Raimon’s emotional farewell concert

Barcelona (ACN).- One of the most important singer-writers in the Catalan language took the stage for the last time on Sunday at the iconic Palau de la Música in Barcelona. Raimon, leading voice of the Nova Cançó cultural and protest movement, said good bye with an emotional concert after more than 50 years on stage. With all the tickets sold out, Raimon said he wanted to finish his career with the same attitude as he started it, and sang ‘Al Vent’, an anti-Franco protest song that became a popular anthem against the fascist dictatorship in Spain. The concert on Sunday was the last of twelve evenings at the Palau de la Música in which the singer from Xàtiva performed old favorites but also more modern songs accompanied by a children’s choir.

After five decades on stage and before his voice gets fragile, the popular singer in Catalan language decided “it was time to say good-bye”. In November 2016, when Raimon announced his good-bye tour, he showed himself extremely thankful for the support he received in Barcelona “from the first day”.

Ramon Pelegero Sanchis, widely known as ‘Raimon’, was born in Xàtiva, in the Autonomous Community of Valencia. Growing up under the Franco dictatorship, it was not until he went to University that he discovered writers and poets of Catalan literature like Salvador Espriu, Ausiàs Marc or Josep Pla. In 1962 Raimon presented his first songs in Catalan at a literary prize ceremony. With his straightforward lyrics close to the spirit of the Valencian working class and his strong voice and presence, he reached success immediately. In 1963 he published his first EP with songs such as ‘Al Vent’, ‘Som’, ‘La pedra’ and ‘A colps’, which became an immediate sales success.

Raimon’s songs and stage appearances gave wings to the ‘Nova Cançó’, which until then had been considered a minority movement. In 1965 he published an album in France, which won the Francisco Carco award for best foreign song. The success of the critical Catalan singer-writer also called the attention of the Francoist regime and with it came the continuous pressure of censorship on the artist’s activities and work. Several of his songs had to be altered to avoid prohibition.

During his 50 years of musical career, Raimon gave concerts around the world, for example in Japan, Cuba, Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, Switzerland or Germany, and received numerous prizes. In 2012 Raimon received also the Gold Medal of the Barcelona city government and in 2015, the new left-wing government honored his artist with the Distinction of the Valencian Government. Raimon is considered the singer in Catalan language “with most international recognition”.