Catalan singer Mama Dousha on overcoming fear of one-hit wonder and thriving local music scene

The Catalan music scene is thriving. With local artists gaining international exposure, thanks in part to streaming platforms, and annual music festivals attracting thousands, its popularity has grown. 

Catalan singer Mama Dousha is part of this rise. Bruno de Fabrizzis, his real name, comes from Barcelona's Poblenou district and has Argentinian and Italian roots. He is one of the up-and-coming Catalan artists of the moment.

"I am starting to become someone in the Catalan music scene," he said in an interview with Catalan News. Part of his success is thanks to his hit "Rakiti", which became a sensation at the end of 2023.

But with the success of a song comes the fear of being a one-hit wonder. "That was my biggest fear," he said. 

"When we were in the studio after 'Rakiti,' we tried to recreate the same formula, and it was a mistake," he added. 

Out of this process of overcoming self-doubt and the fear of becoming a one-hit wonder, the new EP 'Only Hits' was born. 

The album, which blends electronic music, singer-songwriter elements and urban pop, with the prominent presence of the Spanish guitar, projects him as one of the most talented upcoming Catalan artists.

"In my first EP, 'Segur que m'equivoco' [Surely I Will Be Mistaken], I wanted to express the feeling I sometimes have that nothing is going to work and my career is not going to succeed. In 'Only Hits' it's the opposite: when I believe a lot in myself," he said.

Bruno admits that this feeling of shifting confidence and self-doubt is not just personal, but generational, and that many people can relate to the same experience.

Thriving Catalan music scene

The artist explains that at the beginning of his career, in his youth, when he already knew he wanted to make music, he considered doing it in English.

"I quickly realized that my songs had to reflect the way I speak and think, and I think and speak in Catalan. If I wanted to express the highest level of emotion in my songs, I had to sing in Catalan," he says.

Bruno also celebrates the fact that the industry is thriving, thanks in part to the large number of 'festes majors,' or street festivals, that Catalonia hosts in many cities each year. 

"We have our own sector in Catalonia. The 'festes majors' lead to a very high rate of concerts," he says. "You can live off your music here, and that's a fantastic thing."

Mama Dousha will present his new album in several concerts this summer, with gigs at Cabró Rock in Vic, Recòndit in Sant Miquel de Campmajor, and many other towns such as Reus, Calafell, and Igualada.

If you want to learn more about the thriving Catalan music scene, listen to the latest episode of our podcast Filling the Sink.