‘A revolution within a revolution’. Paloma McLardy, also known as Palmolive, founded the influential punk band The Slits in 1976. Born in Spain, galvanized by punk’s explosive energy, she took up the drums and crafted an iconic style that favored passion and imagination over technical prowess. The journalist Vivien Goldman has said ’The Slits created a new paradigm for being a woman.’ In the words of Palmolive, ’We were four fearless young women who came together and exploded as a cultural bomb, irritating a sensitive societal nerve. We were pretty unaware of our potency, and yet we were certain that we did not want to conform to the roles prescribed to us as women.’ After three years in The Slits, Palmolive migrated to The Raincoats, with whom she recorded an album and then left the music scene altogether. Both groups were at the center of a movement that revolutionized the face of music and culture. In the past year, Palmolive’s influence has been chronicled in Here to Be Heard: The Story of The Slits, a documentary by William Badgley, as well as Jenn Pelly’s book The Raincoats. Following her time as a musician, Palmolive gave herself to raising her family together with her husband Dave. They have 3 wonderful children and twelve grandkids! She also did some video work, but mainly, since 2002 she became a Spanish teacher for young children. She loves kids and gives her creativity and energy to try to create a space where children can be themselves, grow and thrive.

Keynote Lecture

Punk’s Palmolive, Fighting Dragons in the Land of Concrete

Links

https://www.punkspalmolive.com/

https://www.instagram.com/punkspalmolive

https://www.facebook.com/paloma.mclardy