To Our Readers
Spaniards leading a national surge in global business and politics, culture and the arts. As the country prepares for a pivotal election, TIME examines its striking creative burst
Posted Sunday, Feb. 29, 2004; 15.48GMT
The narrow, winding lanes of Raval were once Barcelona’s red-light barrio. In recent years, as the district has been colonized by migrants from as far afield as South America and Southeast Asia, the urban music that reverberates from this neighborhood has evolved to reflect the diversity of the population. This syncretic sound — called mestizaje, a mix of music and ethnicities — is now producing some of the country’s hottest new acts. And they don’t come any hotter than Barcelona’s 08001.
Named after Raval’s postcode, 08001 is not so much a band as a project. Its 28 musicians come from countries like Argentina, Guinea-Bissau and Algeria. They normally record their contributions individually at the garage turned studio of Julián Urigoitia Beltrán, the group’s Barcelona-born founder, and meet only at live performances. “This is an open project,” says Beltrán. “Anybody can come in with a good idea and participate.”
Raval Ta Joie (Raval Your Joy), 08001’s debut, is a triumph of musical multiculturalism. Standout tracks like Araien and Flamenco Uno, sung in Arabic and English respectively by Algerian Adlen Kloufi and a Guinean known simply as Lyricson, combine electronic bass with the rhythms of North African raï, the verve of Andalucian flamenco and a generous serving of soul.
Luis Hidalgo, a music writer for El País, predicts the band will travel well, particularly to European cities with large immigrant populations. “08001 could easily be at home in Marseilles, Bristol or Toulouse,” he says. Seems like the sound of the Spanish barrio knows no borders.
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