25 Feb Conference: Protest songs of the Spanish Transition
On Friday 6 March at 6.30pm, ELE USAL Strasbourg is hosting a conference to discover (or rediscover) the songs that marked the Spanish Transition. This is an ideal cultural activity if you are studying Spanish in Strasbourg, if you are interested in the contemporary history of Spain, or if you want to enrich your vocabulary and cultural references through music.
– Where: ELE USAL Strasbourg — 9 Rue Saint-Aloïse, 2nd floor, 67100 Strasbourg
– Limited places: confirm your attendance by writing to info@strasbourg-eleusal.com
Historical landmark: Vitoria, 3 March 1976
The conference is based on a historical event: on 3 March 1976, in the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (Zaramaga, Vitoria-Gasteiz), a workers’ assembly was held against a backdrop of strikes and social unrest. Around 4,000 people gathered inside and, during the evacuation, tear gas was used; at the exit, there were charges with rubber bullets and live ammunition, leaving five dead, including 17-year-old Francisco Aznar Clemente.
The speaker will also explain why, at that time, many meetings were held in churches: the BOE points out that temples were used as meeting places that were ‘theoretically protected’ by the concordat in force, even though these activities were not protected by law. In this context, the 1953 Concordat affirmed the inviolability of sacred places and restricted the entry of law enforcement officers without competent ecclesiastical authorisation (except in cases of ‘urgent necessity’).
Music to listen to the story
– Joaquín Sabina — Adivina, adivinanza: verbal play and irony; an example of how social criticism can be expressed through symbols and double meanings.
– Jarcha — Libertad sin ira: key song for understanding the emotional climate of the era; freedom and coexistence as the central message.
– Lluís Llach — Campanades a morts: work of mourning and tribute linked to the events in Vitoria; music as public memory.
– Ana Belén — España, camisa blanca de mi esperanza: emotion and identity; a hopeful look towards a different future.
– Gente del pueblo — Pan, trabajo y libertad: direct action; work and dignity at the forefront.
-Vino Tinto — Habla pueblo habla: example of a song related to the political language of participation and collective voice.
– Luis Eduardo Aute — Al alba: intimate and poetic register, associated with memories of pain and repression, without the need for slogans.
– Carlos Cano — Murga de los currelantes: popular social criticism; humour, tradition and denunciation.
– José Antonio Labordeta — Canto a la libertad: song of collective encouragement; the perfect conclusion for considering music as a common horizon.
About the speaker
Agustín Alarcón was born in Seville during the Transition, the son of an exile who had returned shortly before and a French mother. In Strasbourg, he organised meetings at the Maison de l’Amérique Latine for ten years and developed a series of lectures on protest songs from the Second Republic to later periods.
Practical information
– When: Friday, 6 March, 6:30 p.m.
– Where: ELE USAL Strasbourg — 9 Rue Saint-Aloïse, 2nd floor, 67100 Strasbourg
– Capacity: limited (you must send us an e-mail to confirm your place)
– Confirmation: info@strasbourg-eleusal.com
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