The International Buskers Festival Barcelona attracted tens of thousands of spectators to the beach last weekend

Barcelona (ACN).- Last weekend saw the 7^th edition of the International Buskers Festival Barcelona. Each night from Thursday to Sunday, La Barceloneta was home to national and international bands who entertained the crowds with their take on fusion music. This year it is estimated that over 40, 000 people attended. The event, which was organised by the NGO La Casa Amarilla (The Yellow House), is designed to promote multiculturalism through the "universal language" of music. The festival is part of the European Circuit of Busker's Festivals, which takes place in over 150 European cities, but it is the only one to be held on the Iberian Peninsula.

You couldn’t go to Barceloneta this weekend without stopping to sample some of the music being made there. Over twenty bands participated, bringing their unique styles to the 12 stages that had been set up along the beach and surrounding roads. The festival, which this year was in its 7^th edition, is held by La Casa Amarilla (The Yellow House) a non-profit organisation which supports projects in Catalonia and Latin America.

Whilst participating bands do not earn any money from taking part, they relay on the traditional "hat" donations from their audiences and sales of their CDs. In this way, the festival is promoted as an event for everyone because the public "decide the amount to contribute to each band".

This has not deterred musicians from performing. "The festival is fantastic, the place is beautiful and we enjoy the festival very much" Baciamolemani, a Sicilian band who are performing for the third time in Barcelona told us. "We love Barcelona, it is our second city, our second home" they explained.

Although the international character of the festival could not be ignored, La Casa Amarilla has a strong presence within Catalonia. The country, which is foundations home, benefits from several projects led by the charity. The Buskers Festival is one such example, contributing to the regeneration of the Barceloneta district.

The inspiration behind La Casa Amarilla's work is the house once owned by the painter Vincent Van Gogh, which was also known as the Yellow House. His house represented the community of artists, a place to share ideas and encourage others. It is in the spirit that La Casa Amarilla tries to use "artistic creation as a way of cultural exchange that promotes social cohesion, integration and citizen participation

The festival, also aims to "to actively encourage citizens to become involved in the city's cultural events". As a charity event, it relays on such volunteers to assist in the preparation and organization of the event. As Anita Zengeza, a volunteer told us "it's really essential to have volunteers" adding "they do it for the passion, for the love" of the event and the cause.

This year the festival is expected to have attracted over 40, 000 spectators exceeding the size of the audience at last years festival. It is easy to see why. "I think it's fantastic. It's a wonderful advertisement for Barcelona" said one Irish tourist. Another member of the crowd, who lives and works in Barcelona, told us "It's a really great atmosphere, we just saw many people dancing, the music is great, very different, and every band has got a particular style of music - its just fun!"

With such success, the festival looks certain to continue for an 8^th year in August 2012. This is because it is based on the undying principle that, "Music is a universal language which not only shows off international musical traditions, art and culture, but it strengthens values ??such as respect for diversity and multiculturalism".