They take us for a walk through their Barcelona
They have just been awarded the Min award for the best album in Catalan and this afternoon at 8:00 p.m. they will go on stage for the first time in Madrid, in the Slavic Joy . “People are going to find a very dynamic concert, very festive. To be an hour and a half dancing to the fullest with very happy songs. A very big shot of positivity”, Rose explains.
And it is that the discography of Els Catarres is made up of “ songs very optimistic and full of energy. We always say that we don't have heartbreak songs. We try to make love songs, love”, reflects Jan. This trend has been maintained since they began, in 2011, when Jennifer's story , the Castefa choni who fell in love with the most radical independentista, became the most watched video on YouTube in Catalan . Currently, they are close to 3 million views.
On his fourth album, big Bang they have focused “on songs not about falling in love, but more about the relationship: what happens when you're in a relationship , of what you learn along the way”, explains Èric. Supporters of their music evolving with each work they present, “ this album is more explosive than the previous ones . It's more 'rock'. It's still acoustic, but it has more of a live spirit”.
We discover the Barcelona that the three of them lived in their years in Barcelona, at night, in the neighborhood and in bars, and we escaped to Aiguafreda , the town where Èric and Jan grew up and to which they have now returned to live.
BARCELONA
You lived in the Nou Barris neighbourhood, what did he have to make you write a song for him?
“Nou Barris was quite cool for us. Life is much more like that of the town than life in the Borne. We made a song for it because it was such a crazy time. We were at the end of the race and it was a time when we went out more to party than anything else”, explains Èric.
What did you like to do in Barcelona? “
What I liked most in the world was going to the movies when I wasn't going to go to the movies. I don't know what to do today, because I'm going to the movies. And decide it at the moment and be able to go”, says Jan. As for cinemas, Èric recommends us the Verdi _(Calle Verdi, 32) _, “although it is very hipster, they are very good”, the Floridablanca _(Calle Floridablanca, 135 ) _ and the Helm Cines Icaria _(Salvador Espriu Street, 61) _.
Your essential places
“We used to go to Marseille a lot” , recalls Èric, referring to the mythical establishment founded in 1820. Located at number 65 Sant Pau street, its marble tables, its walls full of bottles and its worn mirrors they are a classic of Barcelona . There, more than beer, what is popular is absinthe. The 23 Robadors _(Calle d'en Robador, 23) _ and the Antic Teatre (Calle de Verdaguer i Callís, 12) are the other two proper names that are among its essentials.
where the party continues
Èric pulls classics. "After Marseille, you left to the Apollo, to the Moog or where you would drop dead.” Joan, for his part, liked to go “ to Fellini , which is now called Boulevard Culture Club or al Macarena”.
With nights like this, who wants days?
After a night of maximum party, where do you have breakfast in Barcelona before returning home?
“ Xaica . Three euros a plate of eggs with potatoes. It is open from 07:30 or 08:00 in the morning”, says Joan, referring to this restaurant located on the Jovellanos street 5-7 , between Plaza de Universitat and Catalunya.
Places to enjoy live music
“Both to see and to touch, the apollo It is a very cool room to be in because It is very pretty, it sounds very good and it is collected ”, explains Eric. Roser, who is more into jazz, pulls his head bar and reaffirms himself with the 23 robbers because “they are always playing jazz music”, although he also invites us to stop by Jamboree _(Plaza Real, 17) _.
And a soundtrack for the city?
The pause to think about the answer is broken by Jan who “objectively” bets on Els Catarres between laughs. Finally, they match: El Gato Pérez and his Catalan rumba.
Kenny Garrett Quintet
ROUTE THROUGH AIGUAFREDA
Èric, Jan and Roser have returned to the origin, to the place where it all began. They return to live in Aiguafreda and Centelles , two towns located about 50 km north of Barcelona . And the war is served. "It's two against one. Aiguafreda wins”, says Jan. Roser, from Centelles, is not satisfied at all and it is Èric who achieves the balance. “What is really cool about Aiguafreda, apart from the fact that it is our house, is the environment you have . It is next to the Montseny Natural Park. Soon you are in the forest and you have Els Cingles de Bertí (Riscos de Berti) and it is very beautiful. And Centelles, as a town is more of a town, but the surroundings are not as beautiful as ours”.
How did we discover Aiguafreda?
Aiguafreda is discovered outdoors and in contact with nature. Jan's first recommendation is “ go up to the Hermitage of Tagamanent . There is a route from Aiguafreda through the Riera de Martinet. There is a river and a path. “From there you can do a fairly long route because you are in the natural park”, continues Èric.
Jan also talks about Grau dels Matxos . “It is one of the best places to climb, with many levels and types of rock”, although Èric clarifies, “technically it is in Sant Martí de Centelles”.
Tagamanent Church
Is Bar Miguel still open?
“ Man, 7/24 365 days. It never closes and there are always people ”, Says Jan about the bar they talk about in the song La Festa major d'Aiguafreda from his first album, in which they name it as the bar where they have breakfast after a long night of partying.
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