LA ROSALIA ! (December 18)

 Rosalía Vila Tobella — known simply as Rosalía — was born in Sant Cugat del Vallès, but raised in Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Baix Llobregat. Born to a family with no musical background, she is the youngest daughter of María Pilar Tobella Aguilera,a Catalan woman who runs Suprametal, a company specialising in metalworks for windows. Her father, José Manuel Vila, was born in  Cudillero, Asturias , to a Galician father from Vigo  and a mother from Avila, with one of his grandfathers being born in Cuba. She also has Andalucian ancestry as well.  She began her musical training at the Conservatory of Catalonia, where she studied flamenco under a mentor, and cultivated a deep love for traditional Spanish music. 

Her great breakthrough came with her second studio album, El Mal Querer (2018). In it, Rosalía fused classic flamenco with contemporary rhythms: R&B, hip-hop, electronic beats, and Latin urban sounds. The result was a sound that felt both deeply rooted and modern. Hits like “Malamente” and “Pienso en Tu Mirá” made her a global phenomenom— the album earned multiple awards and made people around the world pay attention to her unique style. 

However, this meteoric success did not come without controversy. Some critics accused Rosalía of cultural appropriation. Because she is Catalan and not from the Romani or Andalusian communities historically connected to flamenco, some critics argued that she exploited flamenco aesthetics and “gitano” or Andalusian culture without belonging to it — a “privileged” outsider profiting from an oppressed culture,who have faced intense discrimination for centuries. Since flamenco is more than just music or fashion; it is a cultural expression born out of struggle, migration, exclusion, and resilience. 

Rosalía has also embraced reggaeton and dembow, genres that emerged from Afro-Caribbean and Latin American communities. Reggaeton developed in Puerto Rico from a mix of reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, and local rhythms. Dembow originated in the Dominican Republic, shaped by Black Caribbean culture. Both genres grew in neighborhoods where people experienced poverty, racism, and political neglect. Because of this, some listeners feel that when global pop artists use these genres without acknowledging their origins, it erases the struggles of the people who created them. Others pointed out that categorizing her music as “Latina” (for example for Latin-based awards) could overshadow artists from Latin America who come from marginalized communities. 

Rosalía is not the only artist criticized for cultural appropriation. Madonna became famous for popularizing vogue, a dance style born in the Black and Latin gay community of New York’s underground nightclub scenes. She has also adopted imagery from Kabbalah and Hindu traditions, sometimes without proper context. Gwen Stefani has been criticized for wearing a bindi, a Hindu symbol traditionally worn on the forehead by women for religious reasons or to indicate that they're married.

Through the tension between admiration and criticism, Rosalía continued evolving her art. On November 7 2025 , she released her fourth studio album, Lux, a radical departure from her previous more urban/pop-oriented records. Lux was recorded together with the London Symphony Orchestra, and features operatic, classical, and orchestral elements, rather than reggaeton or electronic beats. The songs flow as a kind of modern “oratorio,” divided into four “movements.” The lyrics explore spirituality, feminine mystique, transformation, and identity, with influences from the lives of various female saints. In the album, Rosalía sings in many languages, including  Spanish, Catalan, English, Latin, Ukrainian, Arabic, German, Hebrew, Italian, French, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese.

Lux received alot of  acclaim, critics praised its ambition, originality, and emotional depth. On its first day, it achieved 42.1 million streams, breaking the record for the most-streamed debut by a female Spanish-language artist. Twelve of its songs entered Spotify’s global Top 50 list. Many have described the album as her most accomplished and mature work yet and a meditative, almost sacred experience.

Rosalía has been able to reinvent herself while maintaining commercial success. Today she is considered a global phenomenon — an artist who pushes boundaries while provoking discussion about culture, heritage, and the balance between innovation and tradition.

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2. Vocabulary Match 

Word	Definition
1.fusion	a. a major success or discovery that changes someone's career/fame
2.breakthrough	b. the act of combining two or more different elements into one
3.outsider	c. to cause someone or something to seem less important
4. raised	d. taking something (culture, style) for one’s own use without permission or understanding
5. overshadow	e. a person who does not belong to a particular group
6. departure	f. having special advantages or rights that others do not have
7. privileged	g. a change away from a usual style or form
8.appropriation	h. where someone grew up
9. meteoric	i. public praise and approval
10. acclaim	j. a strong desire to achieve something important
11. ambition	k. something that develops very fast and attracts a lot of attention
12.controversy	l. related to religion or the human spirit rather than material things
13.authenticity	m. being fully developed emotionally/intellectually
14.spiritual	n. public disagreement or debate, often involving strong opinions
15.maturity	o. being genuine, real, true to original or one’s roots

3. Synonym Match  

Match each word to its synonym on the same line.

1. acclaim       — original

2. complex       — reaction

3. phenomenon    — development

4. honest        — legacy

5. heritage      — praise

6. fusion        — remarkable event

7. maturity      — blend

8. privilege     — complicated

9. innovative    — advantage

10. reception    — sincere

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4. Role-Play Activities  

Role-Play A – “Family Dinner Debate: Is Rosalía Appropriating or Innovating?”

Characters:

• Parent – neutral, trying to understand

• Teenager – passionate Rosalía fan

• Relative – believes she’s appropriating flamenco

Starter:
Parent: Everyone is arguing about Rosalía again. What’s going on?
Teenager: She’s a genius! She’s bringing flamenco to the world.
Relative: Or she’s exploiting a culture she doesn’t belong to.
→ Students debate culture, ownership, art, ethics.

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Role-Play B – “Music Critics Discuss Lux on Live Radio”

Characters:

• Host – moderates discussion

• Critic A – thinks Lux is her masterpiece

• Critic B – thinks it’s pretentious and too far from her roots

Starter:
Host: Today we’re asking—Has Rosalía reinvented herself brilliantly, or gone too far?
Critic A: The orchestration is breathtaking.
Critic B: It feels forced.
→ Students continue.

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Role-Play C – “A Flamenco Singer from Andalusia Meets a Rosalía Fan”

Characters:

• Traditional Singer – protective of flamenco heritage

• Fan – sees music as universal

Starter:
Singer: Flamenco is our life. It comes from suffering and history.
Fan: And Rosalía honors that history in her own way.
→ Students compare experiences and perspectives.

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Role-Play D – “Inside an Awards Committee Meeting”

Characters:

• Judge A – supports nominating Rosalía in ‘Latin’ categories

• Judge B – says she is Spanish, not Latina

• Judge C – wants an entirely new category

Starter:
Judge A: She sings in Spanish and is a global Latin artist.
Judge B: She’s from Spain. Latin American artists need representation too.
→ Students negotiate a fair solution.

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Role-Play E – “Two Teenagers Arguing on TikTok Live”

Characters:

• Teen A – believes Rosalía is a visionary

• Teen B – thinks she’s overrated

Starter:
Teen A: How can you hate Lux? It’s revolutionary!
Teen B: It’s just noise with violins.
→ Students perform an energetic debate.

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Role Play F – “Artists Meeting Cultural Communities”

Characters:

• Artist – Wants to use elements from a culture in a new album

• Community Representative – Explains the history and sensitivities of the community

Scenario:
The artist asks for advice on how to avoid appropriation and show proper respect.
Students negotiate a list of ethical guidelines for cultural borrowing.

5.Spanish and Catalan Global Impact: 

Here is a list of major cultural exports from Spain and Catalonia that have had a significant worldwide impact, similar to Rosalía’s global influence. The list includes music, art, sports, cinema, food, fashion, and cultural movements. Choose one from the list and expand on it, discuss why it is on the list, what you know about it, and why it has had an impact not just regionally and locally but also globally. 

5A: Major Cultural Exports from Spain with Global Impact

1. Flamenco

2. Spanish Cinema (Directors & Actors)

3. Spanish Painters & Art Movements

4. Spanish Literature

5. Spanish Cuisine

6. The Spanish Language

7. La Liga Football

8. Spanish Festivals

5B. Major Cultural Exports from Catalonia with Global Impact

1. Catalan Modernist Architecture

2. Catalan Art & Avant-Garde Movements

3. Catalan Cuisine

4. Catalan Music Beyond Rosalía

5. FC Barcelona / Barça Philosophy

6. Catalan Festivals & Traditions

7. Catalan Literature

6. Discussion Questions

1. Should an artist be limited by cultural boundaries?

2. What responsibilities do famous artists have when drawing from cultural traditions?

3. Why do you think Rosalía provokes such strong reactions?

4. Where was Rosalía born, and how does this differ from flamenco’s traditional geographical roots?

5. Why is flamenco culturally significant in Andalusia and among Gitano communities?

6. What musical elements did Rosalía mix in El Mal Querer?

7. Why do some critics view her use of flamenco as controversial?

8. What arguments do her supporters give against the accusation of appropriation?

9. How does Lux differ musically from her earlier albums?

10. Why might some people say that Lux reflects “maturity”?

11. What record did Lux break upon its release?

12. How does Rosalía’s career spark discussion about identity and authenticity?

13. In your opinion, can a non-Andalusian, non-Gitano artist legitimately interpret flamenco? Why?

14. Is music “owned” by a cultural group, or is it universal?

15. When does cultural borrowing become harmful?

16. Should pop stars publicly acknowledge the origins of the styles they use?

17. Can cultural appropriation ever be positive? Why or why not?

7A. Fill-in-the-Blanks  

Fill in each blank with the correct vocabulary word 

outsider | breakthrough | maturity | appropriation | acclaim | departure | fusion | privilege | controversy | identity | authenticity | exploited | immerse | heritage | phenomenon |   | 

1. Her album Lux marked a major stylistic _________ from her earlier sound.

2. The singer received international _________ for her innovative approach.

3. Critics debated whether her use of flamenco was appreciation or cultural _________.

4. Some traditional musicians saw her as an _________ entering their community.

5. El Mal Querer was considered a career-defining _________.

6. Rosalía managed to _________ herself fully in flamenco training.

7. The album achieved a remarkable _________ of classical and modern elements.

8. Many admire the emotional _________ shown in her latest work.

9. Discussions about culture, race, and art led to national _________.

10. Her Catalan background and Spanish traditions both shaped her artistic _________.

11. Fans praised the _________ of her lyrics and performance style.

12. Some argued she had the _________ to explore flamenco precisely because she was famous.

13. Andalusia’s deep flamenco _________ influenced her work.

14.  Rosalía became a global _________ almost overnight.

15.  Because she is Catalan and not from the Romani or Andalusian communities, some argued that she _________  flamenco aesthetics and “gitano” or Andalusian culture without belonging to it.

 7B. Fill-in-the-Blanks II:

1. If Rosalia became successful in a very short amount of time, then she became famous ________.

2. Her new album is being covered by all the medias. It has   ___    ___    ___. 

3. We can also say that it is the  _________ of the town. 

4. Her new album mixes a lot of different musical styles or  _________.

5.  If you think that she is achieving something so significant that it will be remembered in the future, then you can say : She is _________ her name in the history books.(tallada in spanish)

6. If you think she is getting a lot more attention than she deserves, then you think she is _________.

7. If you are not sure if she deserves this attention or not, then you are of two _________.

8.   You wanted to go to a concert of Rosalia but the tickets were too expensive, then they would                                                                                             .

9. However, you know someone who works with Rosalia and can get you an incredible deal on the tickets. This great deal is a  _________.

10. Although you are very thankful to your friend, you are a bit disappointed when you realize that the seats are very far on the upper part of the stadium and you can barely see her. These tickets are for the _________ seats.