In search of the sound of Madrid

The pond at El Retiro

Choosing a genre of music to define Madrid is an almost impossible task. For many, the pop-rock of the Movida is still the style that best represents the local Madrid character. Others emphatically claim that flamenco, added to UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, is the definitive music of the Spanish capital. Jazz, meanwhile, evokes the frenetic pace of Gran Vía. And electronic music is emblematic of this nocturnal city. These and other genres also appear towards the top of this hypothetical list of the sounds of Madrid. Together with Iberia Express, Noche en Vivo (Madrid Association of Music and Entertainment Venues) and Noche Madrid (Nightlife Association of Madrid), we decided to ask a group of Madrileños how they would define the sound of their city. This is what we learned.