ETHNOGRAPHIC CODE OF ANDALUSIAN IDENTITY

Abstract

The article analyzes the ethnographic code of Andalusian identity in Spanish song discourse. Based on the analysis of 150 song lyrics, key linguistic markers (ethnonyms, musical terminology, and festive vocabulary) that shape the regional image of Andalusia are identified. The mechanisms of cultural mythologization and the role of local traditions in the construction of a national brand are examined. Particular attention is paid to the functioning of ethnonyms associated with Romani cultural heritage, which in song discourse serve as symbolic indicators of “Andalusianity” and reproduce ideas of historical continuity, as well as the exoticization and romanticization of regional identity. The study also analyzes the vocabulary that denotes specific elements of flamenco musical culture (rhythmic patterns, names of styles, and performance practices), which function as markers of authenticity and cultural tradition, consolidating in linguistic form the characteristic features of the Andalusian musical space. It is shown that in Spanish songs Andalusia appears not only as a geographical region but also as a cultural myth formed through recurring symbols, images, and linguistic formulas that include motifs of festivals, dance, passion, freedom, and traditional ways of life. The research demonstrates that song discourse plays an important role in the representation and popularization of regional identity, as it combines elements of mass culture with local ethnographic signs, thereby forming a recognizable cultural code that functions as a tool for the symbolic construction of the image of Andalusia in both national and international cultural spaces. The results indicate that the linguistic markers of the ethnographic code act as an effective means of transmitting collective memory, cultural stereotypes, and regional values, while song creativity becomes an important mediator between traditional culture and contemporary forms of mass communication.