'The keys to Flight 605': welcome, Mister Álvarez

The announcer Ángel Álvarez, director of the program 'Flight 605', in an image from 1987.Efe

One of the founding myths of Spanish rock connects its appearance with the US military bases: it is claimed that “modern music” sneaked in thanks to the AFN (American Forces Network) stations in Rota, Morón, Torrejón and Zaragoza.

Hmmm….

a good argument for the theory of the

coca-colonization

of the country or even as an example of imperial

soft power

.

But there are doubts.

Without underestimating the cultural irradiation capacity of the bases, always on an informal scale, their radios had few Spanish listeners: their range was limited and they broadcast in modulated frequency when there were hardly any suitable receivers here.

No: if we investigate the emergence of Made in USA

music

, the figure of Ángel Álvarez (1917-2004) emerges.

Álvarez was already in his forties when, in 1960, he premiered

Caravana Musical

on La Voz de Madrid.

He made a formidable impact because of his kind and close voice, apart from the use of unreleased records.

As a radio navigator for Iberia, he flew regularly to New York and there he obtained music that was not published in Spain (already established as an announcer, he visited the promotion departments of New York record labels).

He did not depend on Spanish companies, like previous prestigious presenters such as Raúl Matas or Pepe Palau.

As was common in successful musical programs,

Caravana Musical

generated a club of enthusiasts who were grateful for the identification of that temperate man with “the youth.”

The

caravaners

met at the club's headquarters, a small office on Madrid's Calle Mayor: from there bulletins were distributed and Sunday matinees were called in the station's auditorium.

What began as a

hobby

became a career: Álvarez jumped to Radio Peninsular, Radio Nacional de España and SER.

His longest-lasting program was called

Flight 605

, which benefited from the sponsorship of El Corte Inglés: its president, Ramón Areces, met the aviator musician while traveling to New York and because of the countryman thing—both were Asturian—they reached a understanding.

The department stores also distributed weekly sheets with

caravan

information , despite the fact that many records mentioned there were not sold in Spain.

Unfortunately, not many Ángel Álvarez programs are preserved.

His own life is hazy: the journalist Álvaro Feito proposed to write his biography but the idea did not prosper.

It is appreciated that another

caravanner

, the economist Javier Lodín, is exploring those anomalous radio adventures.

After his indispensable

Music and legend

of him (2020), he now publishes

The keys to Flight 605

, focusing on the man in the shadow: screenwriter Carlos Domínguez, alias

Charlie

.

It contains other valuable elements, such as the interview with Rafael Revert,

a caravanner

who left the fold to establish the radio formula in Spain, which Álvarez deplored.

However, the presentations of the first

Caravan

were equally laconic;

It was Charlie's texts that added information and a certain poetic breath.

Lodín analyzes the contents of some 150 programs, basically from

Flight 605

and the 1990s.

Extrapolating, we can establish Álvarez's ingredients.

American pop, of course, with special affection for country

(

which Ángel initially presented as “country music”, due to his desire to translate titles and concepts).

With the Beatles, he opened up to British pop.

They add homeopathic doses of French, Italian, Brazilian and Spanish music (Serrat, Cecilia, Miguel Ríos).

Without forgetting the devotion to the orchestras of Percy Faith, Bert Kaempfert, Ray Conniff and Glenn Miller.

Regarding the latter, we find a rare case of deviation from the official story: the alternative version of his death in 1944 is suggested, which places him in a Parisian brothel.

And I understand it: it is more suggestive than imagining him the victim of recklessness while he was flying over the English Channel.

Look for it in your bookstore

You can follow

Babelia

on

Facebook

and

X

, or sign up here to receive

our weekly newsletter

.

Subscribe to continue reading

Read without limits

Keep reading

I am already a subscriber

_