Traditional music and dance
Like the rest of the region, the Catalan coast is rich in music. One can hear the havaneres, nostalgic songs in Catalan or Spanish with Creole rhythms, originally sung by sailors on their way to the Cuban War of Independence (1895-1898). They still resonate in Calella de Palafrugell, whose Port Bo beach hosts the traditional Cantada d'Havaneres every year. But it's also anything but rare to hear them in L'Escala or Begur. Although originally from Barcelona, Catalan rumba is also very present on the Catalan coast. This variant of flamenco rumba with Cuban and mambo influences was embodied in the 1960s by Peret, the icon of the genre, as well as Gato Pérez and El Pescaílla. For music lovers, Tossa de Mar hosts an annual festival of Catalan music and rumba.
On the dance front, it's worth noting that the Sardana, the most famous of the traditional Catalan dances, originated on the Costa Brava, in the Empordà region to be precise. Although the world discovered it during the opening ceremony of the 1992 Olympic Games, the sardana was born in the mid-19th century, under the impetus of a Figueres musician, Pep Ventura. Since then, it has remained relatively unchanged, with dancers - alternating if possible between a man and a woman - holding hands in a closed circle and linking short and long steps. The sardana is always accompanied by the music of the cobla, an open-air ensemble of around ten musicians and traditional instruments such as the flabiol (recorder), tenora and tible (two types of oboe) and tamborí (a drum).
One of the best ways to see a sardana or listen to a habanera is to attend the concerts at the Cloister of Sant Domènec Peralada, in July and August, a beautiful venue in a setting that is no less beautiful.
Classical music
Catalonia is a fertile breeding ground for some of the country's most renowned composers. These include Pau Casals (1876-1973), the famous cellist, conductor and composer, Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909), a pioneering pianist in the renaissance of Spanish music, as well as Enric Granados (1867-1916) and pianist Frederic Mompou (1893-1987). The region has also produced some of the greatest national voices, such as the immense Montserrat Caballé (1933-2018), soprano Victòria dels Àngels (1923-2005) and tenor Josep Carreras. Having been such a hotbed for great music, the region is home to a host of events dedicated to the genre, many of which take place on the Costa Brava. Perhaps the best known is the Festival Internacional de Música de S'agaró, held from May to September, which has become one of the most important classical music events in southern Europe. For music lovers, it's a must. There's also the Festival de La Porta Ferrada in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, featuring big names from the national and international scene; the Festival de Musique de Sant Pere de Rodes in El Port de La Selva, which hosts a prestigious program inside the monastery; the Festival de Torroella de Montgrí, which celebrates the genre in various venues around town; and the Festival International de Peralada, which mixes classical music, ballet, opera and a little jazz. In mid-August each year, the Monastère de Vilabertran hosts the Schubertíada music festival, a prestigious cultural event dedicated to Schubert.
