LA MOVIDA MADRILEÑA

“La movida madrileña” is considered a important cultural and social movement because 

of the huge influence in a generation who had born in a dictatorship. It is usually defined 

as a countercultural movement that took place in Madrid during the 80’s, after the end

 of Franco’s dictatorship. The concert in honor of Canito in 1980 is the date chosen for

 the beginning of “La movida”. This essay will explain some aspects of the movement

 from a first-hand source, from the experience of a person that lived in Madrid in those 

years and participate with an active role, Pedro Giménez Jareño. Following a structure,

 the essay will start with Pedro’s personal view and opinion of the movement. Then, we

 will explain the importance achieved depending on the neighborhood, the music bands

 born during the movement, the consumption of drugs, the positive support from the

 major of the capital, photography and the available mass media. Other cultural genders 

as painting, cinema, literature and comics, fashion were also influenced by “La 

movida”, but explanation of those cultural genders is beyond the scope of the essay.

“La movida Madrileña” is defined as a countercultural movement started in 1980. 

Considering Pedro’s personal view, it didn’t start in 1980; it was formed little by little

 since Franco’s death. The 80’s was like the golden years of the movement. 

As Pedro said “After Franco’s dead we start to revive”. The movement has a lot of 

importance in Pedro’s life because of the unique experiences lived. It can be perceived 

the nostalgia on his words, when talking about such special past period.

Referring to the named of the movement, it is name “Movida Madrileña” because it starts

 in Madrid. Pedro has explained me that the movement was not lived in the same way in

 the different parts of Madrid. In marginal, poor or far away neighborhoods the 

movement just means the drugs consume. On the other hand, central neighborhoods,

 with young and worker people, as Malasaña, concentrate a huge variety of cultural signs. 

Malasaña, is a symbol of the movement. Pedro mention that there were emblematic

 bars such as “Via Láctea”, “Pentagrama”, “Tospiro”, “Café Ruíz”, “Plástico” or “Eligeme”. 

Those places attracted different kind of people looking for good music, nice conversation 

or even debates, in a respectful atmosphere. As Pedro said “People wanted to express 

their ideas, and they were not scared”. We can see that there was no repression.

In this way, we should also consider other kind of bars located in different parts of 

Madrid as “Montera” or “Avenida de América”. Those bars gave opportunities to new 

music bands which have no experience. For example, “Los secretos”, “Parálisis permanente”,

 “Alaska y los Pegamoides”, “Nacha pop”, “Gabinete gari gari” or “Almodóvar y Magna”.

Those new music bands became popular,

and began to have their own public that go where they play. 

Pedro told me that there were too much spontaneity, nerve but not experience, 

so most of them were very bad at their beginning.

Having considered bars and night life, it is also reasonable to look at drugs. They were 

common in the 80´s. The most common were joints, but also hallucinogen, cocaine and

 heroin. As Pedro said “It depends on the person, I mean, there were people who went 

too far and people who control their consumption and used it occasionally. I think that 

those years were not a wild chaos in terms of drugs, like people believe”. Almost

 everyone could afford them. In the 80’ unemployment problems didn’t exist, so 

everyone could have a job and earn money.

Another significant factor for Pedro is photography. In “La movida” photographers tried 

to reflect their close reality or environment. Important names as Miguel Trillo, Ouka Lele

 or García Lis, started them and continue working now. In the 80’s Pedro worked as 

a photographer for a magazine called “Sal y Pimienta”. He used to do photos to

 illustrate the denunciate reports. Pedro told me that he also liked to take photos of the

 painted walls with original denunciating phrases such as “No queremos ni infanta de 

naranja, ni infanta de limón”.

There is also, a further point to be considered. It was necessary to transmit 

to the population what was happening. Magazines and radios there the most important

 mass media in the movement. There were commercial radios and free radios. Those free

 radios were formed by a group of people who want to transmit their ideas about a topic. 

Pedro told me that he had participated in a program, in one of those free radios called 

“Onda Verde”. The program was called “Don Quijote de la Marcha” and it was about

 environment, pacifism and ecology. As Pedro said “We used to collected news and 

articles from magazines, and talked about them in the program. Trendy music was

 played between one topic and another. We also invited people to talk about their 

opinion on a specific topic.”

To be able to understand the development of the movement, we should mention a name: 

Enrique Tierno Galván. He was the major of Madrid during the 80’s. Previously he has

 been professor at university, but was expelled because of his ideals. As Pedro said

 “Apparently, He was an old, intellectual and conservative man. But he was really

 opened minded, not only his philosophical ideas but also his conception of life”. He did

 many things for the capital such as support the movement. This support was crucial for

 the well development of the movement.

To sum up this essay, we can said that the experience of Pedro have given us a clear

 idea of what “La movida Madrileña” was. Confirming or correcting any previous idea

 that each of us has about this movement. I think we all agree that is a real cultural 

movement which has influence nowadays culture in some way. I am very grateful to

 Pedro Giménez for showing us his valuable experience.

Laura Giménez Garcia.