A Dictator And The Music He Loved To Hate: Spanish Songs Of Rebellion

By Felix Contreras, Alt.Latino/NPR

She is a living, breathing and performing example of the artistic explosion that greeted the death of Francisco Franco, the despot who ruled Spain from 1939 through 1975. After decades of severely limited creative expression, Martirio and other musicians, filmmakers, writers, poets and artists of every stripe filled Spanish society with work that helped create a new national identity. As Alt.Latino co host Jasmine Garsd says in this week’s show, they were like teenagers drunk with new-found creative freedom.

Besides introducing you to new tracks you’ll love, we take a time-traveling trip to Spain by way of a great new compilation album that offers insight into what on the surface seems like cheesy pop. We also feature terrific, jazz-influenced tracks by Martirio and her predecessors, Pedro Ituralde and Paco de Lucia.

Just as we can check the rings of a tree to learn something about its history, you can hear the story of Franco’s repressive regime in the music we play this week. We’ll hear how, in spite of the tin ear of repression, influences from abroad spurred Spanish creativity.

Click HERE to read and listen to the full story.

[Photo courtesy of Martirio]

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