Everything began with a shirt worn by the musician Nacho Garcia Vega during a performance for the music producer at Nacha Pop’s final show before the band’s breakup in 1988. From that moment, this talent scout and pivotal Movida figure—who helped run Rock-Ola, and worked with independent labels MR, Twins, and Pasión Discos—began to gather the memories of the musicians he befriended over the years. “And in the end I built a meaningful collection,” Martín recalls. Over the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s he met and collaborated with bands and artists such as Hombres G, Los Secretos, Danza Invisible, Antonio Flores, Antonio Vega, Celtas Cortos, Los Rodríguez, Sabina, Serrat, and Pereza.
More than 150 pieces from these archives are now on display at Aspe for the first time, in an exhibition curated by Blanca Asensi under the title Windsone. The show traces an emotional journey through Spanish music from the late 20th century to the dawn of the new millennium, with a warm nod to the 1980s and 1990s.
The exhibit opened this Friday at the La Coca de Aspe Cultural Center, where it will remain until January 2024 before embarking on a journey across Spain. The collection, comprising roughly 300 objects, is valued at about 150,000 euros and was acquired by the music production company Aspense Niwala Music.
“These are memories of a part of Madrid’s and Spain’s musical history, and I am glad to share this feeling I discovered here—the love and the passion,” Martín explains. “For the collection to endure, it’s about preserving these funds that mirror a cultural movement as large as Movida, touching not only music but also fashion and cinema.” He notes that this movement spurred a revolution for Madrid, a city once monochrome in tone, and for the rest of Spain as well.
Within the display are artifacts that reveal the era: jackets worn by Joaquín Sabina on tour, a harmonica that Ramón Cin contributed to his best songs, a painting by Manolo García, and a guitar tied to secrets by Álvaro Urquijo. Also showcased are the Loquillo attire, the Social Security ensemble, and era-defining aviator gear. The shirt worn by Nacho García Vega during his farewell concert at the Jácara hall in Madrid is highlighted among other treasures.
“The most abundant items are guitars—about fifteen—alongside clothing and posters, plus autographed photos and discs,” Asensi notes, describing an exhibit that begins with the rise of the Movida and the posters announcing a February 1980 concert, a tribute to Canito, Los Secretos’ drummer who died in a car accident. A Costus painting from the 1980s also accompanies the collection.
“The original posters from that Madrid Road School concert are on display, for an event that many groups attended,” the curator adds. The exhibition also features 1980s fanzines, guitars associated with Manolo Santana, Dani Mezquita, Estopa, El Canto del Loco, Pereza, and Julieta Venegas, as well as rare gold and platinum records linked to Los Secretos, Alejandro Sanz, and Hombres G.
Two of the most valuable items are Paco Martín’s manuscripts for songs connected to Antonio Vega (midway) and Joaquín Sabina (We have lots of reasons). These pieces appear within Windsone as anchors of the narrative.
For the producer, it is meaningful that this exhibition finds a home in a town like Aspe. The mayor, Antonio Puerto, notes, “It is a luxury for musicians who left their mark on a period to have these objects that reflect what happened during that time.” He adds that it would be worthwhile for the whole country to travel to Aspe to experience an exhibition that captures the Movida of the 1980s. The Center had previously hosted an inaugural show featuring Miguel Calatayud’s illustrations, and it plans to sustain such exhibitions as a cultural magnet for visitors.
Angel Martinez from Niwala Music sees great happiness in having these funds on display for the city. He envisions expanding the outreach and taking the collection to more cities, with an eventual dream of creating a dedicated music museum in Aspe. The Alicante producer believes that something of this scale may be irreplaceable in the future, yet Martín’s example remains a model to consider.