Cross-posted to my Substack, The Janovsky Report
It was July 1977. Generalissimo Francisco Franco was still dead, but I was alive and well and 29 years old, studying Spanish in Madrid for the summer. Franco died less than two years before, and people were still getting used to living in a democracy after 40 years of oppression. Public gatherings were strictly limited during the Franco period, and people could not even play guitars in their city’s Plaza Mayor (main square). Now, the gloom was lifting, and the Madrid Plaza Mayor was bursting with activity far into the night.
I brought my Takemine nylon string guitar into this heady atmosphere and began playing and singing my usual ‘60s/70s repertoire favorites – The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkle, Jim Croce, even Guantanamera. A small group of about 6-7 gathered, some singing along, and others just listening. After about 20 minutes, a young woman asked if she could borrow my guitar for a song. I said sure, and she began playing and singing what turned out to be a Basque anthem. Within seconds my small crowd grew into the hundreds, spreading out over the Plaza, and singing from the depths of their souls.
I was stunned by how the crowd instantly materialized, creating a unified, massive chorus that sang with a fervor I never experienced. The singer finished, thanked me, and gave me back my guitar as the huge crowd dispersed as quickly as it formed. I thought of continuing my interrupted performance but quickly reconsidered. Nothing could follow that demonstration of musical regional pride. I packed up the Takemine and headed back to my pensione for the 10:00 p.m. serving of lentil soup.
But that vivid lesson in the power of nationalism haunted me. The dark side of the fervor I witnessed was Basque terrorism by the ETA and other groups for forty years after I witnessed the song in the Plaza Mayor. Nationalism is a double-edged sword. At its best, it’s an exhilarating feeling of unity and solidarity with people who share a heritage that means so much to them. At its worst, it descends into violence triggered by the same emotions, whether it’s the IRA, the ETA, UNITA, or ISIS. It’s great to be proud of who you are and what you belong to. The challenge is to keep the pride turned toward light and song, and away from darkness and violence.