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The Return of El Cid: The Topicality of Rodrigo Díaz in Spanish Heavy Metal

Medievalism and Metal Music Studies: Throwing Down the Gauntlet

ISBN: 978-1-78756-396-4, eISBN: 978-1-78756-395-7

Publication date: 6 September 2019

Abstract

The figure of the Castilian knight Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, better known as El Cid, is progressively becoming a frequent topic in metal music. This growing presence has been evident particularly since the explosion of power metal in the late 1990s, and the more recent rise of folk metal, being felt not only in Spanish and Spanish-influenced bands, but also in others with no known links to the Spanish culture. This chapter establishes how the choice of such sources influences the final portrait of El Cid in metal music and the message conveyed to and the effect on the listener. The motivation behind the choices above is explored with a focus on musical, socio-cultural and political–ideological factors.

Keywords

Citation

Saguar García, A. (2019), "The Return of El Cid: The Topicality of Rodrigo Díaz in Spanish Heavy Metal", Barratt-Peacock, R. and Hagen, R. (Ed.) Medievalism and Metal Music Studies: Throwing Down the Gauntlet (Emerald Studies in Metal Music and Culture), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 93-106. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78756-395-720191009

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Amaranta Saguar García