The origins of the movement
This wave of creativity and questioning of traditional values, so deeply rooted in Spanish (and Madrid) mores at the time, quickly found a name, a slogan. Etymologically, "movida" means "to move". But the word actually originated in the slang of hashish smokers. "Movida" comes from the expression "hacer una movida", which meant leaving the center of the capital to buy weed (and all kinds of drugs, for that matter) in the suburbs around Madrid. In the early 1980s, the movement quickly spread to the various cultural domains that Madrid's youth were so fond of. Music in particular, under the influence of musical movements already in vogue in Europe, such as new wave and punk, whose sounds soon arrived from Great Britain.
And it was Madrid's mayor at the time, Enrique Tierno Galván, who was to do much to develop the Movida. Elected in 1976 in the first post-dictatorship municipal elections, this Socialist, who took office thanks to an alliance with the Communists, remained at the city's helm until his death in 1986. During his tenure, "the Old Professor", a sociologist by training, encouraged the growth of this marginal culture, and numerous bars, clubs and independent labels sprang up in Madrid. A far, far cry from the major labels of the day. Although Movida was born in the capital, it quickly spread to other major Spanish cities, such as Málaga, Seville, Bilbao and Barcelona.
A multifaceted culture
Music was not the only field to experience major cultural upheavals. All sectors of artistic and intellectual production were represented in Madrid's Movida.
Music. The first British LPs arrived in Madrid, and the riffs of the Clash, Sex Pistols and other punk bands were soon spitting their chords into Madrid's loudspeakers. But it was a major spring concert in May 1981 that launched the movement once and for all. The program? Nearly 10 hours of show, 15,000 delirious spectators and a succession of bands promising to leave their mark on the years to come. Alaska, Fahrenheit 451, Los Secretos and Nacha Pop made history. But the big stages were soon forgotten, and it was in the small bars of Malasaña that the groups urged Madrid's youth to free themselves in these early years of democracy. And a host of other musical formations were soon to emerge. These included Kaka de luxe, La Union, Los Zombies, Joaquín Sabina, Radio Futura, Parálisis Permanente, Ramoncín, Leño and Loquillo. A real effervescence!
Cinema. But it was on the big screen that THE great figure of the Movida, the now world-famous filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, was to make his mark. His first feature film, released in 1980, was fully in tune with the times. Pepi, Luci, Bom et autres filles du quartier(Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón) features Pepi (Carmen Maura), a Madrilenian woman who grows marijuana on her balcony. Confounded by a policeman who blackmails and then rapes her, Pepi decides to seduce the cop's submissive wife. Almodóvar says: "It's neither a realistic film, nor an analysis of morals, nor a portrait of society. Still, it fits in well with a certain type of casual person you meet in Madrid." The stage was set, and this film, shot in 16 mm, quickly became a cult film in the underground culture of Madrid and beyond. In 1982, his second film, El Laberinto de pasiones(The Labyrinth of Passions), which oscillated between surrealism, pop ambience and disturbing scenes, further strengthened his legend. During this period, this all-rounder not only directed films, but also wrote(Patty Diphusa, La Vénus des lavabos and Fuego en las Entrañas) and was a member of the rock band Almodóvar y Macnamara. In short, a legend of the Movida and, more generally, of Madrid's history, who has since gone on to shine the world over with his atypical films(Talons aiguilles, Tout sur ma mère, Parle avec elle and Volver , to name but a few).
Other disciplines have also made their mark. In literature, Jesús Ferrero, a close friend of Almodóvar's, co-wrote the film Matador (1986); in photography, Ouka Leele, Alberto García-Alix, Pablo Pérez-Minguez and Miguel Trillo all made their mark at this time; while Agata Ruiz de la Prada was just starting to have fun making her clothes in the pop style for which she has since become famous. The fields of design, graphics and comics (notably with the periodical El Víbora) are also represented.
Emblematic places that are still alive today
With this cultural surge, new places to go out sprang up in the Spanish capital. Bars, discos, dance clubs and art galleries began to multiply. Malasaña became the epicenter of the Movida, around its emblematic Plaza Dos de Mayo and Calle del Pez. Since the late 1970s, the district has carefully nurtured this special atmosphere, and many of the places that symbolized the counter-culture are still to be found there, such as the El Palentino bar on Calle del Pez, or the Pentagrama bar, better known as El Penta, a hybrid of classic bar, concert hall and nightclub that has been going strong since 1979. Also worth mentioning is Vía Lactea, which opened in the same year and whose busy decor has remained unchanged ever since. It was also in 1979 that El Sol began hosting concerts, and this Madrid nightclub can boast of having seen all the bands of the Movida. Finally, the emblematic Madrid me Mata bar now houses a permanent exhibition on the movement.
Today, Madrid and Malasaña in particular have preserved some of the traditions of the heyday, with the opening of designer galleries, extended party nights and the famous botellon, the custom of drinking in the street. It's a time for getting together, talking loudly, remaking the world and, if you've found your clothes in a local thrift shop, all the better! Movida may have come and gone, but some of the movement's legendary venues are still with us, keeping alive the spirit of an era that profoundly transformed the Spanish capital.
