Licanus: CDM0409

The Cancionero Musical de Palacio is one of the most important artistic legacies from the time of the “Catholic Kings” (after the defeat of the Moors in 1492). The Cancionero consists of 458 songs written in Spanish and put to music, dating from around the end of 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries. Around half the songs correspond to known authors, while the rest remain anonymous. Among the most frequently found names are those of Gabriel Mena, Alonso and Juan del Encina. These secular songs, especially those by Encina reflect the way of life and language of the Spanish country people, sometimes with an extreme and explicit realism, at other times with a lyrical, rustic simplicity.