Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Around the same time Nova Cançó singers were taking aim at the Franco regime, folk
singers from Latin America were decrying their own corrupt military dictatorships. Songs
by Victor Jara of Chile, Mercedes Sosa of Argentina and Chico Buarque of Brazil helped
unite people in the fight against oppression.
Rock Català
A specifically local strand of rock has emerged since the 1980s. Rock Català (Catalan rock)
is not essentially different from rock anywhere else, except that it is sung in Catalan by local
bands that appeal to local tastes. Among the most popular groups of years past include Sau,
Els Pets, Lax'n Busto and the Valenciano band, Obrint Pas.
The Pinker Tones are a Barcelona duo that attained international success with an eclectic
electronic mix of music, ranging from dizzy dance numbers to film soundtracks. Another
Barcelona band with international ambitions and flavours is Macaco, a group that sings in
different languages - Catalan, Spanish (Castilian), English and Portuguese among others -
and blends Latin rhythms and electronica in their rock anthems. When people talk about
'Raval sound' (after the name of the still somewhat seedy old-city district), this is the kind
of thing they mean.
Far greater success across Spain has gone to Estopa, a male rock duo from Cornellà, a
satellite suburb of Barcelona. The guitar-wielding brothers sing a clean Spanish rock, occa-
sionally with a vaguely flamenco flavour. Along the same vein, the Barcelona hit trio
Pastora peddles a successful brand of Spanish pop, mixing electric sounds with a strong
acoustic element.
Hailing from Barcelona, Mishima is an indie pop band which has recorded a mix of al-
bums in English and Catalan. They remained largely obscure prior to the release of their
2007 album
Set tota la vida,
which earned accolades across the music industry.
Born in El Raval, Cabo San Roque is an even more experimental group, incorporating
huge soundscapes, powerful rhythms and mechanical accents often using nontraditional
John Cage-style instruments in their avant-garde performances. In one show, the five-per-
son group shared the stage with a polyphonic washing machine powered by a bicycle chain.
Another key name on El Raval's scene is 08001 (which is El Raval's postcode). This ever-
evolving collective brings together musicians from all across the globe, fusing unusual
sounds from hip-hop, flamenco, reggae and rock to styles from Morocco, West Africa, the
Caribbean and beyond.
No Pain no Gain
(2013) is the latest album of 08001.
