Concert: ‘Els Catarres: Diamants’ dins de "La Mercè és Música"

El Bogatell beach

Els Catarres: Diamants (Catalonia; pop/rock/folk).

Upbeat Catalan-language music has had a name since 2010, when two men from Aiguafreda (Èric Vergés on vocals and Jan Riera Prats on the accordion and guitar) and a woman from Centelles (Roser Cruells, double bass) came together to form Els Catarres and make fun, lively pop-folk songs, the most famous of which is Jenifer, which catapulted them to fame in 2011. A lot has happened since then, and the group has continued to release albums, including Postals, Big Bang and Tots els meus principis. Els Catarres had been quiet on the recording front for 3 years, but they have broken their silence in 2022 with Diamants, a fifth album that moves from pop to folk, with moments of punk rock and even dub. The members of the band have not lost the optimism and vitality that characterises their sound, but now they are daring to delve into a world of emotions that features fear and anxiety. There are odes to love like the title track Diamants; pianos, synthesisers and urban rhythms in Un sostre fet d’estrelles; declarations of optimism like Haurà valgut la pena viure; invitations to keep going even in the face of loss in La ferida; and much more. All of this makes up an eagerly awaited album that brings us the Els Catarres we know and love, but more mature than ever.