#sardanes

Cobla Jovenívola De Sabadell - Sardanes

Auvi

Sardanes,  Cadaqués.   -     Rafael Durancamps Folguera

Catalan, 1891-1979

Comparison between two ways of dancing sardanes (traditional Catalan dance). The first one is the "persiana" technique, a way of dancing that has become very popular among young dancers recently. The second one is the standard and classic way of dancing it.

Some people complain that doing the "persiana" ruins the point of sardanes. It's a traditional dance with specific steps that we have inherited and we dance the same way as our ancestors, steps that everyone can learn, and the point is that it's easy enough that it's an inclusive dance that everyone can join. And it's true that the "persiana" is more difficult and leaves people out. But it's not like everyone is doing the "persiana", there are always circles dancing the classical steps. (So as long as there is the option to do both, I'm team pro-persiana!)

La Santa Espina is the most well-known sardana (Catalan genre of music). It was composed in 1907 by Enric Morera with lyrics by Àngel Guimerà as part of a musical theatre play. After its premiere, the song quickly became an anthem for Catalan people. For this reason, it was banned during the dictatorships of Primo de Rivera (1923-1930) and Francisco Franco (1936-1975) as part of their ban on Catalan culture and language. Its verses “we are and we will be Catalan people / whether they like it or not” are one of the most famous mottos of Catalan resistance.

Because of its significance, this song has been sang by many singers and bands, not just ones that play sardana.

These are the lyrics in Catalan and translated to English:

Déu va passar-hi en primavera, i tot cantava al seu pas. Canta la terra encara entera, i canta que cantaràs.

God passed through during springtime and everything sang when he walked by. The whole land is still singing, and keeps singing and singing.

Canta l'ocell, lo riu, les plantes, canten la lluna i el sol. I tot treballant la dona canta, i canta al peu del bressol.

The birds, the rivers, and the plants sing, the moon and the sun sing. And while she works, the woman sings and she sings at the cradle's foot.

Som i serem gent catalana, tant si es vol com si no es vol. Que no hi ha terra més ufana sota la capa del sol.

We are and we will be Catalan people, whether they want it or not. For there isn’t a more boastful land under the sun.

People dancing a sardana in la Bisbal de l'Empordà's town square, Catalonia. Video by Amics de la Sardana Terranostra.

This is sardana, a type of music and dance from Catalonia often considered Catalonia's national dance.

The music for the sardanes is always played by a cobla, a specific music ensamble consisting of 11 musicians playing 12 instruments with a predominance of wind instruments.

There are many songs of the sardana genre, all of which share the same beat. For this reason, the same handful of dance steps can be used for all songs. The dance is easy on purpose, so that everyone can join. It consists of two basic steps called the “short step” and the “long step”, and it’s always danced in circle holding hands.

The circle represents friendship, harmony, fraternity and solidarity among everyone who joins to hold hands.

People dancing sardanes in Northern Catalonia. Photos from the article “Sardane, une ronde fraternelle en Pays Catalan” by Béatrice Bantegny on Visit PO.

In the late 19th century, authorities (government and religious) condemned the sardana for being immoral because it meant that men and women who aren’t relatives were holding hands, but it was too popular to control it. During Franco’s fascist dictatorship of Spain (1939-1978), some sardana songs were banned because they were considered too Catalan (one of the pillars of Spanish fascism was/is Catalanophobia, the dictatorship wanted to exterminate the Catalan language, culture, and identity and impose the Spanish one instead).

This song has become very popular in Catalonia. I hadn't translated it before because its lyrics are full of jokes and colloquialisms so it's difficult to translate, but I really wanted to share it.

The Tyets is a Catalan band that makes trap and reggaeton-ish music, but in this song they've incorporated a cobla (traditional ensemble of sardanes, considered the national music/dance of Catalonia) to their urban song. You can hear the characteristic instruments and beat of the sardana in the chorus.

It's quite common among Catalan pop and rock bands to use traditional instruments (mostly the gralla/dolçaina) and some traditional forms of singing (mostly cant valencià d'estil), but sardanes had so far been left out of this because they're often negatively stereotyped as old-fashioned and its popularity among elderly people made it unappealing to the younger generations. However, turns out the familiarity of these sounds still rings close to our hearts, and people (regardless of age) can't help it but to dance when they hear it!

The translation is under the cut.