People raise white handkerchiefs to sing La bella Lola in the annual havaneres concert in Calella de Palafrugell (Comarques Gironines, Catalonia). Photo by Sempre Viaggiando.
Havaneres are a traditional genre of music that originated in the sailors and emigrants of the 19th century, and has been kept alive by fishermen, sailors, the inhabitants of coastal towns and professional musicians.
Every year since 1966, Catalonia’s best havaneres bands offer a concert in Calella de Palafrugell’s port. The concert is followed by people who fill the town’s square in front of the sea, people who watch it from their boats on the water, on the beach, or from their house’s balconies, and it’s also aired live on Catalonia’s public TV channel (TV3).
The public sitting anywhere they can to listen to the havaneres concert. Photos by Visit Palafrugell.
In Catalonia, it’s traditional to drink rom cremat (“burned rum”) when singing havaneres, since this is what fishermen and sailors used to drink in the mornings. This drink is made with rum, roasted coffee beans, cinnamon, lemon peel and sugar. To prepare it, it’s burnt on a flame for 10 minutes so that it will loose part of its alcohol.
Rom cremat being prepared. Photos by agefotostock and Ràdio Sabadell.
The concert always ends with the songs La bella Lola (for which everyone waves a white handkerchief, as to say goodbye to the beautiful Lola) and, at last, El meu avi, which is the most famous Catalan havanera.
