For Machado us
ground with sticks in the dictatorship (the 20-F-1966), a tribute to Machado in Baeza became a pitched battle. The historian Gabriel Jackson has inspired me to, and somewhat anecdotal, tell them what happened to us 45 years ago today, wanting to pay tribute to Don Antonio Machado.
Bust Machado, Pablo Serrano's work in 1966, he traveled to Baeza hidden in a Citroen "two horses" of the architect Fernando Ramón.
At Christmas 1965, I had not met the 19 years, was CEO of Architecture course, prone to getting into trouble and possibly still was not " signed" by the Police . Perhaps for the latter, was captured by some colleagues Santa Maria College Europe (the SEU , although they were quite red) who gave me a lot of ballots for a raffle, I should sell very carefully to " trustworthy people" for a reasonable price. Money raised
was destined for a charitable cause and as I learned later, quite risky. We tried to erode the Dictatorship (which "was about to fall," I said ) peacefully demanding a great poet who was not exactly the taste of the dictator.
Manuel Fraga Iribarne (founder and honorary president of the PP ) was then Minister of Information and Tourism Franco, preparing a press law openness and boasted that the regime promised cial leeway on freedom of expression to make a good impression abroad.
was time "to put Franco's dictatorship against its contradictions internal ", telling me who I lent the books banned had never seen me in the library Almeria La Salle (" Fundamentals of Philosophy "by Politzer," Do's "Lenin," On 18 Brumaire "of Karl Marx, etc.). .
historian Gabriel Jackson and a server holding a poster of Miró (1966) to take a picture this afternoon in the garden of my house.
Players The raffle opted to play pretty poor Picasso's Guernica , a book entitled "The second resistance " (can not remember the author, although it would be a pseudonym of the Iberian Turn ) and, most importantly for me, a wonderful record (a LP or Long Play) with Miró poster on the cover and the best poems recorded Machado (free, of course) none other than Fernando Fernan Gomez, Fernando Rey and Paco Rabal , who cast him courage to do so because their voices were easily recognizable.
I did not win any prize in raffle but for services rendered, Jesus Vicente Chamorro , a member of the organizing committee of what we called peacefully "Walking with Antonio Machado" (and who was brother of Enrique Carbajosa my room neighbor) gave me disk.
I almost memorized it and saved it as gold cloth until it disappeared in one of the many changes that I made to University of Barcelona, \u200b\u200bthe Harvard University or New York.
wish I could find a copy so that my kids could listen with delight those poems that made me goose bumps and my eyes moistened. (If someone finds it tell me please) .
The cover of the LP is the work done Joan Miró (also free) to help tribute to Machado.
Poster by Joan Miro for the tribute to Machado in Baeza (Jaen) on February 20, 1966.
recently found this poster, when I dared to order the papers from my sister, who died in tragic accident three years ago. I was thrilled that both the memory of their wrinkles ironed poster 45, I put a frame and hung it in place of honor in my driveway.
Gabriel Jackson, who is spending a few days at home with us (thanks to Congress Joaquín Costa and the documentary he made with Angel Viñas entitled "Citizen Negrin" , which was nominated for an Goya ) noticed yesterday in the poster looked and asked about its meaning. Before such provocation, I had no choice but to tell this story, and verse, during the breakfast.
The teacher praised me with your attention and your service for written documents the author of "The English Republic and Civil War" (1965), "Civilization and Barbarism" , "Mozart " , "The Medieval Spain," Juan Negrin ", etc., etc., I said these things have to count them and record them to not forget what was the dictatorship of Franco . Especially now that part of the vindication of the right is the dictator, who was a cruel and ruthless murderer, and I want to present almost like a nice guy.
as the recent peaceful demonstrations of the Egyptians in Cairo (we see today with envy retrospective) was unthinkable in Spain of Franco. There was no freedom of expression and of assembly or demonstration.
course, in those sixties had many manifestations (gifted students) but violently dissolved (with a lot of injuries and arrests) and unceremoniously. Of Baeza was one of them. The " grisis " of Franco, nightstick in hand, and from various provinces of Andalusia, prevented us to place the bronze head of the Andalusian poet / soriano on the monument we had planned for it in a high and precious Baeza (Jaen ) overlooking the valley.
Admirers Machado (a "secular saint", says today the country as a page. 34) are preregrinando to his grave in France. (Photo by Consuelo Bautista)
I was then a mindundi (more than now) and had only partial information of what we were up to, with enough secrecy, on the eve and the 27 anuiversario of the poet's death in exile. For So maybe, I was so surprised how the events unfolded that story now, as my memory allows, as selective as all.
Everything was done as illegal as if it were the dream of democratic union of students (later called the SDEUM ).
Major devoted to me, as a manager, link or something, one of the buses that would take us from Madrid Baeza to the roads then. It was the prize for selling the raffle so many ballots, I think.
Leaving Madrid , well wrapped and a tad scary in the body, on February 19 night. Shortly before dawn on Feb. 20, 1966, we were already entering the valley from which peered up there around the top, which may be blurred and even dark silhouette of the imposing city of Baeza , who welcomed Don Antonio Machado as a French teacher. We were
happy as a lark, after giving some heads, and we woke up with a tingle of excitement, to be closer to the place of honor without having suffered any accidents or police policy. We knew things down and / or freak out fear - why not! - Singing. Then he said:
"When the English singing, is screwed up or something happens"
rigor republican songs (" Ay Carmela!", "If the priests and nuns know ..." , "When the rooster crows black ..." etc, etc.) sounded, haphazardly, in this oasis of freedom on wheels, on the bus full of men and women, some Democrats, some even supporters of the dictatorship of the proletariat All antifrancoist excited, enraptured by the adrenaline of danger, of all ages and social classes, with duffel thick unkempt beard and long hair, but also respectable bald learned intellectuals and artists, armed with long scarves and coats of posh.
reminded me of school trips La Salle, of course with other pious songs ("Let's count lies," "Oh, sweet Jesus," "Snowy Mountains". "To be a front-driver ", etc.). ... and of course approved by the " Franco's side. "
Our driver also had to be in on it, but I had it all for when raged the songs "Republican side, I looked askance and shook his head as if to say: " These people do not know where gets. "
We knew, in effect, (well he knew!) To make a change of gradient curve. Waiting for us at dawn, a car of the Civil Guard (could be a Jeep or something). The numbers, with cocked hat, long cloak submachine mountain were not exactly those of Traffic . We were stopped and, as instructed, dry bus stop and opened the door. Asked who was the leader of the expedition. Instinctively, inadvertently, the driver gave me away at me.
I was sitting in the front row, near the driver. I told the guards with my best little voice of former congregant Mary or Little Red Riding Hood, yes, Red, that there was no head and just went on a trip to Baeza.
- "With that Baeza, huh?" , I blurted out, somewhat sarcastic tone, which seemed to be head of the guards. "We have clear-cut orders to go to Baeza that can only pass the vehicle with the driver. So we can now turn and go to where they came. "
a moment I asked to speak with the "passengers", I went to the bus and half agreed that it would be best to get off, to leave the bus and wait for the next bus that came from Madrid, and other parts of Spain, to see what we did. So we did. The bus went to Baeza with the driver on board and nobody else.
Jo! How cold it was in that valley, a few kilometers from Baeza, at dawn of day, February 20, 1966!
Without anyone saying anything, and without the protection of the bus, start walking slowly, spontaneously, as he who gives bread crumbs to pigeons, by the side of the road and cross country when she had curves. The civil guards did not tell us nothing. Meet specific orders: vehicles move only with the driver . He obviously does not have clear instructions for the case that the "passengers" on the bus were to follow the walking path.
Letters and articles in the mailbox of Antonio Machado. (Photo by C. Baptist in El País)
In the middle of the field, a prankster Machadian made us laugh, with a nervous laugh, of course, when he said:
- "is made by walking ..."
It took a couple of hours to reach walk to Plaza de Baeza. I will never forget the thrill that gave me sight, while climbing a hill and look back, hundreds of people, in groups of "bus" and in single file, walking toward Baeza from North, East and West. The South was behind the city and the east, and we heated the Sun .
We hugged. We were not alone and lost in this adventure politics / poetics. "Caminante no hay camino " already, but here they are seen making their way to tomorrow. "It is now Monday morning that" , I remember a few verses of the good Don Antonio . I can not express how exciting it was to see that, without cell phones or carrier pigeons, others had decided to walk like us.
Upon reaching the place we find a hundred or two people (not very well calculated eye). There are, triumphantly, several members of the Organizing Committee of "Walking with Antonio Machado. "
- "come over" , they said, "many more, and here there is no sign of police or the Guardia Civil" .
One told me, with joy, how amazing it was the evening of the eve on the steps of Parador de Ubeda , where they stopped the wealthy and were in your own car the day before. There was even Raimon singing " Al vent, face to vent" . Incredible, yes, but the police not stupid. Go butts and says "Tate, here smoked."
Perhaps, by that party before, someone of unwavering loyalty to the regime gave notice to the Civil Governor of Jaén , breaking the alleged secret of our project. Although I believe the Police knew everything from the day before the drawing. To attract passersby with Machado had organized poetry evenings in the university halls of roundtables that involved anything suspicious characters as Franco Aurora de Albornoz, Félix Grande, etc.
But
Franco is seen that the scandals did not want the foreign press and tried to devalue fine tribute to Machado preventing Baeza reach the busloads of "red." They were surprised, however, that so many people come foot. Did not expect.
After half an hour, and when we started to walk quietly through which one day be called "Paseo de Antonio Machado ", they told us they were coming to Baeza many buses as gray as the coats the police tough Franco. Before
to reach the monument, where we should deposit the bronze bust of the poet, we expected a megaphone home captain, commanding a lot of "gray." We were stopped raising his hand and shouting. The youngest, arm in arm, we immediately in front and the elderly behind.
Grays boss gave the order to sound disolvieramos us three times the whistle. One of the organizers tried unsuccessfully to parley with the captain. This insisted
"On three, if not dissolve immediately, give the order to charge."
And it was. Boy, was! We ground to a pulp. We put up a little, not much, with our backs and aching legs, but at the end, the civic procession / poetic career was dissolved in disorder on the streets of Baeza. What a beating!.
Hubos wounded and arrested. I do not caught or because they signed me providential car stopped in the middle of the street, opened the door and literally threw me over his knees three or four passengers were crammed into the back seat. Then they told me that in that same car, was someone important in the clandestine opposition to Franco. But I do not remember his name.
If the driver of that car were to read this, I want you to know that I am eternally grateful. My record was clean and continue the struggle against dictatorship more effectively than if I had been arrested and / or signed.
That would come years later, the dictator had recently died, when I was kidnapped and tortured machine gun tip. And with worse manners, of course, that the gray. You bet.
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