A Scottish band is to have one of its songs housed in the first museum dedicated exclusively to the Spanish Civil War.
The Tenementals' track "A Passion Flower’s Lament" is to be included in The Virtual Museum of the Spanish Civil War, a digital platform offering a comprehensive exploration of the 1936-1939 conflict.
The Tenementals is a group of artists, academics and musicians which have been recording a series of songs which explore the radical history of Glasgow.
"A Passion Flower's Lament" is written from the perspective of the statue of Dolores Ibárruri (La Pasionaria), which commemorates the men from Glasgow who died fighting with the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War.
The statue, which is located on the banks of the River Clyde, is an iconic part of Glasgow’s cityscape and a common gathering point for activists and radical groups.
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Ibárruri is credited with coining the classic anti-fascist phrase "No pasarán!" (They Shall Not Pass) during the Siege of Madrid when right-wing military forces were attempting to overthrow the democratically elected leftist Republican government.
David Archibald, who is both founding member and frontman for The Tenementals, said: "The statue rightly celebrates the courageous men who travelled to Spain to fight fascism with the International Brigades. The city is right to hold a special place in its heart for the memory of these men.
"The Tenementals, though, are not interested in black-and-white histories; we’re interested in the complexity of the past.
"It is not well known, but some members of the International Brigades, dissidents and deserters, were held in a make-shift prison in the town of Castelldefels, near Barcelona by their own side. There were also wider conflicts on the Republican left.
"The song asks us to consider what we might do with these troubling aspects of the Spanish Civil War at a time when fascism once more rears its head.
"We dedicated the song to Bob Smillie, a University of Glasgow student who left behind his studies in chemistry and travelled to Spain. He fought alongside George Orwell on the Aragon Front, and was subsequently involved in an internal conflict which led to him being imprisoned by his own forces and perhaps even to his death.
"But we are not focused on this period as one of defeat. We focus on a moment of revolutionary possibility when, as Orwell put it, ‘the working class was in the saddle.’ If it happened once, it can happen again.
“Every band hopes that their music finds a wide public, so we are delighted that it will be accessed in The Virtual Museum of the Spanish Civil War."
Professor Adrian Shubert, co-creator of The Virtual Museum of the Spanish Civil War, stated: "The Virtual Museum of the Spanish Civil War is the first museum in the world devoted to this central event of 20th century history. Its mission is to make the history and legacies of the Spanish Civil War, both as an internal conflict and its international repercussions, available to the general public.
"It also aims to preserve the memory of those who experienced the war or suffered its consequences, and to promote reflection about and understanding of this crucial period.
"The Tenementals' "A Passion Flower's Lament" speaks to the complexities of the conflict and the ways it remains a living reality more than eighty years after its conclusion. We are proud to include the song in our museum."
In February last year, The Tenementals also had their take on classic German anti-fascist anthem "Die Moorsoldaten (The Peat Bog Soldiers)" housed in the archives of the Documentation and Information Center “Emsland Camps”, located a few kilometers from the Nazi concentration camp of Börgermoor, where the song was first performed.
Since their debut performance at the 2022 Glasgow Doors Open Festival, The Tenementals have performed at events such as the Glasgow Hidden Lane Festival, May Day Glasgow 2023 and Belle and Sebastian's Glasgow Weekender.
The band are currently on tour in support of debut album ‘Glasgow: A History (Vol. I of VI)' .
The Tenementals play Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock on Saturday, April 26, Portobello Town Hall in Edinburgh on Saturday, May 3, Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh on Saturday, May 17, Black Box in Belfast on Saturday, May 31, and Dunoon Burgh Hall Saturday, June 28.
