Sabor de Gràcia - La Rumba Catalana

Rumba Catalana is a popular music genre with gipsy roots born  during the 1950´s in 3 districts of Barcelona where gipsy communities have been settled down for more than 200 years:  El Portal, Gràcia and Hostafrancs.

It appears as a result of the  confluence between two occidental musical traditions: flamenco and  afro-Cuban music, synthesized into a new style of urban folk music.

The Catalan gypsies of Barcelona assimilate the afro-Cuban patterns into  their flamenco musical tradition.

The result of this fusion is a sort of Cantes Levantinos (flamencos) with the basic “claves” of Afro Cuban music , 4/4 compass of 44, the rhythmic patterns of Son and Guaracha and  a predomination of Joy and celebration spirit. in their songs they use both Catalan and Spanish languages as well as Caló.

The pioneers of Rumba Catalane invented a peculiar new way to play the rhythm guitar which becomes the identity sign of the genre:

the VENTILADOR – a guitar rhythmic pattern  which combines the harmony with the percussion of the hand on the guitar body,

A guitarist playing Ventilador is supported by hand-claps and bongos. With this magic formula and singing Classics from other genres, Antonio Gonzalez “Pescaílla” gives the first impulse to Rumba Catalana. Peret “the King” does the rest. To them, to Gato Pérez and to all the rumberos, thanks a lot.

 

 

MANAGEMENT:Tel.00 34 93 798 64 66 / Fax.00 34 93 757 40 56 (Barcelona) Spain
E-Mail: vipmusic@vipmusicsl.com