This is a song inspired by the story of Rob’s father, Fausto, who was evacuated as a child from Bilbao in 1937 when the city was surrounded and blockaded by Franco’s fascists during the Spanish Civil War. Fausto was 9 years old at the time and travelled with his older brother Teo, aged 11. They were amongst 4,000 children brought to the UK to escape the bombs and the fighting. After much shameful prevarication by a British Government keen to appease the burgeoning fascist powers in Europe, an evacuation of children was eventually undertaken following increased pressure from British socialists and others after the criminal carpet
bombing of Guernica by the German Condor Legion. Parents were not allowed to travel with their children and the parting must have been unbearable. In order to console their children, mothers told them it was “only for three months” - “solo por tres meses”.

Only for Three Months

na-mara are a St Albans (UK) based folk duo - Paul McNamara (Guitar and vocals) and Rob Garcia (Guitar, mandolin and mandola). Their repertoire is varied and ranges across the Celtic diaspora. It includes music from the British Isles, Brittany, Asturias and Galicia, and songs from the British Isles, Brittany and northern France for voice, guitars, mandola and mandolin. na-mara are increasingly including their own songs and music in their shows. The duo have been playing around the folk clubs in Herts, Beds, Bucks, Cambs but are increasingly being invited to play at venues further afield.