With a performance marked by improvisation and full of attitude, Pablo Carbonell shared many anecdotes from his childhood in Cádiz, his time in Huelva and how he met Pedro Reyes, with whom he formed a musical duo and began performing in the street to make a living in the early 80s. The pair then moved to Madrid, where they found themselves at the heart of “La Movida”. They signed a deal with “La Bola de Cristal” of TVE thanks to their spontaneity that attracted the attention of the television scriptwriter and director Lolo Rico.

In 1984, he founded the band Los Toreros Muertos, which lasted until 1992. The life of a budding artist was not easy for Carbonell. “I had to share a bed with a fisherman in Huelva. At 4 a.m. I would go to bed and he would go to work.” He joked about “La Movida” and said, "I have very clear memories of this time because I spent it working". When he arrived in Madrid, he was fascinated by the bustling culture from the countercultural movement that emerged in Madrid during the early years of the Transition in post-Franco Spain.

This accomplished artist has multiple collaborations with the comedian El Gran Wyoming including appearances in La noche se mueve, El peor programa de la semana and Caiga quien caiga. For a short time, he also hosted Wyoming’s own TV programme El Intermedio. He has participated in films and has won awards such as Best Actor at the Malaga Film Festival and a Goya nomination for Best New Actor. Although he has yet to achieve his long lasting dream of starring in a film by the famous Spanish director Almodóvar, whom he met in Madrid in the 80s.

According to Carbonell, the end of this countercultural movement was brought about "by the appearance of AIDS, the tragedy of the nightclub Alcalá 20 and also by political changes and the arrival of the right-wing government in Madrid following the death of Tierno Galván“.

The talk-recital was very enjoyable and consisted of four different sections leaden with songs. Carbonell, accompanied by his guitar, delighted the audience with the song “Mi agüita amarilla” by Los Toreros Muertos and four covers: “Me pica un huevo” and “¿Quiénes somos? Where do we come from? Where are we going?”, both by Siniestro Total, “El sitio de mi recreo” by Antonio Vega and “Escuela de calor” by Radio Futura.

“Músiques urbanes” is a series organised by the Office of the Vice-Principal for Culture and Society of the Universitat de València. The series offers a diverse programme that covers a variety of genres ranging from rock to jazz and including other music genres.