Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Hoy por Hoy
Episode: El viaje de ida | José Antonio Labordeta, una mochila llena de emoción y de bondad
Host: SER Podcast, with Àngels Barceló
Date: November 19, 2025

This heartfelt episode explores the legacy of José Antonio Labordeta — teacher, poet, musician, politician, and beloved Aragonese icon — through the memories and insights of his daughters Ana, Paula, and Ángela, as well as comments from close friends such as Luis Alegre. The discussion traces the formative experiences, beliefs, and human qualities that defined Labordeta, revealing the deep empathy, cultural roots, and activism that made him a symbol of both Aragon and Spain.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Extraordinary Kindness of Labordeta

• Secret Acts of Generosity:

  • After Labordeta’s passing, Emilio Lacambra, owner of Casa Emilio in Zaragoza, revealed an act of kindness: whenever a beggar would ask him for money, Labordeta would send them to his restaurant to eat and cover their bill himself.
    • "¿Pero cómo se puede ser tan bueno?" (Host quoting Luis Alegre’s mother, 01:16)

• Empathy Rooted in Suffering:

  • Ana Labordeta connects her father's empathy to his childhood as a "niño de la guerra," suggesting that those who endure post-war hardship either become deeply empathetic or lose themselves.
    • Quote: "El que pasa una posguerra, o es empático o algo le pasa en la cabeza." — Ana Labordeta [01:38]

2. Family, Early Influences, and Education

• Moral and Intellectual Foundations:
  • Labordeta’s older brother, Miguel, a renowned poet, becomes his primary reference, introducing José Antonio to literature and poetry.
    • Quote: "Miguel, que es… uno de los mejores poetas que ha habido en Aragón… desde pequeño a mi padre le deja entrar en esa biblioteca y le va dando libros..." — Ana Labordeta [02:46]
  • The family home, full of books and stimulating conversation, is described as vibrant and intellectual, set in central Zaragoza near the Mercado Central — described by José Antonio as living "en un transatlántico".

3. Literary and Cultural Awakening

• Formative Zaragoza:
  • The cultural life at Café Miquel, where poets and thinkers gathered, is depicted as key to Labordeta’s artistic and political awakening.
    • Quote: "Ahí se hablaba de todo, excepto de poesía. Se lo decía porque tenía mucha sorna..." — Ana Labordeta [04:57]

4. Discovery of Aragón Beyond Zaragoza

• Finding Broader Identity:
  • His time in Canfranc and the Pyrenees during the Franco dictatorship symbolizes the search for freedom and personal awakening.
    • Quote: "Cuando se asomaban a ese túnel, veían una luz al fondo. Y aquello era Francia. Era la libertad." — Ana Labordeta [05:38]
  • The landscape and rural life of Aragón deeply mark his worldview and future works.

5. Love, Teaching, and the Call to Song

• Meeting Juana de Grandes:

  • A charming anecdote details how Labordeta met his future wife, with their first interaction revolving around her unique voice.
    • Quote: "Me gusta tu voz, ¿estás acatarrada?" "No, esta es mi voz normal." — Narrator [07:03]
  • Both become teachers, facing economic hardship in Teruel but also finding community and inspiration there.

• Awakening as Cantautor:

  • Teruel brings him into contact with the loneliness and emigration of rural Aragón, inspiring his first album and commitment to give voice to the voiceless.
    • Quote: "Ahí es cuando él se da cuenta de que puede alzar la voz por la gente que no puede a través de la canción." — Ana Labordeta [09:54]

6. Political and Social Commitment

• Activism and Identity:
  • Labordeta becomes a leading figure in the Aragonese Socialist Party and the national parliament, advocating passionately for his land and people.
    • Quote: "Es el nacionalismo aragonés es no estar fuera, sino estar dentro." — Ana Labordeta [12:01]
• Support System:
  • A recurring theme is Juana de Grandes’ grounding influence:
    • Quote: "Mi madre siempre le bajaba los pies a la tierra… yo doy 8 horas de latín y a mí nadie me aplaude." — Ana Labordeta [12:41]

7. Music, Difficult Transitions, and National Fame

• From Cantautor to Masses:

  • Labordeta leaves teaching to focus on music but faces the decline of the singer-songwriter genre, returning to smaller venues and intimate concerts where he is deeply moved by audience reactions.

• Cultural Impact:

  • "Canto a la libertad" becomes an anthem for the Spanish Transition, performed at major festivals and now a staple of festivities in Aragón.
    • Quote: "Habrá un día en que todos al levantar la vista veremos una tierra que ponga libertad." — Ángela Labordeta [11:16]

8. Resilience and Reinvention

• Television Revival:

  • His success hosting “Un país en la mochila” exposes the richness of rural Spain to a national audience, revitalizing his public profile.
    • Quote: "Viajar, seguir conociendo este país, hablar con la gente… eso mi padre es que le rechiflaba." — Narrator [15:12]

• Parliamentary Life and Principles:

  • As a deputy, famously clashes with PM José María Aznar; most remember his authenticity and a notorious outburst:
    • Quote: "Coño, a ver si no pueden hablar aquí. ¡A la mierda, joder!" — Luis Alegre [15:49]
  • But prouder still of quoting his brother’s poetry in debates over war.
    • Quote:
      "Asesinaos, si así lo deseáis… pero dejad tranquilo a ese niño que duerme en una cuna..." — Poem by Miguel Labordeta read in Congress [17:05]

9. Illness, Farewells, and Enduring Legacy

• Facing Cancer:

  • Even during illness, Labordeta’s generosity and spirit remained intact, committed to friends and creative work up to the end.

• A People’s Farewell:

  • Anecdotes of his funeral in Zaragoza, streets alive with spontaneous renditions of Canto a la libertad, crystallize his status as a beloved national figure.
    • Quote: "Y empezamos a oír por las ventanas de la calle el canto a la libertad… Y ahí nos pusimos a cantar mientras el coche se iba hacia el cementerio." — Ana Labordeta [18:34]

• Living Memory:

  • From 2010 onwards, Canto a la libertad is sung at the start of Zaragoza’s major festival, institutionalizing Labordeta’s role as a symbol of Aragonese pride and Spain’s struggle for freedom.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Description | |-----------|---------|-------------------| | 01:16 | Host | “¿Pero cómo se puede ser tan bueno?” | | 01:38 | Ana Labordeta | “El que pasa una posguerra, o es empático o algo le pasa en la cabeza.” | | 02:46 | Ana Labordeta | “Miguel... desde pequeño a mi padre le deja entrar en esa biblioteca y le va dando libros...” | | 05:38 | Ana Labordeta | “Cuando se asomaban a ese túnel, veían una luz al fondo. Y aquello era Francia. Era la libertad.” | | 07:03 | Narrator | “Me gusta tu voz, ¿estás acatarrada?” “No, esta es mi voz normal.” | | 09:54 | Ana Labordeta | “Ahí es cuando él se da cuenta de que puede alzar la voz por la gente que no puede a través de la canción.” | | 11:16 | Ángela Labordeta | “Habrá un día en que todos al levantar la vista veremos una tierra que ponga libertad.” | | 12:01 | Ana Labordeta | “Es el nacionalismo aragonés es no estar fuera, sino estar dentro.” | | 12:41 | Ana Labordeta | “Mi madre siempre le bajaba los pies a la tierra… yo doy 8 horas de latín y a mí nadie me aplaude.” | | 15:49 | Luis Alegre | “Coño, a ver si no pueden hablar aquí. ¡A la mierda, joder!” | | 17:05 | Luis Alegre (reading Miguel Labordeta) | “Asesinaos, si así lo deseáis… pero dejad tranquilo a ese niño que duerme en una cuna...” | | 18:34 | Ana Labordeta | “Y empezamos a oír por las ventanas de la calle el canto a la libertad…” |

Important Timestamps

• Secret of kindness revealed: 00:58–01:16
• Empathy from childhood hardship: 01:38
• Influence of brother Miguel: 02:46–03:01
• First love and marriage: 07:03–07:25
• Cultural, political awakening in Teruel: 09:19–09:54
• ‘Canto a la libertad’ as anthem: 11:16–11:29
• Famously standing up to Aznar (‘A la mierda’): 15:49
• Reading of brother’s poem in Congress: 17:05
• Funeral and spontaneous singing: 18:34–19:44

Conclusion

This episode offers an intimate portrait of José Antonio Labordeta, painting him as a profoundly empathetic, authentic, and generous figure whose personal history, art, and activism intertwined to shape modern Aragón and inspire Spain. Through the voices of his daughters and friends, listeners gain both a poignant remembrance and an instructive account of a life lived with conviction, humility, and a relentless pursuit of freedom.

Memorable final words:
"Habrá un día en que todos, al levantar la vista, veremos una tierra que ponga libertad." — (Ángela Labordeta quoting Labordeta, 20:17)