, they are causing controversy in their native land.
Many Spaniards today associate the phrase with the nationalist fervour of the right-wing regime of the late General Franco.
The anthem’s words go on to say “ama a la patria” – or “love the fatherland” – another phrase that smacks of Spain’s rightist past.
Carmen Calvo, former culture minister in the current Socialist government, pulled no punches. “I just read it and I don’t like it at all,” she said at Parliament.
“It seems old, with expressions that are completely antiquated and sound like something from an anthem of the past,” she said.
The music for Spain’s national hymn is a military march that dates back to 1761, its author unknown.
Through the centuries it has been a quirk of Spanish life that whenever it was played at official ceremonies and sporting events, Spaniards could do no more than hum along, for it had no words.
In June 2007, the Spanish Olympic Committee came up with the idea of seeking suggestions for lyrics, sparking sharp divisions over what exactly the anthem should say.
Many Spanish regions want greater autonomy and bristle at the idea of a single national identity.
The committee received 7,000 suggestions, and a jury of six experts – including a musicologist, a historian, a composer and an athlete – finally settled on one as its official candidate.
Now they must collect at least half a million signatures and take the lyrics to parliament to seek formal approval, launching what promises to be a long and thorny process.
:: Pop singer Sylvia released 'Y Viva Espana' in 1974.
