Culture

|   Culture news and stories from Barcelona and Catalonia  

Pep Guardiola participates in a charity concert in Barcelona against AIDS

Aitor Álvarez

This weekend, 14,500 people rocked at the Palau Sant Jordi, in Montjuïc, in a charity concert that brought together the most famous Catalan singers and bands. Singer songwriter Lluís Llach interpreted a poem with former F.C. Barcelona Manager, Pep Guardiola, who finished with the verse: “Everything is to be done, and everything is possible”. 20 more artists participated in the concert, which turned into a cry against AIDS and for the independence of Catalonia.

‘The Human Tower’, a story of passion and tradition

Javier Domínguez

How can you reach out and touch the sky with your fingers? Is it better alone or together with others? Ram Devinevi and Cano Rojas give a clear answer to this question in their documentary which shows how three different cultures -the Catalan, the Indian and the Chilean- all with a common aim: to build the highest human constructions. A formidable challenge which can only be achieved thanks to the huge effort of three hundred bodies climbing and the technical guidelines of an experienced coach.

2012 Primavera Sound shines one more year with a top programme

Aitor Álvarez

Band such as The Cure, Franz Ferdinand, Wilco, Beirut, Saint Étienne or The XX play in a consolidated music festival with the Mediterranean as a backdrop. The most international music festival in Catalonia came to an end this weekend after three days and nights at the Parc del Fòrum, in front of the Mediterranean sea, as well as in other spots in Barcelona. The Primavera Sound Festival has in fact been active since May 8th with the culmination taking place this weekend when a solid roster of successful bands came to perform in Barcelona.

Catalan Jordi Savall receives music’s ‘Nobel Prize’, awarded by the Léonie Sonning Music Foundation

CNA

Savall is awarded the world’s most prestigious prize, offered by the Léonie Sonning Music Foundation in Denmark, for his entire artistic career. The jury recognised Savall as “one of the most important forces behind the renaissance of early music and the discovery of forgotten music”. The Catalan musician is one of the world’s most important researchers of ancient music and interpreters of viol. He developed his career with his wife, the soprano Montserrat Figueras, with whom he founded several ensembles and carried out research. Savall dedicated the prize to her, who passed away in November. Savall told ACN: “When I’m performing at a concert it’s when I am at my most happy”.

The 10th edition of Screen and Loop turns Barcelona into the capital of video art

CNA / Laura Rodas

From May 17th to June 2nd video art invades over 150 spaces in Barcelona during the 10th edition of the Loop Fair and the Screen Festival. The first showcases the latest ideas in International video art. The second, Screen, offers close contact with audiovisual creative practices including the brightest ideas and latest developments, all in very different places. Moreover, this year’s new addition is the first ever Screen Forum Pro, an International Symposium under the slogan: “What about production?” The annual video art festival attracts numerous professionals from the world of art, including representatives of leading museums, artists and galleries worldwide, as well as an audience eager to discover the latest trends in video art.

The Boss rocked the house in Barcelona

Irene García Pérez

Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band offered two three and a quarter hour concerts in Barcelona. In the two consecutive shows, on May 17th and 18th, the American musician changed almost half of the repertoire. Whereas the first performance started with a clear leitmotiv, the economic crisis and its consequences for the working class and middle classes, the second one was more of a dedication to his greatest fans. As he did in other years, The Boss talked in Catalan on some occasions during the concerts.

Saint Etienne to substitute Björk at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound Festival

CNA

The Icelandic singer had cancelled her Saturday concert due to health reasons. Björk headlined Saturday’s programme, and the organisation offered the return of the tickets for that day to those requesting it. This year’s Primavera Sound Festival has showcases starting on Monday May 28th and outdoor concerts starting on Wednesday at the Arc de Triomf venue. However, the core festival, being held at the Forum, kicks off on Thursday May 31st and runs until Saturday June 2nd.

The 'Girona, Temps de Flors' exhibition includes the first ‘a capella’ music festival in Catalonia

CNA / Gemma Nieto

The Girona A Capella Festival, held this year for the first time, wants to become “a reference in Southern Europe”. The new music festival will be held from May 12th to May 19th. The largest part of the program will take place during the first weekend of the floral exhibition, when it will combine performances in enclosed theaters and outdoors making the Mercat del Lleó a performance space.

Catalan music is the guest of honour at Brighton’s ‘The Great Escape’ festival

CNA / Laura Pous

The British pop festival ‘The Great Escape’ is probably Europe’s leading event for showcasing new music bands and artists. Catalonia and the Balearic Islands have a special place in this year’s edition, with the unique category ‘Catalan Sounds’. Bands such as Mujeres, Me and The Bees, Amics del Bosc, or Seward will display their music in front of music critics, lovers and concert promoters. “It is a unique opportunity to promote Catalan music bands” one of the people behind this initiative told ACN.

Read the latest updates and breaking news on culture and cultural topics from Barcelona and Catalonia. Keep up to date with the city’s museums dedicated to some of the biggest artists in the world such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, and Antoni Tàpies, as well as other institutions such as the National Art Museum (MNAC), the Contemporary Art Museum of Barcelona (MACBA), and exhibition spaces like the Contemporary Culture Center of Barcelona (CCCB), CiaxaForum, and CosmoCaixa.