Temporal, cosmic and poetic journeys in the rap of Gata Cattana: a didactic exploration for high school classrooms

Abstract

The following work proposes didactic strategies to use in high school classrooms to address the educational potential of Ana Isabel García Llorente (1991-2017), better known as Gata Cattana.  The work of this multifaceted artist from Córdoba lies between poetry and rap.  In her music, which is deeply rooted in Flamenco and the Andaluz culture, she embodies a discourse that is non-conformist with the surrounding reality and a commitment to feminism. By using different proposed activities for high school students, what will be examined is the functionality of classical cultural references as they relate to the frequent emergence of a critical perspective towards traditional narrative. Furthermore, there will be a focus on the numerous references to the narrative of adventure and science fiction that leave a recurring personal mark in various songs. In this complex imagery, the narrator plays key roles in spacial, temporal or interstellar journeys as a symbol of her poetic explorations. All of this referential richness will be delved into from a didactical perspective, which constitutes a counter-imagery with respect to the mainstream rap, featured by men.