Festival Cruïlla 2019

The favourite summer festival of Barcelona locals, Cruïlla, proudly waves the flag of eclecticism, and this year puts on its tenth edition from July 3 to 6 at the Parc del Fòrum with a line-up filled with performances of all types of trends and musical styles.

The festival added an extra day this year to kick things off with a star act. Back in Barcelona a decade after their last performances, it’s the Black Eyed Peas. Fergie’s not with the band, but you won’t want to miss the founding MCs, Will.i.am, Apl.de.ap and producer Taboo, authors of hits like ‘I Gotta Feeling’ and ‘Pump It’, as they present their first album in eight years. Opening for them is young Norwegian artist Aurora, making her debut in Spain with her mix of folk and electronica.

This year Cruce perform on Thursday the 4th in a day dedicated to urban sounds and young audiences. Also confirmed for Thursday are rappers Natos and Waor, Ayax and Prok from Granada, and Lildami, who is popular on the Catalan trap scene.

Rock is the star of the day on Friday the 5th, with bands like the UK’s Bastille, presenting their expert live show; and you can also catch the return of Scottish outfit Garbage, 13 years after their last visit to Barcelona. Shirley Manson and company are back with a show full of nostalgia, where their best-known album – ‘Version 2.0’ – will shine two decades after its initial release, and you’ll also get to know some new tracks off their upcoming 2019 release. Keep an eye out for the first concert in Barcelona in more than three years by Oxford-based five-piece band Foals, where you can discover new songs from their forthcoming fifth album; Vetusta Morla, one of Spanish rock’s top bands in recent years, also celebrating their tenth birthday; and the mix of alternative pop with classic folk from Xoel López. Other confirmed names include Gang of Youths from Australia, who’ve become better known after having gone on tour with Foo Fighters; France’s Zaz, presenting ‘Effet miroir’ (2018); Catalan classics Els Pets; Dublin singer Dermot Kennedy; Iseo & DodosSound, who are embassadors of reggae in Spain; and DJ Amable.

A more eclectic line-up features on the final day, Australian pop diva Kylie Minogue, who’s one of the headliners on Saturday. This is also Kylie’s first and only big concert in Spain she’ll give to present her latest album, ‘Golden’ (2018). Also taking the stage are British band Years & Years; soul artist Michael Kiwanuka; the Brazilian festival that is Seu Jorge, who’s coming along with his band to show off the power of samba; Jorge Drexler, who recently won two Latin Grammys for ‘Salvavidas de Hielo’ (2017); Parov Stelar, the creator of electro swing; Marcelo D2, a legendary figure in Brazilian music and activism; Malian singer Oumou Sangare; duo Elyella; epic riffs from Cala Vento; metaphysical pop from El Petit de Cal Eril; and two big local bands: Love of Lesbian celebrate Cruïlla’s tenth anniversary by growing their live act to include a trio of horns (sax, trumpet, trombone), percussion, vibraphone and steel guitar; and Dorian, who filled Razzmatazz to the limit to present their album ‘Justicia universal’ (2018) in their home town.

Festival Cruïlla 2016

Cruïlla Festival stakes its reputation on value for money – early tickets for 2016 went on sale in 2015 at just €45, more than a bargain for three nights of music. This year Cruïlla is on from July 8 to 10 in the Parc del Fòrum, and is one of Bacelona’s top summer music festivals, with its programme full of prejudice-free eclectic music. Confirmed acts for this year demonstrate that. Headliners Alabama Shakes from the USA are disciples of Janis Joplin who bring back a classic soul and blues style, and have won the support of rock biggies including Jack White. Also on the line-up is one of the great singer-songwriters of our times, Irish musican Damien Rice, and you’ll also be treated to Ana Tijoux, a new and strong voice out of Chile, who will blow away stereotypes and push the limits of hip hop.

Cruïlla also brings unexpected musical meetings, such as the coming together of Basque musician Fermin Muguruza and the New Orleans Basque Orkestra, which link the musical traditions of Euskadi and New Orleans in an unprecedented fusion of sounds playing Muguruza’s repertoire.

Spanish musicians are well represented also, with big names such as Enrique Bunbury (from Aragon), who brings his electric live show full of hits including songs from his former band Héroes del Silencio; the epic sounds of Madrid’s Vetusta Morla; Catalans Love of Lesbian, presenting their new album, ‘El poeta Halley’ (2016); 091, a legendary group from Granada who are back together to share the best of their collection of songs; and Zoo, a revelation of Valencian and Catalan music.

Cruïlla is also the world’s first cashless festival, allowing attendees to pay for everything from food to merchandising using a PayPal account linked to a smart wristband. Cruïlla takes place at Parc del Forum from July the 8th to July the 10th.

Hard Rock Rising

Una nova cita festivalera i estiuenca arriba avui i demà a Barcelona amb la primera edició del Hard Rock Rising, un festival de vocació eclèctica i transversal que aspira a convertir-se en nova cita obligada a la ciutat.

Els nord-americans Lenny Kravitz i Kings of Leon són dos dels grans reclams internacionals que actuaran en directe al Fòrum, així com el Britànic Robbie Williams. També hi veurem els catalans Thalab i als madrilenys Vetusta Morla, així com als DJ suecs Avicii i Steve Angello.

Hard Rock Rising es una coproducció entre Hard Rock International –el gegant propietari de la cadena Hard Rock Cafe– i la promotora de concerts Live Nation.

Doble ració de Vetusta Morla

Un dels grups de referència de l’indie rock espanyol posa punt i final a l’extensa gira del seu últim àlbum ‘La Deriva’, el tercer de la seva carrera després de ‘Un dia en el mundo’ (2008) i ‘Mapas’ (2011). Pucho (Juan Pedro Martín), David el Indio’, Álvaro B. Baglietto, Jorge González, Guillermo Galván i Juanma Latorre formen un grup perfectament rodat que ha aconseguit trobar la fórmula de l’èxit gràcies al seu estil inconfusible i les seves lletres. El dia 24 i el 25 al Sant Jordi Club.

Vetusta Morla assaboreix l’èxit

Vetusta Morla presentaran, a la Razzmatazz, avui el seu nou disc: “La Deriva”, que durà a la banda a visitar una treintena de ciutats de Mèxic i Espanya. En una primera fase, la gira portà a la banda a Mèxic els mesos de febrer i març, on actuaren en diverses ciutats del país. A finals d’abril arrancà  la segona fase de la mateixa a Espanya, on han estat acompanyats en bona part per la banda mexicana Zoé. “La Deriva” és el seu tercer àlbum d’estudi després del la publicació dels aclamats “Un día en el mundo” en 2008 y “Mapas” en 2011. Amb aquest tercer disc han atès les primeres posicions en les llistes de popularitat.