Ginestà: "Responsibility for the language is loaded onto artists, when it also corresponds to institutions"

PalmaThe group Ginestà has consolidated itself as one of the most outstanding formations in the Catalan music scene, with a project that has grown from small venues to the major festivals of the Catalan Countries. With a proposal that claims making music in Catalan as an essential part of their artistic identity and focused on everyday emotions, the group has been expanding its connection with the audience. Now they arrive in Mallorca, where they will perform at TribuFest this weekend.

How do you remember the beginnings of the Ginestà project and what makes you think today that you chose the right path you took back then?

— We remember the beginnings as a very intense and, at the same time, complicated stage. We were a small, emerging project that had to coexist with studies and other jobs, which made everything advance at a slow but steady pace: we recorded songs, composed new ones, and started playing our first concerts. It was a tough, but also very exciting, stage where motivation sustained everything. The first songs, made at home with guitar and voice, evolved into a band project that grew little by little with new members.

You've gone from playing in small venues to filling festivals all over Catalonia. At what point did you clearly notice that the project had taken a leap?

— The turning point came after the confinement. When everything reopened, we were really aware that people were coming to see us. Seeing packed festivals early on was a very clear feeling that something had changed. At that moment we also released I guess that's love, and all of it meant a before and after. We understood that the project had stopped being emerging to become a consolidated proposal.

What importance does singing in Catalan have for you nowadays and how do you think it has conditioned the project's trajectory?

— For us it is essential to make music in our language. If we don't do it ourselves, hardly anyone else will. However, we also believe that too much responsibility is often placed on artists, when the protection and promotion of the language should also come from institutions.

You grew up in a Catalan music scene undergoing transformation. How have you experienced this change?

— We have experienced a very important moment of growth for the scene. The appearance of new groups has generated a fresh wave, similar to previous moments with bands like Manel, and groups from the Valencian Country like La Gossa Sorda, who also marked an era. They are not comparable phenomena, but rather movements that have renewed interest in Catalan music among different generations. The most relevant thing is that a very connected scene has been consolidated, with collaboration between groups and with the growing support of festivals and major celebrations, which are increasingly programming more Catalan music.

Your songs connect a lot with young audiences. How much weight do personal experiences have in songwriting?

— Songs are often born from personal ideas, but inevitably end up connecting with experiences shared by many people. This allows the audience to identify with them, especially those of our generation. It's also true that our audience has grown with us: if twenty-year-olds used to come, now thirty or forty-year-olds also listen to us, even entire families. This evolution is one of the things we like most about the project.

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Are there any key decisions in your career that you regret?

— Not particularly. We are a group with different profiles, some bolder and others more cautious, and we believe that the balance between these two poles is what has worked for us. In reality, we haven't had to make decisions that put us in extreme situations. Everything has gone quite naturally.

How has the relationship with the audience changed from the first concerts to now?

— It has changed a lot. Before we had the audience very close, in small rooms; now, in festivals and large stages, the distance is more evident. However, we try to maintain contact with people as much as we can: we go down to sign records, sell merchandise or simply talk to the audience. We also try to be close on social networks. It is a way of not losing this connection, even though the format has changed.

What have you gained and what have you tried not to lose along the way?

— We have managed to reach audiences we never imagined, such as those in the Balearic Islands or other territories of the Catalan Countries. It is a feeling of a dream come true. What we have tried not to lose is the way of making music and the identity of the project: to be faithful to who we are and to the way we understand songs.

Will you be performing at TribuFest this weekend in Mallorca. Is there anything special planned?

— There are songs that always carry special weight, like Estimar-te com la terra, which will have a prominent role at the Mallorca concert. When we leave Catalonia, we often adapt the repertoire and give more prominence to songs that specifically connect with each territory.

What do you still have left to explore as a group?

— We have a lot to do. More than growing in size, we are interested in continuing to do things that motivate us. We would like, for example, to work with an orchestra or propose different touring formats. The goal is not only to go further, but to continue enjoying the process and doing things that excite us.