Barcelona and Catalonia are home to a large number of talented musicians. In the division we can reveal, a long list of artists from different genres such as pop, rumba, classical, opera and folklore. Some that are globally popular and others that the majority of the public don’t know from Barcelona. Let’s take a look:
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Estopa
The Muñoz brothers, from Cornellà de Llobregat, cannot be missing from a list of Catalan singers who are worth knowing. But their career began a long time ago and the success of the two artists is for many one of the best groups in Catalan music since they have managed to renew the rumba and make it more current. It mixes genres because the music is a kind of fusion between rumba, rock and flamenco. The choirs are above all reminiscent of flamenco music.
With “La raja de tu falda”, their first hit, they gained great recognition from the public and since then their career has continued to grow. To this day, they continue to fill large stadiums such as the Palau Sant Jordi, which usually hangs the sold out sign. Their success has crossed borders as the group enjoyed huge success in Latin America in countries like Mexico, Chile and Argentina.
Txarango
Among the most renowned Catalan singers, we cannot forget the members of Txarango, a band from Ripollès well known nationally and internationally who sing their songs in Catalan. They have great hits like “Una lluna a l’aigua” which has had great success with the public. Their musical approach is a mixture of cultural crossbreeding in which Latin, Jamaican sounds and, of course, Catalan rumba merge.
Critics praise the quality of the lyrics of the songs, often linked to the world of circus and clowns. They have already received two gold records and several other awards.
Miki Núñez
Pop singer Miguel Núñez Pozo, better known as Miki Núñez or simply Miki, was born on January 6, 1996 in Terrassa, Spain. He studied business administration and management in London and Los Angeles and worked as an assistant professor at an academy. He was a contestant on the tenth series of the reality show Operación Triunfo and finished in sixth place. In 2019 he was chosen to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv.
His parents have always supported his passion for music, even when he decided to take guitar and piano lessons. He started making music at a young age. For Operación Triunfo Gala 0, he performed a version of “I prefer” by Antilopez. His fame on reality shows has helped him amass many followers on his eponymous Instagram account. He named Dub Inc, The Cat Empire and Muse as his favorite artists. He is a singer for the group Dalton Bang, which covers songs from the 70s.
Loquillo
José María Sanz Beltrán, artistically known as Loquillo, was born December 21, 1960 and is a Spanish rock singer. Born in Barcelona, starting in the 1980s he played the role of Teddy Loquillo, later with the groups Loquillo y Los Intocables, and then Loquillo y Los Trogloditas. He started out as a rockabilly artist, then became more famous mixing pop, punk and rock.
He has performed solo and with Las Trogloditas, but they broke up in 2008. From the time of Loquillo and Los Trogloditas, songs like Feo Fuerte y Formal, La mataré, El rompeolas, Cadillac Solitario or I want a truck stand out. Today he is a widely recognized soloist in Spain.
Rosalia
Rosalía is not just a singer: she is a global phenomenon! This Catalan artist, born in Sant Esteve de Sesrovires – a small town on the outskirts of Barcelona – has managed to earn half a planet for her groundbreaking contemporary sound, that she fuses the essence of flamenco with sounds of trap and urban music. She has won Grammy Awards, and was catapulted to fame by her song “Malamente”. Nothing seems to be able to stop the success of Rosalía, 25, who has become an international star since the release of her first hit, who is already multi-awarded and headlining festivals around the world.
The singer graduated from the Barcelona music school. Taking inspiration from Rihanna or Beyoncé, she pays special attention to her theatrical performances, her clips, and her communication in general, while maintaining a certain authenticity. She is really simple, open, friendly and at the same time determined. If she has an idea in mind, she gives her all and no one stops her. Rosalía has never hesitated to defend her culture and her language and there is no doubt that the catchy rhythms of her songs will move us for years to come.
Joan Manuel Serrat
Joan Manuel Serrat is a poetic singer with an eclectic style; Catalan folklore, tango, bolero and popular fusion from Latin America. His fame goes far beyond the Spanish borders and needs no introduction. He is, par excellence, the reference of Catalan music. The one who sang the Mediterranean like no one else and who became known throughout the world as a singer-songwriter, a musical genre that was booming in Spain in the 1960s, and who was a pioneer of what we call the Nova Cançó Catalana.
The Nova Cançó Catalana was a musical movement with Catalan cultural roots. The young people who played there felt the need to compose and sing in Catalan, as a reaction to the Franco dictatorship and as a symbolic reaffirmation. Without renouncing his Spanish identity, Serrat is part of the group of singer-songwriters who began a new artistic and musical phase both in Catalonia and in Spain.
From the very famous Rosalía, to all the wonderful artists in this article. There are many names that make up the Catalan music charts and, for this reason, we’ve made this list so that you don’t miss their music. And if you’re in town you can enjoy our Montjuïc Segway Tour! You’ll gain a unique perspective on the city that has inspired so many artists.
