Els Segadors
| English: The Reapers | |
|---|---|
_01.jpg) Senyera (flag of Catalonia) | |
National anthem of  Catalonia (Catalan Republic) | |
| Lyrics | Emili Guanyavents, 1899 |
| Music | Francesc Alió, 1892 |
| Adopted | 1993 |
| Audio sample | |
Els Segadors | |
Els Segadors (Catalan pronunciation: [əɫs səɣəˈðos], Catalan pronunciation: [eɫs seɣaˈðos]; "The Reapers") is the official national anthem of Catalonia.[1]
History
Though the original song dates in the oral tradition to 1640, its modern lyrics were written by Emili Guanyavents, who won a competition convened by the political party Unió Catalanista in 1899. The music was standardized by Francesc Alió in 1892.[2] The song is based on the events of 1640 known as Corpus de Sang during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) between Spain, England, France and Austria, the event that started the Catalan Revolt or Guerra dels Segadors (Reapers' War)[2] where Catalans fought against the Count-Duke of Olivares, the chief minister of King Philip IV of Spain.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Els Segadors became one of the symbols of catalanism and Catalonia itself, increasing its popularity during the Second Spanish Republic and the Civil War.
After decades used de facto, sometimes alongside the Cant de la Senyera, the Catalan government adopted "Els Segadors" as the national anthem of Catalonia in 25 February 1993, by law of its parliament. The official version was made in 1994. The new Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006 confirms this decision by its article 8.4.
Lyrics
by the Orfeó Català, c. 1900
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Recordings and variations
Contemporary Catalan composer Jordi Savall made a version of the folk song, using the original narrative (which dates back to the seventeenth century) combined with the modern lyrics and refrain, which were added later.[citation needed] The song has also been recorded and interepreted by major artists, included on albums such as Traditional Catalan Songs (Victoria de los Ángeles).
See also
References
- ^ http://www.parlament.cat/document/cataleg/48089.pdf
- ^ a b Generalitat de Catalunya: National symbols Archived October 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "These people" the oppressors of the Catalan people, who back in that time invaded Catalonia
- ^ the Segadors Revolt which the song references took place in June.
- ^ The verb in the Catalan original—seguem—is from the same root as segadors; that is, they will cut the chains as they cut the crops.
External links
