Retrobament

In the past, it was a very, very widespread custom in barbershops throughout the Catalan Countries to find customers and barbers singing and playing songs in chorus. As Professor Lluís Cifuentes explains, for centuries, since the Middle Ages, barbershops were a place of male sociability “with drink, games, music and conversation”. Going there was often mandatory, and if a group of men were waiting their turn, it meant having to offer them some kind of pastime, so that they were not tempted to leave without going through the cashier: a good conversation, a game of chess and games where there was money involved, with sips of alcohol of all kinds. It was necessary to entertain the clientele and the barbers invented an attractive ingredient: music. The young apprentice barbers had to know how to play the lute or some other stringed instrument, and this and the singing allowed them to entertain those who were waiting their turn in the establishment. Until a little over a hundred years ago, a barbershop without guitars, to put it simply, was like a tavern without wine. In fact, if you have paid attention, you will know that in the aucas and engravings of Catalan trades, barbers are illustrated with a guitar or some instrument hanging from the wall.

This year, to celebrate his 80th birthday, Àngel Maresca has decided to join forces with another Alghero native, the great singer-songwriter, musician and composer Claudio Gabriel Sanna. With him and his regular musicians, they have recorded a magnificent vinyl, which collects the best songs of the Barber. A record called Retrobament, which pays homage to the historical milestone of 1960. Love songs, sea songs, stories of characters linked to Alghero culture, work songs and even songs with a social argument, such as Aquesta és la campania. The publication of this album, under the musical direction of Claudio Gabriel Sanna, represents a significant milestone for the Catalan tradition. This album is not only a tribute to the iconic figure of Àngel Maresca, but also a celebration of the cultural richness and vitality of the Catalan language of Alghero and the traditions shared between the different Catalan-speaking regions.