"Singing in Catalan has become normalized, but that doesn't mean the problem is solved."

PalmJust a few weeks ago, the group Fades, along with Maria Hein from Felanitx, were crowned the big winners at the eighth edition of the Enderrock Awards for Balearic Music. The gala took place in early November at the Principal Theatre in Palma, and Enderrock director Lluís Gendrau celebrated the current boom in Catalan-language music in the Balearic Islands, with a record number of releases: 125 albums and 250 tracks between September 2024 and September 2020. Members of Fades, upon receiving their three awards—including Best Song for "Mon cheri, go home," a track co-written with Maria Jaume—offered another perspective on these figures. "We're here to celebrate Catalan music," they said at one point, "but the reality is quite different. Spanish is being spoken again in the Catalan Parliament, the exclusivity of Catalan in the City of Palma has been eliminated, and its use as a language of instruction in schools is being questioned," declared Vicenç Calafell, Ferran Pi, and Àngel Exojo. None of them were even born—all three were born in 2001—when some of the most veteran bands on the current scene, which have remained active with little or no interruption, began their careers, many of them with the defense of the Catalan language as one of their main objectives. This is the case of Al Mayurqa, a band celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, which has also been 30 years of advocacy. "The fact that singing in Catalan is no longer an act of rebellion, as it was when we started, and that it has even become normalized, doesn't mean the problem is solved, not by a long shot. It will always be necessary to stand up for certain things, even more so in such a globalized, totally capitalist world. They've even allowed interviews to be conducted in Spanish," says Miquel Carbonell, one of the founders of Al Mayurqa.

Banned songs

The musician, the group's guitarist, remembers very well the beginnings of the band, which debuted in 1995 with the album Project Redand how language was a fundamental element that influenced both their followers and their detractors. In fact, according to Carbonell, the lyrics of the song 'Concierto para cuatro guitarrones', included on their debut album, led to them being banned from various radio stations—the song begins by saying thatthe sen Tofol and HE "My story / they never speak Spanish / because it's a foreign language: / they don't want to be contaminated." "It was a mortal sin to say this in the early nineties," Carbonell recalls, "and it made it so that no one was interested in anything else about the music you made. If you said this, you were annoying, and some people didn't want to give you any space. Now it seems that saying things like this is accepted, even integrated, but back then it was unthinkable."

However, Carbonell acknowledges that, fortunately, they weren't alone, and he values all the work that other musicians from different disciplines had done for decades. "For example, our singer-songwriters have always been very outspoken, and when we started out there was that whole explosion of Catalan rock which was also outspoken for very diverse reasons. In this case, however, there was even support from institutions because it was in their interest for it to succeed."

Pere Víctor Rado, a member of the Mallorcan band Nou Romancer, also recalls that the beginnings were "a bit complicated." Nou Romancer celebrated thirty years on stage in 2024 with a new album. Of crabs and cats"At first we felt a bit out of place, although I don't know if that's the right word, because what we were doing served both to create culture and to advocate for certain things that were associated with it. Now everything has normalized, but we can't say that we're experiencing a good moment in certain areas that already concerned us back then," he shares. "Before, simply using Catalan on stage was already considered a statement," he continues, "and now the message has to be clearer; it shouldn't just be about the language you use. The world is increasingly complex, and the language may have gained ground on stage, but it has lost it in the streets. In such a globalized context, analysis is very complicated."

Commitment to the language

Nou Romancer, which began its journey in March 1994 and has since become a leading force in the revival of traditional Balearic music, has continued celebrating its thirtieth anniversary throughout 2025. Among other events, they have organized a special concert, premiering on Sunday the 23rd, featuring another veteran group from the island's music scene, formed the same year as Nou Romancer: Cap Pela. This now-legendary vocal group also speaks of the current "moment of weakness" regarding the Balearic language, which has led them to take "a further step" that will be reflected in their upcoming album, still in pre-production.

"We've detected a weakness in the current context: the far right is growing among some young people, and measures are being implemented that hinder the use and teaching of Catalan in schools," says Begoña de la Iglesia, a member of Cap Pela, "so let's respond with more culture, more education, and more dialogue: singing, teaching, and sharing." The singer affirms that, in their case, choosing Catalan wasn't "an act of rebellion, but a defining characteristic" stemming from "the esteem for the language and heritage" of the group's members. "Despite performing many covers in the original language, we've also translated into Catalan and sung 'El sonido de Pastera' to the dance of Antonio Canales at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville; we've participated in a Catalan class and sung 'La Dama de Mallorca' at the University of Leipzig and 'La Sibila de París' at the Sibila. These are clear examples of our commitment to and appreciation for the language and heritage."

Changes in the scene

In any case, Al Mayurqa, Cap Pela, and Nou Romancer are part of a relatively small group of veterans of the music scene who have managed to maintain their careers for several decades without too many interruptions. One of the secrets behind their success, they all agree, is that they have always found a way to enjoy what they do. "Some people make music for financial reasons, or to boost their egos when people recognize them on the street. And all of this may or may not happen, and it can also change depending on the circumstances. In any case, in the long run, it can make the band lose its purpose. On the other hand, if you have a desire to make a political statement through your music—and I mean political as a way of confronting and challenging—I think it never loses its meaning. You feel committed for life," says Miquel Carbonell. The continuity of Al Mayurqa also has added significance after the sudden death, in 2007, of its main driving force, Toni Roig. "If he were alive, he would surely continue with Al Mayurqa," Carbonell shares, "and what we've always tried to do is maintain his spirit with all the new members we've added, who have understood what the project was about and wanted to join."

As for Nou Romancer, Pere Víctor Rado affirms that "we're a mix between a band and a group of friends, so the personal respect we have for each other has also helped us overcome tensions and challenges." "Since we're not a commercial band," he continues, "and we don't aspire to fill football stadiums, we've been able to have a lot of fun and be very free. When you're not financially dependent, you can afford to respect the pace of each member. We don't mind doing only four concerts a year: if they're good, we're already satisfied."

Begoña de la Iglesia agrees, stating that "maintaining other jobs has given us the freedom to choose projects based on our convictions." Regarding the main changes the scene has undergone in the last thirty years, de la Iglesia speaks primarily of changes "in the way music is transmitted." "Screens, social media, immediacy, and haste," she summarizes, "which has resulted in reaching more people but less time to digest what you hear." Joan Barbé, another veteran of the current music scene, as demonstrated by projects like Resonadors and Projecte Mut, as well as current ones like Joven Dolores and Joan Barbé Group, confirms this. "The internet has been the catalyst for both the changes the industry has undergone and the way we listen to music, both the public and the artists themselves. Previously, record sales were the industry's strong point, but now the economy is based on royalties and, above all, live performances." In this sense, singer Pere Víctor Rado points out that nowadays "the visual aspect is very important, perhaps in some cases too important." "It's true that the distribution channels force you to prioritize image, and in many cases this doesn't detract from the musical quality, but sometimes you have to remind yourself what you do. If you think about it, it seems unbelievable that to make music we need to post a photo every week."

Reflecting on the changes the music scene has undergone in recent decades, Barbé asserts that in the Balearic Islands "we don't have enough professionally equipped venues for live music," and Miquel Carbonell, from Al-Mayurqa, admits that he misses events like 'Cançons de la Medi' and that, conversely, he finds other events like the Patron Saint concert, promoted by the Palma City Council, superfluous. "A supposedly big electronic music concert that contributes nothing culturally: it's a capitalist spectacle where some want to get drunk and others want to profit from selling drinks. For me, this has nothing to do with culture," he concludes.