catalan music

Catalonia’s music is one of the highlights of this year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival with a specific programme called ‘Catalan Series’. Barcelona’s Hèctor Parra, who achieved international recognition with pieces performed by KNM Berlin, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, or the National Orchestra of Ile-de-France, is the resident composer. The festival will feature several of Parra’s pieces, notably the world premiere of his latest work, FREC, performed by the composer himself alongside famous Catalan pianist Agustí Fernández. The well-known BCN216 Ensemble will also give a concert within the ‘Catalan Series’ in this year’s festival, which opens this Friday and will run until the 24^th of November.

The 13th edition of the Festival de Cap Roig will run from the 20th of July until the 16th of August, and it is one of the main milestones of Catalonia’s cultural landscape during the summertime. The music event takes place in the Cap Roig gardens, a green promontory overlooking the sea, located in Calella de Palafrugell, at the centre of the Costa Brava. This year, the budget has been reduced by 20% and the average ticket price will be reduced by 16% due to the economic crisis. The Catalan bands Manel, Gossos, Antònia Font and Blaumut will play at the festival that will be kicked off with a concert by Elton John, making the only stop in Spain of his 'Rocket Man - Greatest Hits Live' tour. Other important artists are Katie Melua, Fito & Fitipaldis, Vicente Amigo, Melendi, Malú, Rosario and Ainhoa Arteta.

Pau Debon, the singer of the band, tells CNA the evolution of the group and how they got here. From Majorca to Catalonia, and later to Galicia and the Basque Country, Catalan-speaking Antònia Font has broken its two-year silence with a new album ‘Vostè és aquí’ (Here you are) and a tour throughout Spain. With a new distinguished style escaping from the stereotyped three minutes and ten-song album, they have experimented with new formats and sounds. Debon assures that after sixteen years together and nine albums, now he would like to play in festivals throughout Europe.

Raimon is one of the most important artists in the Catalan language, and is part of the group of singer-songwriters of the ‘Nova Cançó’. Raimon’s protest songs became true popular anthems against Franco’s dictatorship, with titles such as ‘Al vent’, ‘Jo vinc d’un silenci’ and ‘D'un temps d'un país’. His songs and concerts were often censored. With a style combining simple musical guitar arrangements with literary and direct texts, influenced by the French Chanson, Raimon highlighted the value of the Catalan language, as it was being persecuted. Born in Xàtiva, in Valencia, he has also defended the unity of the Catalan language. The exhibition shows a wide range of documents from the artist’s personal archives. It is complemented with films, conferences and a concert at the Liceu theatre.

The Cadaqués Orchestra played ‘Concerto libero’, an unfinished work for piano and cello at the Peralada’s Carme Church, in northern Catalonia. The Costa Brava festival is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the composer’s birth whose works have achieved international acclaim. The world premiere of the piece by Xavier Montsalvatge was the highlight of the concert which was dedicated to the composer, one of the most prominent figures in Catalan music.

Catalan-singing band Antònia Font is preparing a new album. According to band sources, the group has all the material ready and is aiming to record it before the end of 2012. Antònia Font is continuing to tour with their last album, Lamparetes, but they are currently combining stage-shows with the task of creating another outstanding album.

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 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.

“In a pop group there must be a balance between artistic creation and proximity to fans”, state ‘Els Amics de les Arts’, in an interview with ACN. They are one of the most successful Catalan music band at the moment. They have released a new album ‘Espècies per catalogar’ (it translates as ‘Species to be catalogued’) and they are returning on stage to present it.

Mishima started touring on April 13th to promote their sixth album, released last March 27th. Mishima are one of the most popular bands of the moment singing in Catalan. After the critical and commercial success of their last album, with ‘Lamor feliç’ (translated as ‘Happy Love’) they return to producing the record by themselves, under the label ‘The rest is silence’.

’10 milles per veure una bona armadura’, the second album from the Barcelona group ranks first at the annual list of best selling albums in Spain, compiled by The Apple Store

Married to viol player Jordi Savall, the Catalan Montserrat Figueras was one of the world’s most recognised experts and talented instrumentalists specialised in medieval music, as well as music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Together with Savall, they founded the groups Hespèrion XXI, the Capella Reial de Catalunya and the orchestra Le Concert des Nations. Figueras received many accolades, such as the ‘Officier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ in France and a Grammy Award.

Lluís Gavaldà, lead singer of Els Pets answers Lucy from Glasgow: “Catalonia has very extensive musical richness, with traditional, classic, jazz and pop music in Catalan”.

‘Els Pets’ played at the Palau de la Música, Barcelona’s symphonic auditorium on Tueday night. The audience was enthusiastic about the band’s performance. ‘Els Pets’ did not play their classics from the last 25 years, but rather singles from their newer albums.

The Catalan band The Pinker Tones has reached star status and is topping the charts throughout the Americas. CNA sat down with them for a look into their recent success.