What comes to your mind when you think about Spanish music? Flamenco, perhaps? Wind-machine divas? If so, it’s time to expand your horizons, y’all! Spain has much more to offer and we feel it’s our responsibilitie at wiwibloggs to show you another side of Spanish music. So here’s our list of 10 acts who could represent Spain singing in Catalan!

Why Catalan? Well, it’s the second most spoken official language in Spain, and Catalan is having a bit of a revival in the three regions where it’s spoken (Catalonia, the Valencian Country and the Balearic Islands). So the moment is NOW. Apart from that, none of Spain’s 55 participations has included any co-official language of the country, so there’s a debt to be paid there, RTVE!

So take an imaginary trip to Barcelona or picture yourself at a club in Magaluf, and ponder Catalan-language acts who could represent Spain at Eurovision. Tira-li que va de bo!

TXARANGO

Txarango is an obvious choice. They are one of the most popular Catalan groups right now, and their latest album “Som Riu” is already a huge success. Txarango are great fun on stage and their music is happy, fresh and uplifting — and you know how much we need all that to lighten the weight of the parade of ballads at Eurovision of late. Something like “Músic de carrer” would be perfect to get the crowd dancing and the people moving on their sofas at home.

ASPENCAT

Catalan was prohibited in Spain during the Franco dictatorship, and there has been a vindictive feeling attached to Catalan music ever since. That’s why Aspencat would be a great choice to represent that part of Spanish musical history. Their music honours those songs and artists that stood up against the law and kept the language alive. Luckily, Catalan survived Franco, and we can now listen to groups like Aspencat, who take the protest to the next level through their lyrics and their ska beats. “Quan Caminàvem” was the first single on their latest album, Essència, which came out two years ago. They’re no doubt working on new material, so why not embrace Eurovision as another project?

SÍLVIA PÉREZ CRUZ

Sílvia Pérez Cruz is pure class. Think copla mixed with contradanza and sing it in Catalan. Sílvia would bring passion and intensity to the contest. Songs like “Vestida de Nit” (scroll to 2:00 in the video) would add texture to Eurovision and have everyone concentrating on the beautiful mix of the guitar and Sílvia’s voice. That would prevent Spain from having another dancer running to exit the stage in the background. Think about it.

MANEL

Manel were the first Catalan group to top the Spanish charts back in 2008. Their range of songs is so wide that you wouldn’t think they all come from the same group. They go from pop-rock to melodic ballads, supported by musical instruments you wouldn’t usually find on the radio. With Sílvia we talk about her voice, but here it’s the music that drives the song. With “Benvolgut”, Manel could bring a song never heard at Eurovision.

JOAN MIQUEL OLIVER

Experimental music definitely has its place in the Catalan music industry, and Joan Miquel Oliver is a great example of that. The Balearic singer has just kicked off his solo career with the single “Flors de cactus”, but he isn’t a newbie, as he was part of the group Antònia Font from 1997 to 2013. The group was one of the indie champions of Catalan music and it was a shock when they decided to split, but now Joan Miquel has decided to fill Antònia Font’s absence with his new material. Is there anything better than Eurovision to launch a solo career?

BLAUMUT

If you liked El Sueño de Morfeo, you’re going to love Blaumut. If you didn’t like ESDM, these guys are going to make you rethink that. They take light pop-rock to the next level with nice harmonies between guitars and instruments like violins and cellos. There’s a fine beat to their music, as here in “El primer arbre del bosc”. Blaumut might be the missing link between Softengine’s music and softness.

ELS CATARRES

Els Catarres stormed onto the music scene four years ago when they released “Jennifer”, a song about a very Catalanist guy who falls in love with a chavvy girl. The group has made waves at nearly every music festival in Spain with their soft guitars and their summery songs. Is there anything more ‘Holidays in La Costa Brava’ than them?

CESK FREIXAS

Cesk Freixas is a singer-songwriter from Barcelona who is an expert at crafting singalong songs. This is how Catalan rumba — a staple of the region — sounds nowadays. Sending Cesk would be like Portugal sending a fado (if they hadn’t sent fados almost every year since they began participating). Part traditional, part modern, one of Cesk’s rumbas like “La petita rambla del Poble Sec” would surely get everyone in the arena clapping.

ORXATA SOUND SYSTEM

Orxata Sound System are different. In every sense. They are a supergroup who have been making music for more than ten years and their music always sounds weird at first, but they have something that leaves you wanting more. It’s somehow hypnotic. Orxata usually talk about sex (no wonder what “Orgasme” means, I suppose) in their songs, but not in a typical way. They know how to be explicit. They elevate the language and mix it with all kinds of literary, cinematographic and musical references and some subtle yet inviting music. Valencian eargasm — translators’ nightmare!

ELS AMICS DE LES ARTS

Els Amics de les Arts do credit to their name (The arts’ friends) and turn each of their songs into a unique piece of music which gets stuck in your head. They are daring, they are original and they know how to make art out of a performance. It’s like they mix all the other nine proposed artists together, and still sound like music, not a trainwreck. Put some art behind the music video, and you’ll get something like “Jean-Luc”: perfectly weird, yet perfectly suitable for Eurovision.

So there you go: Our small selection of the Catalan music scene for your consideration. Would you like to see Spain singing in Catalan? Does your country have any other official language which you’d like to hear at Eurovision? Tell us below!

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33 Comments
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Per A.J. Andersson
8 years ago

Sorry. I think I missed to mention Els Catarres amongst my favourites. And many thanks to Luis Fuster for the nice article. We don’t have exactly the same taste in music, but there are some similiarities… 🙂

Per A.J. Andersson
8 years ago

@Chema, Héctor, Pastora Soler haha! etc: Interesting. I see a lot of these attitudes, that the regional languages of Spain aren’t “Spanish”, and that they aren’t worthy of representing Spain because they are seen as promoting separatist values. Well, I don’t think hiding minority cultures under the carpet is aiding the Spanish unity either. If those languages and cultures aren’t worthy representatives of Spanish culture, maybe their regions shouldn’t belong to Spain at all? It takes two to start a fight, and I believe the Catalan separatist ideology is very much helped by Spanish centrist ideas that echo Franco’s Spain… Read more »

My Name Is Feminnem?
9 years ago

Spain used to have very good songs in the past (80s in particular I think). Lately, it’s all dull, contrived massproduced Swedish-sounding music. Dissappointing. A song in Catalan would be refreshing. Esp. some rock. Spain has lots of good rock bands, should send one of them. Actually, there is a band from Andorra (!), Els pets, who has made brilliant, catchy rock for many years. Singing in Catalan. But a band from Andorra – representing Spain? Hmmm….can that happen? Actually – it makes more sense than being represented by the one banal G’son song after the other…..which has nothing to… Read more »

Pastora Soler haha!
Pastora Soler haha!
9 years ago

You are very boooooooooring with the same Luis.

I’m Spanish and I have no idea of these groups (same with the Galician horrible entry you chose the other day) except Manel.

Spain never will sing in Catalan, Galician, Euskera etc. for the simple reason that it doesn’t exist popular groups of that kind of music or a strong industry.

Nobody in Spain (except some people of that regions) listens Galician music, Euskera music, etc.

Never one song in those languages sounded in the radio.

Dani Castro
Dani Castro
9 years ago

I’m not against Catalan language and the rest of Spanish languages (I’m Galician) but if we want to win ESC we shouldn’t sing in this kind of languages and do it in Spanish and, even better, in English or Spanglish.

Well, that’s my opinion and yours is respectable, of course.

paco
9 years ago

Las y los mas guapos de spain estan en canary islands. Y que buen platano da esta calida tierra

paco
9 years ago

A se me olvidaba el enunciado correcto seria.Lista de 10 artistas que representa a RTVE cantando en Catalan.En ESC se concursa a traves de las diferentes TV publicas de cada pais.

#MarioVision
#MarioVision
9 years ago

@ Ok cool Luis…Thanks 4 the information dude 🙂

Sebastian
Sebastian
9 years ago

Spain need to send Álvaro Soler, his debut single El Mismo Sol has topped the charts in Italy and has charted in France Germany Switzerland and Belgium. Really hoping for a Spanish win next year

jawnbc
jawnbc
9 years ago

“Something of a revival”? Really? Are you folks clueless? Catalan is the dominant language in each of these regions and has been for well over a century. Even Franco and his thugs couldn’t suppress the language or culture.

Any Catalonian artists who agreed to represent Spain singing in Catalan might be kissing their careers goodbye, given the support for independence in the cultural sphere of Catalunya.

#MarioVision
#MarioVision
9 years ago

4 a country sending a song in english every now & then or more frequently it DOES help & does miracles.. But 4 wanting to always compeat in our Vision with songs that are in their national language is just not really ideal.. I do not mean necessarily to always send the songs in english lyrics but to never do this it will just keep you behind.. Now i wonder HOW the winner *Heroes* of Sweden would really sound if it was on swedish language instead.. Judging from the not exciting swedish versions of Carola’s *Invincible* & Lena Philipson’ *It… Read more »

Hollandique
9 years ago

Since Andorra aren’t coming back, I’m in favour of a Catalan song

#MarioVision
#MarioVision
9 years ago

Well in my opinion Espana should really start sending songs in english as well 7 not always just in spanish language..
It worked 4 Germany that the Germans dub even the hollywood movies in their german language..
It worked 4 all the scandinavic/nordic countries Sweden,Iceland,Norway,Denmark,Finland..
It worked 4 soviet countries..
It worked 4 balcan countries..
It worked 4 Greece-Cyprus..

Almost all the countries are doing this except Spain,Portugal,France & Italy..

Mar
Mar
9 years ago

Es una verdadera lastima que España en tantos años de participación nunca haya enviado una canción en otro idioma que el castellano (y el inglés), especialmente teniendo tal diversidad lingüística dentro de su territorio. En Wikipedia dice que en 1968 Serrat iba a ser el que cantara “La La La” en lugar de Massiel, pero Franco no lo permitió porque la canción tendría que estar en catalán, ¿Esto es cierto? Si de verdad fue así, que desperdicio, Serrat es un grande. A propósito, Catalunia es la región mas bella (y con los hombres más guapos) de España en mi opinión,… Read more »

daniel
daniel
9 years ago

Im spanish, and I don’t really care in which spanish language we sing in Eurovision as long as it’s a good song/singer. And I agree with some of you, we have 4 co-official languages, the last thing we need is to send a song in english. Anyway we are not going to win, at least let’s show the rest of the world some spanish music.

Roger
9 years ago

I’m Catalan, and I wouldn’t like a song in it. I mean, it’s not going to happen, and what Spain needs is sending songs in English

Maria
Maria
9 years ago

I support to sing in other language than Spanish, if Spain supports its multilingualism and multiculturalism, we can become a cultural center as we once were. Intolerance for other cultures brought Spain to crisis, cultural and economic. I would love if people outside our country could discover every language and every culture we have.

#MarioVision
#MarioVision
9 years ago

@ Like they are selling in tourist shops small toys with little people statues taking a d**b…Something like this…I had read that its common for them to use the image of s*** as its some fun tradition for them..
Anyway..
Ok its not like im saying that they like that other different gross eww disgusting thing on s*x p**n..
In no country this is applausable i guess of course..
Maybe i should not had bothered writing anything about that…:P
But i’m always curious to find out about if its true or not about just pretty anything im being informed about..

#MarioVision
#MarioVision
9 years ago

@ I read about this & i thought that its weird…Thats all…With no offense..

MirkoJoshua
MirkoJoshua
9 years ago

Ok, if Spain sent a song in catalan, I would really like it *-* I mean, catalan is such a beatiful language (way better than spanish) and very suitable to sing. When you hear someone speaking catalan, it seems to be sung and not spoken :33 And then at Eurovision surprises are always appreciated.

...
...
9 years ago

I prefer Spanish language.

Anfrufrafrafra
9 years ago

It’s not going top happen, because they still hate both us and our music. It’s sad but it’s how it is.

123zip0
9 years ago

Come here for my contest:

fanpageeurovision.blogspot.com

Héctor
Héctor
9 years ago

I don’t think Spain should send a song in Catalan or other language, because it doesn’t represent all spanish people but only a region. I don’t know why you chose those singers/groups (your likes above quality, maybe? ), but they don’t fit Eurovision, they won’t do well. Of course, Spain is more than flamenco and wind-machine divas as you say, but it doesn’t mean we should send something in other language, we have a lot of good groups/singers who would represent all the Spanish people not only Catalans, Galicians, etc. Spain should sing in Spanish or English (which is international… Read more »

#MarioVision
#MarioVision
9 years ago

Can u imagine guys if *SHAKIRA* decides to represents Espana in our Vision?? <3 😀
With this scenario Spain can have serious chances of winning at last! <3 🙂

paco
9 years ago

GALICIA,CANTABRIA,ASTURIAS,PAIS VASCO,C VALENCIANA,ANDALUCIA,CANARIAS,BALEARES…

#MarioVision ~ Amor Gay En Vivo En *Cataluna*
#MarioVision ~ Amor Gay En Vivo En *Cataluna*
9 years ago

Oh….Just a typo small mistake…I copied & paste the whole sentence from google translation but accidentally i double posted twice the word *Amor* in my headline because i forgot to remove it from momental neglection…I fixed it now..

I hope you like this cool headline of mine <3 🙂 I do 🙂

#MarioVision ~ Amor Gay amor En Vivo En *Cataluna*
#MarioVision ~ Amor Gay amor En Vivo En *Cataluna*
9 years ago

This issue with Cataluna & Catalunians remains hot issue in Espana..

I remember that when Shakira had one of her videoclips in catalunian language she caused outrage in Espana with having too many spanish people outside Cataluna calling her ugly names swearing her..

(with no offense..) but I actually read that catalunians people there have some obsession with s**t.. 😛
Is this indeed true Luis amigo?

This region area land of Cataluna has a population of over 7 millions catalunians..

Chema
Chema
9 years ago

And one more thing, why dont you do this article with the scotish lenguage? I have the answerr beacuse you are from LONDON, wiwiblogg is based in english, aaaaaaaaaaa now all is changing, i hope scotland, Gales, and north ireland to succed from england, because you dont want to be european now, you hate all the suthern people.

Jericho
Jericho
9 years ago

Because, as the author points out, the Catalan language is undergoing a revival and is the second most spoken official language in Spain.

Chema
Chema
9 years ago

REALLY? ARE YOU SERIOUS?? are better catalan singers than that and all of them sing in spanish like Sergio Dalma who represented spain in eurovision, Antonio Orozco, and more. But in spain all it isnt flamenco there is spanish pop singers like malú, David bisbal, Sergio Dalma, Alejandro sanz, and spain will never send a catalan song, because in spain there are more lenguages like basque, gallego, leones, extremeñu, valenciano, why catalan?