Bullfighting eventually forbidden in Catalonia

Finally the well-known world-wide barbarian Spanish tradition of bullfighting has come to its end in Catalonia. The Catalan Parliament banned the spectacle in  July 2010 after 180,000 signatures were collected for a petition. The law will take effect from January 2012, which means that today's "corridas" taken in Barcelona will be the last ones.

Whereas the majority of Catalans support this decision,  a minority claims for the right of freedom to torture bulls to death. Specially, the Spanish ultranationalist parties "Ciudadanos" and "Partido Popular" have tried to prevent the ban from being effective, arguing the ban is yet another attempt of Catalan nationalist parties to remove any trace of the Spanish culture out from the Catalan society.

Bullfighting in Catalonia has been a declining interest during the last 30 years. This is not true for the rest of Spain though, where bullfighting is very active (specially in the south region of Andalusia) and where this tradition has its own TV programs as well.

As a Catalan, I am happy with this ban because I have never identified myself with this old-age tradition in which men dressed up as Christmas trees and with cocky behaviour slowly torture a bull that eventually dies drowned in its own blood. Bullfighting supporters try to defend this abhorrent show by saying that many animals are killed in slaughterhouses everyday... Well, of course we need killing animals for food, but a bull in a bullfighting show is tortured for about 20-30 minutes before dying: the "torero" sticks "banderillas" (some sort of colorfully sharpen sticks) to the bull's back; one after another. While the bull bleeds, it tries to attack the "torero" who dodges the bull. This is repeated several times until the bull is completely exhausted. Then, the "torero" sinks a long sword into the bull's back cutting its lungs and finally sticks some sort of knife to the bull's cervical zone, which paralizes it completely while still being alive.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen... "Toreros" and the Spanish ultranationalist parties "Ciudadanos" and "Partido Popular" claim for people's freedom to practice this "beautiful" tradition. They even say that personalities like Goya and Picasso supported this practice as if it were an argument in favor of it. Goya and Picasso lived in past times, not in the 21st century.

Anyway I'm glad because, hopefully, no more bulls will be tortured to death in my country from now on.

Spanish bullfighting banned in Catalonia.

Catalonia calls the World

We are not better than France.
We are not better than UK.
We are not better than Ireland.
We are not better than Italy.
We are not better than Greece.
We are not better than Belgium.
We are not better than Denmark.
We are not better than Germany.
We are not better than Portugal.
We are not better than Spain.
We are not better than anyone.

We simply want to be what the countries above are: a free nation of Europe; a free nation of the World.

This is a Catalonia calling to the World. Do you want to pick up the phone? Listen, then:

Spanish firemen boo and insult Catalan firemen during WPFG 2011

The World Police and Fire Games 2011 contest celebrated in New York has turned to be the scenario of a  scuffle broken up between the Spanish and Catalan police and firemen. During an exhibition, the Catalan team performed a human tower that was crowned at the top by a member waving a Catalan independentist flag which led the Spanish team to start insulting and mocking the former. Teams from other countries also performed their corresponding presentation without being mocked nor insulted. During soccer matches in Spain, Catalan and Spanish hooligans often insult one each other, but this may be considered "normal", as happens in other countries and sports. However, watching the Spanish police and firemen shouting "fuera!" (get out!) and "hijos de puta!" (sons of bitch!) in a foreign country and during a world-wide event has been really shameful.

The video below shows the moment the Catalan flag is raised while the Spanish team booes and insults the Catalan team.

Catalan music: Beth

This may be an outdated post, but this blog was born more ore less a year later than Beth's last album was released in 2010. This album is titled "Segueix-me el fil", which may be literally translated as "Follow my thread" (got the love message?). I must admit that Beth has never got my attention in a musical sense, although I've always thought she's got a nice voice. However there are a couple of songs from this new album that have really caught my soul, due to their lyrics, music and, of course, Beth's voice.
Beth's fame started after the Spanish TV show "Operación Triunfo" (aka OT) , some sort of reality show consisting on a music academy where unknown people were instructed to become a pop star or something like that. I really hated that show: it was stupid, childish and there was everything but good music there. However there were people having good voices, and among them, there was Beth.


You can access to my favourite songs from "Segueix-me el fil" below.

Song #1: "Tots els botons" (All buttons)

Song #2: "Terra trencada" (Broken land)

Hope you enjoy them!!!

P.S.: if you want a translation of either songs into English, please tell me and I will post it.

Catalan independentism: nonstop!

During the roughly 30 years of democracy in Spain, Catalan independentism has never been so active like in our days. Since the crowded demonstration that took place in Barcelona the past July 10th 2010, Catalan independentism has turned to be for many people the only solution for Catalonia (currently a nation embedded in the state of Spain) to achieve complete cultural and economical freedom.

So far, several experts in different areas have given their opinion about Catalonia's independence from Spain. The nobel prize winner in economics F.E. Kydland asserted it would be easier for ‘the Catalan government to show its level of credibility as against the Spanish government as a whole’ in reference to the financial confidence that a state is able to generate with a view to attracting investment in such difficult economic times. Several months later,  the former IMF chief Kenneth Rogoff said Catalonia would be one of the richest countries in the world if it were independent. Another example is the brittish-born writer Matthew Tree, who recently wrote a book addressed to foreigners that do not understand what Catalan nationalism is actually about. Finally, the past week the "Financial Times" published an interesting discussion about the viability of Catalonia of being independent.

Anyway, whatever is said against to or in favor of Catalonia's independence, the truth is that this subject is a current affair. Actually, the next July 9th 2011 another pro-independence demonstration is to be taken in Barcelona, and many cultural institutions as well as political parties have joined the event.

To read further about what's currently happenning  in Catalonia, please read this post.

Ad promoting the next demonstration, July 9th 2011

(in Catalan and English)

"Fer pinya"

Pep Guardiola and his magical football team F.C. Barcelona won yesterday the UEFA Champions League Cup 2011 by overwhelming Manchester United 3-1 with goals by Pedro, Lionnel Messi and David Villa.

Pep's team demonstrated the Catalan values of humility and team-based hard-working. There's no place for individualism: success is something to achieve by the team, not by individual persons. In Catalan we have the expression "fer pinya" that means to stick together and help each other out to achieve a goal. This is what Pep's team has demonstrated during the last three years. Yesterday he wanted to show this idea in the New Wembley Stadium by emulating the Catalan national dance called "la sardana", which consists on building up a circle of people holding their hands:

La Sardana

FC Barcelona team, yesterday in Wembley

"Fer pinya" means saying to a team member: "Hey, forget your differences and your problems with other members because we need to achieve this goal. You decide: either you are with the team or you are out. And don't forget: you can be better than another, but you'll never achieve the goal alone". A good example of what "fer pinya" is can be found while building up the Catalan "castells" (human castles). The "pinya" is the base of the castle that must be solid enough to hold the entire structure:

Catalan Human Tower ("Castell")

The funny thing is what "fer pinya" literally means. "Fer" means to do, and "pinya" means pine cone.  Indeed, you will have to use a hammer or a hard rock to break up a pine cone to eat its nuts! :-)

A pine cone!

Spain's secret conflict

"Through these polls [for Catalonia's independence] the Catalans are sending a clear message to Spain: for 300 years we've had to listen to you and do what you've told us. Now this is what we have to say."

With these words the documentary of endboard productions, Spain's secret conflict,  ends a 40-minute exposition of a reality that is often hidden by Spain to the world. The journalist Gary Gibson interviews different Catalan and Spanish personalities to talk about the cultural and economical conflict between Spain and Catalonia, which is pushing many Catalans to want independence from Spain. The video has received in 2 days more than 8000 visits on Vimeo and is being spread throughout several Facebook profiles and public forums. You can see the documentary (in English) below: