Málaga

From Huelin to a song called Sola

Diana Navarro grew up in Huelin, a Málaga neighbourhood by the sea. As a young singer she performed coplas and saetas in local peñas, clubs where people gather around music and singing. Her debut album No te olvides de mí arrived in 2005.

Its opening chapter for many listeners was “Sola”. Navarro later said that people who felt alone had recognised themselves in the song. She also described her debut as a pop album drawing on copla and saeta alongside other influences.

Málaga has other ways of bringing musicians together. In the verdiales tradition, performers gather in groups called pandas to play, sing and dance. The Andalusian government recognised the Fiesta de Verdiales as cultural heritage in 2010 and documented pandas both in Málaga city and in surrounding communities.