La Movida madrileña desde abajo: actores, lugares y prácticas (1976-1986)

Abstract

This paper analyses the Movida madrileña from below, looking at the different cultural places and practices that young people led and play a key role in understanding the broader meanings of this cultural phenomenon, often overshadowed by current debates about the impact of the Movida madrileña on the culture of the Transition. It is therefore necessary to rethink this cultural process through the same cultural artefacts produced by young people, such as the underground press and fanzines. Thus, this study relies on underground magazines to analyse two specific moments in the history of the Movida: the first stage, at the end of the seventies, when an underground scene was developed; and the last stage, between 1983 and 1986, when the music scene was already inserted into the hegemonic commercial circuits. Both phases show how young people pushed their cultural agencies and fought for the definition of the Madrid scene. However, the spatial analysis of both moments reveals the significance of the places themselves, i. e. the acquisition of meeting places, sociability and collaboration for young people, in facilitating or limiting the projection of youth initiatives.