Throwback Thursday 2/17 – Joan Manuel Serrat

It’s Throwback Thursday once again. This week we’re talking about the legendary Spanish/Catalan singer Joan Manuel Serrat. Known for his poetic style, Serrat remains one of the most interesting figures in Spanish culture.

Born Joan Manuel Serrat i Teresa in Barcelona in 1943. Born the son of a political activist and a housewife, Serrat’s upbringing in Catalonia during the era of Francisco Franco heavily informed his worldview. Serrat began his musical career at the age of 17 and quickly found himself at odds with Franco regime. His refusal to sing in Spanish during the 1968 Eurovision concert provided an early example of his strong values. Serrat has released a total close to 40 albums over the course of his career. He’s recorded dozens of albums in both Spanish and Catalan.

Throughout his career, Serrat was a staunch opponent of Franco. In 1974, Serrat criticized the “established and official violance” of Franco’s regime. A warrant for his arrest was put out and Serrat remained exiled in Mexico until Franco had died and Spain returned to democracy. Despite the pride he takes in his Catalan heritage, Serrat has been a critic of the Catalonian independence movement.

This week’s song is “Cancion Infantil” for short. The full title is “Cancion Infantil para despertar a una paloma morena de tres primaveras” which translates to “children’s song to wake up a brown pigeon of three springs”. The song, in Serrat’s poetic style, is dense with beautiful language that is more deserving of an academic reading than a blog post. There’s so much to dive into here that I can’t even begin to try.

From 1974, “Cancion Infantil”.

For last week’s post, click here.

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