Spain's challenge for A2K's lyrics genius, Edgar Blythe

A challenge for A2K's lyrics genius, Edgar Blythe

Spain not averse to verses - but which ones?
By Graham Keeley in Barcelona, Sunday Telegraph
22/07/2007

For generations of Spanish sporting heroes, what should be a patriotic occasion has more often been a moment for an awkward bout of foot shuffling. Not only does their militaristic dirge of a national anthem have no decent tune, it also has no words to sing along to either.

The Spanish national football team listens as Spain's national anthem plays. The head of Spain's Olympics Games committee has launched a lyrics contest before Madrid's bid for the 2016 Olympics

Now, fed up with fans and players having to hum along vaguely while other nations belt out the likes of God Save the Queen and La Marseillaise, sporting chiefs are leading a campaign to find words to accompany the Royal March.

"It gives me a very odd feeling that people should sing 'La, la, la'," said Alejandro Blanco, the head of Spain's Olympics Games committee, which has launched a lyrics contest before Madrid's bid to stage the 2016 Olympics. "Spain is a country with cheerful people who sing at any opportunity, so why shouldn't they be able to sing the words of a national anthem?"

The answer, as numerous Spanish songwriters have discovered, is that no one has been able to agree on suitable words. Mr Blanco's committee expects at least 5,000 entries for the contest, to be judged by a parliamentary panel in September. Yet the winner will have to perform a feat of lyrical genius to satisfy the myriad political, religious and nationalist factions.

If it sounds too patriotic it will revive uncomfortable memories of the former dictator, General Franco. If it is not patriotic enough, it risks sounding like a homage to the republican Left-wingers on the other side of the Spanish civil war. Then there are the nationalist aspirations of Basques and Catalans to bear in mind and, of course, the conservative leanings of Spain's all-powerful Catholic Church. The inevitable result, commentators fear, may be a piece of politically correct doggerel that neither offends, nor rouses.

But that has not stopped various political players joining the rush to pen suggestions. Left-wingers are backing verses by the singer Joaquim Sabina, known for his republican leanings. "Neither subjects nor masters, nor resigned nor cannon fodder," declares a line of his ode, which avoids any mention of royalty and praises the "goddess reason" rather than God himself.

His offering, which includes such anodyne observations as that Spanish citizens are "neither heroes nor villains", is unlikely to please members of the Ermua Forum, a conservative group opposing the socialist government. Defying artistic wisdom that no song written by committee is ever any good, they have assembled a panel of experts to write a winning entry. "The lack of words for a national anthem reflects a deep-seated deficiency," said Gustavo Jaso, the forum's secretary. "It's an absurd state of affairs."

A more promising contender for the Right-wing vote might be the journalist Enrique Hernandez-Luike, whose patriotic-sounding entry has won a contest run by the Telecinco television channel. "Motherland, arms embraced together," say his lyrics, "all your sons at the feet of the flag."

But Basques and Catalan nationalists, who want to promote their languages and regional identities, may feel uncomfortable at singing of his "melting pot of culture".

Judging by the reaction of Spain's sportsmen and women, any lyrics will do. "Before games, when I hear the French or German, or the players from another country, singing their anthem, we seem a little strange," said Iker Castillas, the goalkeeper for the Spanish national football team.

The tennis star, Carlos Moya, added: "Tennis players don't often have to sing a national anthem, but I would sing it if it had words. I am all for it."

Even the present melody is not really Spanish, having started as an 18th century bugle call that many believe originated in France or Germany. A contest in 1870 to replace it with something better produced no winners, and since then countless attempts to put the existing tune to words have also failed. The most recent was by José Maria Aznar, prime minister from 1996 to 2004, who asked some poets to write lyrics. It descended into an unseemly squabble. Juan Juaristi, a writer and historian who was part of the group, said: "The worst thing you can do is ask a group of poets to agree on a verse."