Emotional 'freedom' concert in Barcelona continues September 11 celebrations

A variety of top Catalan musicians, including Roger Mas, Núria Graham, Judit Neddermann and Txarango, took to the stage on Monday night in a concert in Barcelona's Sant Jaume square to mark the start of Catalonia's National Day celebrations.

Iconic musician Lluís Llach, a symbol of anti-Francoism, unexpectedly also joined the concert.

The concert followed the Marxa per la Llibertat (March for Freedom), which saw president Quim Torra and parliament speaker Roger Torrent carrying the Canigó Flame, a traditional flame symbolizing Catalan unity, to the government building in the central square.

The arrival of the flame, meant to signify the return of light to Catalan institutions after the recent period of direct rule from Madrid, was the signal for the start of the concert, which featured songs about the idea of freedom that were specially adapted for the event.

Beginning at 9.45 pm, the concert included appearances by artists from other disciplines, such as dancer Marta Carrasco, but always focused on the central idea of freedom. All of the performances were accompanied by a live orchestra.

Between performances, a voice-over read some handwritten texts of pro-independence jailed leaders defining freedom. The voices of the jailed officials were also played reading some quote mainly by Catalan poets also talking about freedom. 

The event showed support for jailed and exiled political leaders, with the reading of texts from deceased cultural figures being commemorated this year, such as grammarian Pompeu Fabra, priest Raimon Panikkar, and writers Maria Aurèlia Capmany and Manuel de Pedrolo.

The public chanted 'freedom' in some of the most emotional moments of the event.