Inside festival eurovision from 1974, peret and theirs was performed with an entire orchestra led by Rafael Ibarbia, but their rumba didn’t need much fanfare to leave a mark wherever they went. “Man, the orchestra was a reinforcement there and like that the song was pushed once again, but When we went on stage in Europe we would go with the guitar and clapping, we would do nothing else and that’s what they liked too”, One of the cheerleaders on stage in Brighton that night explains the erudite Peret Reyes, who accompanied Pere Pubill Calaf (godfather) for 38 years halfway around the world.
Fan guitar and taca-taca-taca of palm trees, Catalan rumba in raw format: that’s what raised eyebrows. From Germany to Venezuela, a country they’ve been to “eight or nine times”. Galas in nightclubs and many television shows where artists are paid to sing in front of the camera. The ‘Group’ came to cross the Iron Curtain and scored. Record Grand Prix at the 1968 Sopot Festival (Poland). Peret Reyes remembers later going to Ceausescu’s Romania. “Where we see a man dressed in black following us every morning.”
From Cannes to heaven
The first international projection of the Catalan rumba has a lot to do with Peret, in short, with the pika in Flanders. Performance at Midem, the music industry fair in Cannes in 1967. That day, after an atomic job, he found his company, Discophon, signing contracts he wanted to release his recordings in various countries. And from there came famous premieres such as the London Palladium, set up by the BBC, alongside names like Paul Anka and Françoise Hardy. Times of success ‘One tear’.
another pioneer chacho (Josep Maria Valenti), crossed the Atlantic as well Rumba Three. AND Los Amaya, ‘Go away’ (already in 1978), reached the radio formulas of countries such as Israel and Japan. And what to say about troubles Antonio González, El Pescaílla, with Lola Flores, Lluís Cabrera, founder of Taller de Músics, points out that, challenging some orthodoxy, he argues that “Catalan rumba rubs against flamenco, and pleasure comes from friction.”
Rockin’ Rumberos
As such, the international spread of this music was considerable from the late 60s to the threshold of the 80s, it has undergone a certain fading within a decade. But a new party boom has come Los Manolos, who, together with Peret and Los Amaya, declared to the world “strong Barcelona” at the close of the 1992 Games. From there to tour Latin America and Europe. In the UK they were introduced as ‘Rockin’ Rumberos’ from ‘Barcelona 92’.
More ‘for export’ operations: Those of Sabor de Gràcia confirmed the amazement caused by the fan in the tropics. “Puerto Rico’s salseros, musicians like Luis Perico Ortiz who played with Tito Puente, always say ‘let’s do it again with your hand’ when they see me playing”, Sicus Carbonell testifies. And we cannot ignore the rumbera digestion, internationally motivated bands that have been driven by generations of mestizo music: Ojos de Brujo, La Troba Kung-Fú, Gertrudis, La Pegatina… Manu Chao flirted with her in ‘Rumba de Barcelona’. AND Cathy Claret Raised in the gypsy society of the south of France, he is known for his soft rumba-pop in Japan.
From Hollywood to Dubai
In fact, the answer to the question of which figure took the Catalan rumba to the very corners of the planet points to the other side of the Pyrenees: the Gypsy kings. “You go to Japan and they sing ‘Volare’ in the rumba version. They are undoubtedly the most international rumberos”, Approved by Josep Gómez of Los Manolos (and manager of the Ventilador label). Although the rumba of these French of Catalan origin appeals to the most purists. Currently operating under various leaderships, there are three versions of the Gipsy Kings and they may perform at the Hollywood Bowl as well as Dubai Opera. One of them, Nicolás Reyes’s, was a guest at the last Coldplay concerts in Barcelona.
But the Catalan rumba is spreading all over the world without master plans or distribution strategies. It has become very domestic and very international, but it could have gone much further if it had the support of ministries and institutions.” Amadeu Valentí, president of the Catalan Rumba Defense Platform, meditates, sighs and struggles for the opportunity for the Rumba label to deliver this music. UNESCO.