Catalan Popular Culture

"Teresina, S.A.", a 13-episode sitcom produced by performance group La Cubana for Televisió de Catalunya (1993), could be over-hastily classified as a "costumbrista" comedy. However, this programme, which achieved high audience ratings, contains a number of elements that make it attractive for the cultural critic. On the one hand it re-presents the main Catalan traditions to a mass audience through a technological medium, and reinvents them by placing them within the late capitalist economy. On the other hand, it redefines some key Catalan values (work ethics, for instance), certain notions of community, and the concept of labour itself, through the representation of an underground economy. Moreover, this series reflects on the relationship between truth and lies in social dynamics, disrupting the typically middle-class norm of "keeping up appearances" and reformulating the interaction of public/private spaces, mainly through questions of gender and sexuality. It is thus logical that this should be a highly self-reflexive programme whose episodes all include a "TV within TV" component. Finally, "Teresina, S.A." is both a parody and a re-elaboration of Eugeni d'Ors's myth of Teresa, "la Ben Plantada", the strong and independent woman who safeguards social order and tradition; the protagonists (three mature, unmarried sisters) are all called teresa. This essay argues that "Teresina, S.A." mobilises an effort to revise the traditions, social practices, and rules of the game of Catalan society, pointing to new models which are open to change and socially inclusive while not doing violence to cultural tradition.

A two-leaves poetic chapbook, printed in 1556, includes an Eucharistic poem written in Catalan by Joan Timoneda, with the following opening lines: «En la cena consagrada / fon posat aquest sant pa». This poem develops the allegory of the mystical mill and remained in the oral tradition through a song entitled La cena, documented in the 19th and 20th centuries: not only there have been recorded several oral versions, some of them with musical notation, but at least two 19thcentury broadsheets are known. This paper focuses especially on a broadsheet edition with La cena on one side and four other texts on the other side, depending on the copy taken into consideration. This fact indicates that this edition, with its different publishing solutions, was composed by printing La cena on the blank side of different broadsides. It would be a case of reusing stocks not previously sold by the printer. Moreover, the analyzed data agree with the conclusion that this edition is not prior to 1841. Another edition of La cena was printed in Barcelona by Miquel Borràs, probably in 1845.

En aquest llibre s'exposa com ha estat vist l'ós al llarg de la història al continent europeu i s'aprofundeix en festes tradicionals dels Pirineus entorn a la seva figura folklòrica: les Festes de l'Ós del Vallespir, el Ball de l'Óssa d'Encamp, l'Onso del carnaval de Bielsa i l'Hartza dels carnavals d'Ituren i Zubieta. En conjunt, 'els balls de l'ós' són representacions de teatre popular de carrer que pertanyen als anomenats balls parlats profans ubicats al cicle festiu de les mascarades hivernals. Generalment, aquestes festes ursines escenifiquen una lluita entre l'home i el gran plantígrad (imatge elaborada a partir del domador d'óssos zíngar) recolzada en arguments de temàtica heroica que narren la cacera de l'ós, i que sovint s'alimenten del mite del salvatge que ha de ser civilitzat. Al capdavall, són unes celebracions carregades de formes rituals paganes, carnavalesques, que promouen el despertar de la primavera.

El 2022 Barcelona ha desplegat un Pla de Govern de Drets Culturals. Aquest pla incorpora un marc de reflexió polític ambiciós i un seguit de mesures de govern I accions innovadores, vinculants i operatives. El Pla busca obrir camí cap a un reconeixement formal dels drets culturals a escala internacional des de la pràctica municipalista, amb voluntat de crear discurs i fomentar l’aparició d’iniciatives similars.

El Pla incorpora una Mesura, la #3, sobre Cultures populars: dret a les pràctiques populars i tradicionals com a espais de participació i cohesió social. La Mesura té per missió enfortir i consolidar el dret a les pràctiques culturals populars i tradicionals, i incorporar nous vectors que fomentin la diversitat (cultural, generacional, de gènere), la interculturalitat, la participació ciutadana i la innovació.

CAT https://www.barcelona.cat/aqui-es-fa-cultura/ca/mesures

In 2022 Barcelona has approved a Cultural Rights Plan. The Plan includes a framework of ambitious political reflection and a series of innovative, functional government measures and actions that are binding. The plan aims to open the way to a formal recognition of cultural rights at an international level, based on municipalist practices and with the idea of generating discussion and fostering the appearance of similar initiatives.

The Plan incorporates a Measure, the #3rd, about Popular culture: The right to popular and traditional practices as activities for participation and social cohesion. This Mesure has the mission to strengthen and consolidate the right to popular and traditional cultural practices, incorporating new vectors that foster diversity, interculturality, citizen participation and innovation.

ENG https://www.barcelona.cat/aqui-es-fa-cultura/en/measures