Catalonia and Eurovision: A love/hate relationship

"Catalans' relationship with Eurovision is a curious one," says Jordi Ramos, a producer for 'El món' on Catalan radio station Rac 1 and an expert on all things Eurovision.

It's a relationship conditioned right from the early days of the competition. 

Spain first took part in 1961, and dictator Francisco Franco used the competition to "whitewash" the country's image internationally.

Serrat

"1968 is a key date," Jordi says – speaking to Catalan News from Basel, Switzerland, as anticipation grows over this year's Eurovision final.

"Joan Manuel Serrat is offered the chance to sing Spain's entry La La La. He accepts, but ten days before the competition, he sends a letter saying that either he'll sing it in Catalan or not at all."

There are various theories about what exactly prompted Serrat to send the letter and what happened next, but, what we know for sure, Jordi explains, is that the Spanish broadcaster, "within 24 hours, already had Massiel lined up to perform the song in Spanish – and she ended up winning!"

A Catalan singer – Salomé – did perform on the Eurovision stage the following year, and 'Vivo cantando' earned Spain a second consecutive prize, shared in a four-way tie for first place.

Mixed feelings

Despite that success – Spain's last Eurovision triumph – the association with the old Franco regime and the fallout from the Serrat controversy has had a long-lasting effect in Catalonia.

"Some people who feel the Spanish entry doesn't represent them extend that feeling to the whole contest," Jordi says.

At the same time, there are a lot of different perspectives within Catalonia, as Jordi points out.

"There are many people who really get behind the Spanish entry, and many who are really enthusiastic about the contest itself," he says.

"In fact, audience figures for Eurovision are higher in Catalonia than in Spain in general."

One thing Jordi is sure of is that when the Spanish Eurovision entry is a Catalan artist, "we get much more into it."

He mentions the massive support for artists like Beth, who thanked the crowd in Catalan, Miki Núñez – "very rooted in Catalonia," Jordi says – and Chanel, who achieved third place in 2022, Spain's best result since 1995.

Alfred's Eurovision dream

Singer-songwriter Alfred García is another Catalan who has graced the Eurovision stage.

"Eurovision is full of fireworks and screens and lights," he tells Catalan News.

"I love Eurovision, but I'm just a singer-songwriter writing songs next to the river. I have a normal life, but it was a great experience to be part of."

"Today, sometimes I wake up, and I think that it was all a dream."

Alfred's latest album, 'T'estimo es te quiero' features songs in Catalan and Spanish, and the title mixes the two languages – 'I love you' (in Catalan) means 'I love you' (in Spanish).

"For me, it would be an honor to go to Eurovision one more time with a song in Catalan. It would be a dream and it would be the first time."

Catalan language

The first time for Spain, that's true.

While no Spanish Eurovision entry has been sung in Catalan to date, the language has made it to Eurovision, via Andorra.

"Sensational and extraordinary" is how Jordi describes hearing Catalan sung for the first time on the Eurovision stage.

Andorra's first ever entry in the competition in 2004 – 'Jugarem a estimar-nos' – was a hit, at least in Catalonia, if not across Europe.

It didn't make it past the semi-final stage, suffering the same fate as all six Andorran Eurovision entries before the Pyrenean microstate's broadcaster pulled out of the contest for economic reasons.

Self-described Eurofan Jordi Ramos would love nothing more than to hear Catalan back in the competition, whether that's in an entry from Spain, from Andorra, or even from Catalan public broadcaster TV3.

The latter would require a major change of policy from Eurovision organizers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), but Jordi isn't ruling anything out.

"Hope is the last thing you lose, and I prefer to believe that yes, Catalan will return to Eurovision one day."