La Movida Madrileña is a cultural movement that begins after Franco´s dictatorship in the 1970´s, it started in Madrid city centre more specifically in the district of Malasaña. The Cultural Critics associates the beginning of this phenomenon with the tribute concert “Canito” in February 9 of 1980, he was the drummer in the group “Tos” which is the predecessor of the group “Los Secretos” after he lost his life later that year.

The event took place in the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in the school of civil engineering, it was organized by the father of Ana Torroja (who would become an important artist with the group Mecano), before this concert all of the groups were considered amateur, however after they all became professional and influential in Spanish popular culture.

The groups were: Mamá, Tos, Alaska y los Pegamoides, Nacha Pop, Paraiso, Nacho Tena y los Solitarios, Los Rebeldes, Trastos and Mermelada.

This was the first presentation of the new wave sound of the renovated Spanish folklore trends, thew new sound was empowered and promoted by musical radios shows like “El diario pop” in Radio 3 and television cultural programs like “La edad de oro”.

In this article my aim is to show why La Movida was not an organized or planned movement, but was however instead a marginal and elitist trend that started to be popularized when the term Movida was installed. The initial members became recognized as cultural icons to be followed by the young population.

Also, I want to clarify that this trend was completely apolitical, it did not have any parliamentary ambition. This was a key factor as to why it was followed and powerful between the new generation. This phenomenon aimed to be transgressive in order to break the conservatism and the social conventions of the time but without taking part in the political life. My third claim is that La Movida started to gain strength when the political leader Tierno Galván made an integration of the movement into the public life without trying to change the apolitical discussion.

In pursuance for support of these arguments I will examine the historical beginning of the trend, the iconic figures that boosted it and the factors that make possible the transition from a marginal episode to a mass phenomenon.

The memorial concert of “Canito” meant the same as the tribute to Góngora with the “Generation del 27”, the start of something new created by less than 100 people who had no idea what was about to happen.

The Franco regime was not stopping the production of popular music, after the dictator´s death Malasaña became a boiling centre of young people that wanted to have fun (Duncan Wheeler, 2016).

The factors that make this phenomenon be possible are diverse. One example was demographic. The Spanish population experienced a period of birth rate growing between 1955 and 1965, this is known as the “baby boom” and is why in the late 1970´s the youth made up a disproportionate percentage of the overall population.

This factor can show us how many young and free people were about to take part in the “ongoing coming-out party” (Spliz, 1985). Another important factor that is considered a key point for making the feeling of freedom possible is juridical. During the period of the dictatorship the government used criminal laws to regulate what was considered an appropriated action or what was not pertinent in the public life.

One of the most repressive ones was approved in 1933 under the Republican Government and is called “Ley de vagos y maleantes”, which was replaced in 1970 for “Ley sobre peligrosidad y rehabilitación social”[5] that was a renewal of the first one. Both acts were used for punishment for public acts that were deemed considered transgressor or antisocial. With the dictatorship, the laws included a special clause for the prohibition of the homosexuality. Additionally, the regime created an institution called “Tribunal de Orden Público” in 1963. This was used to punish any activity that the Government or the Police considered that it was disturbing the public life, for example non-approved manifestations. The Transition of the regulation of the public life changed, the prohibitions and the intrusion in the average Spanish citizens was less. The non invasive system made possible the occupation of public spaces with no concerns. This generated a massive difference in people´s behavior, they were able to leave their house without any restrictive laws on their rights of association or meeting for example.

With the beginning of a new era, the population needed new referents, in the rest of Europe the social conservatism had advanced and had left behind the classical iconography, but in Spain, this started with the period of the Transition.

A small but active group of young people began to pay attention to the current affairs in the modern and open world. This group formed a cultural elite without realising, at the time it took inspiration mainly from the English Punk phenomenon which translated this into a new Spanish lifestyle. Movements like the new wave, the black rock and the Andy Warhol pop style were the inspiration for this running class in order to create a renovation of the cultural paradigm. Although the icons that were considered as influential were foreigners they sought to do something Spanish. A clear example is the exhibition “El Chochonismo illustrado” that was presented the 16 of October of 1981 in the Madrid gallery, Vijande painted by COSTUS (Juan de O. And Enrique Naya).

To create the paintings COSTUS adopted an extremely avant-grade perspective, the pictures are a mix between the classical iconography of Spain with pop aesthetics. They showed in their art the most important figures of the Francoist government, the aristocracy and the public spanish figures of the moment full colour.

This cultural group was conformed by extremely active people that frequented the same entertainment establishments in Madrid. Without any economical or political ambition the group wanted to have fun by intitating the break up of conventionalism and promoting a transgression to the social rules.

Alaska, one of the most important figures from La Movida said “siempre digo que eramos cien, por decir una cifra muy exagerada” (cited in José Luis Gallero: 372). This is because the education of the people that had integrated within cultural aristocracy was not within the social reach of everyone. Due to the influences that promoted this movement which originated from the UK and America, if a person wanted to be inside of this trend they would of had to travel out of Spain. Lasty one would have to understand English, as reported by the INE in a study from the population that was born between (1957-1947) only 17.7% were able to speak English.

This group met in small bars located in the district of Malasaña, to remain inconspicuous. Pubs like El Pentagrama (named in the song of Nacha Pop 1980 “La chica de ayer“)[13] or La Sala el Sol and Rockola were the epicentre of the new cultural wave.

Disciplines like music, art, literature and audiovisual arts were modernised in accordance with La Movida, at the begining the music was the most recognizable one.

The key factor for modernising the cultural paradigm was that all the precursors used to meet in the same places and the different disciplines influenced each other. This helped to promote a quick transformation. El Hortelano, an artist that was a part of the powerful elite said in a documentary “en un bar te veias en la misma barra a Pedro Almodóvar, a los Radio Futura, a Gabinete Caligari (…) y todos cada noche” and “Acababas la noche con tres trabajos más, te habian encargado la portada de un disco, una exposición…”.

This show the special interrelation that the different cultural disciplines had upon each other, colaborations between the artists was a key factor for developing creativity and made a base that created not only new icons but a new way of understanding the freedom of self, the youth and the art. Inside this small circle of people full of new found interests and ambitions of having fun, everyone became friends with everyone and the amateur cooperation between them would be became a new reality and a business in the future.

The field that achknowledged this interaction was film. A film director Pedro Almodóvar was able to integrate all the different cultural expressions into one art form. Films like Pepi Luci Boom y otas chicas del montón, is an example of a collaboration between a lot of people who integrated this new creativity trend, he became a nexus of union between this cultural aristocracy. Under Pedro Almodóvar´s direction they tried to represente what was occuring inside the new wave. Scenes of the film were recorded in some of the most important places for La Movida, the house of Enrique Naya y Juan Carrero (COSTUS) where artists like Almodóvar, Alaska y los Pegamoides, Tino Casal, Favio Magnamara, Pablo Pérez Miguez and Paloma Chamorro used to meet daily.

If Almodóvar’s films were a way of discovering what was happening within this circle for Spain and if the songs of the famous groups were a reflection of the interest of youth and the pictorial or photographic manifestations were a mirror of the thought of the citizens; it is clear that this phenomenon was absolutely apolitical and all the representations of the time were carefully made to avoid any political reference, it was more a hymn to freedom and an exaltation of fun (Lechado García, 2005).

The previous factors made possible the creation of a new era. There were three others that gave the movement it´ strength and the power to be develop.

On one hand Radio programs like “Radio 3” with Jesús Ordovás and Diego Manrique presented to the public the new groups by playing their music daily, turning them into idols. It is also is belived that the term “Movida Madrileña” was invented by them.

On the other hand, television showed in a visual way the transgression generated by young people with the program “La Edad de Oro”, presented by Paloma Chamorro. In this all the figures of the movement were interviewed, in the show they were smoking marijuana and drinking as it was allowed, the program was live which means it is impossible to any kind of censorship. The show was able to be appreciated in all Spanish houses (The program aired the last episode on April 2, 1985, after they were accused of defiling Christian symbolism).

Finally, and most importantly the role of Tierno Galván as the Mayor of Madrid became increasingly important in the wave of self-freedom and enthusiasm, under the Government (1979-1986). The administration acted under something similar to the Beatles slogan “Let It Be”, the Madid Town Hall did not take any measures about the young movement. The “old teacher” with the support of the PSOE political party did not regulate the behavior of the people in the streets, the government did not have any intention to butt into people´s private life.

Drugs were not illegal, there was no control in the streets in terms of regulating any association, manifestation or congregation of people. The Spanish government turned down the censorship and they let the citizens act as they wanted (Lechado García, 2005).

In comparison, at that time it was very normal to see people having fun in the street of Malasaña district, the “Plaza del dos de mayo” became a very popular place for drinking in the street without any legal reprocussions, however now a days the act of drinking alcohol in the streets is sanctioned with a fine of €600 since 2002.

Political actions like bringing back the return of carnivals after 44 years or the popularization and promotion of the Madrid most typical parties like is San Isidro, creating the expression of youth concerts like “Conciertos de Primavera” and the “Festival Rock Villa de Madrid”, made him to be seen as the precursor of art and culture of the time.

There were a large amount of events that happened throughout Madrid in a short period of time (normally without cost). This translated the spirit of the public with the renewal of the new wave. The Madrid City Council did not want to change the apolitical message of the artist but in instead amplifed their message in the form of these events, by changing the lifestyle within capital they acted as a cultural speaker.

“The old teacher” was seen by citizens of the capital as a metaphorical figure that embodied a new way of power, someone close to the public. The town hall supported the movement by leaving it to grow without creating any obstacles therefore attempting to make people happy by leaving them to act as they wish.

He understood the concept of La Movida, and as the new wave was apolitical, the institutions had to respect that. In a difficul political panorama where the people wanted to live in the culture leaving behind indifferences, the artists created messages of joy and transgression of the social conservatism, but not with a political intention.

By the Government not interfering within the new culture and not creating any obstacles in people´s self-freedom is what made a stark contrast in the before and after in the city(Israel Viana, 2011). The figure of Tierno Galván as the mayor of Madrid transcended his political party and he was seen as a protector of the new way in which the youth wanted to live (Rita Maestre, 2016).

In conclusion, “La Movida” was a cultural movement that happened in Madrid during the period of the Transition and right after that time. At the beginning It was a marginal and elitist phenomenon converted with the time in a generation that now a days represents the youth of the time. It was amplified because all the artist disciplines were influenced by it, and it became so popular due to the media coverage. It triumphed because it was apolitical despite it´s promotion (though not influenced) by the City Council of the Capital. A lot of the most recognizable cultural figures in contemporary Spain were created in this period of time, it created the figure of a politician who supported personal and social freedom. Despite this, after research I can claim that Tierno Galván role was a sucessful determinant in the sense of acting as a speaker for La Movida that created a message of joy and transgression without the intention to change it.