Tonadilla was a type of Spanish musical song that came from theater and was not danced. It was a short, humorous musical play that was popular in 18th-century Spain and later in Cuba and other Spanish colonial countries.
It began as a song, then added dialogue for characters, and grew into a short opera lasting 10 to 20 minutes. The characters in tonadilla were from everyday life, and the music and language used were common and familiar to people. Tonadilla also helped shape the development of zarzuela, a type of Spanish musical drama or comedy.
The first tonadilla is credited to Luis Misón in 1757. Important composers of tonadilla in Spain included Blas de Laserna, Pablo Esteve, and Jacinto Valledor.
Tonadilla was especially popular in Cuba, where over 200 stage performances were held between 1790 and 1814. After 1814, tonadilla was no longer performed as much in Havana but continued in other parts of Cuba.
In 1959, Joaquín Rodrigo wrote a short guitar piece called Tonadilla, inspired by the theatrical form.
Notable tonadilleras
- María Antinea (1915–1991), Spanish actress, vedette, dancer, cupletista, and tonadillera
- Paquita Escribano (1880–1970), Spanish singer, cupletista, and tonadillera
- Perlita Greco (1906–2001), Argentine-born actress, vedette, tango singer, and cabaret singer
- Amalia Molina (1881–1956), Spanish tonadillera and dancer
- Paquita Rico, Spanish film actress and singer
- Lolita Sevilla (1935–2013), Spanish actress and singer
- Teresita Zazá (1893–1980), Spanish tonadillera, cupletista, and actress