BCN WEEK issue 7 by Marcus Villaca Design

INSIDE‘figuras’///bar‘the’lona beaaaTch! ///mandonnaviejo verde

Week BCN

LA FATXA ‘cola, barar, biar’ PA G E 9

B A R C E L O N A ’ S F R E E C U L T U R A L N E W S W E E K LY | W W W . B C N W E E K . C O M | J U N E 3 0 – J U LY 6 , 2 0 0 6 | F R E E

C AT L I F E

WHERE’S JORDI,TÍO?

IT’S BECOME A REAL MELTING POT AÍ FUERA... AND STILL MES I MES DE NOSOTRES MOVE HERE EVERY YEAR. SO WHAT’S LA NUEVACARA DE BARCELONA,YOU ASK?

VOL 1, NO 7

PA G E 4

VOL 1, NO 7

S AY F O R M A T G E !

Week ravalejaS? BCN

CORNER OF C/CARME AND C/ DE MARIA AURÈLIA CAPMANY /// THURSDAY, JUNE 22 /// 18:39-19:05H

J U N E 3 0 - J U LY 6 , 2 0 0 6 W W W. B C N W E E K . C O M

Laura Tätillä

E D IT O R’ S L E T T E R Last weekend I attended a wedding. If you have never attended a wedding in Spain, I highly recommend it. It beats any night of the most excessive clubbing you could ever manage. At this particular wedding, the bride was born and raised in Catalunya, her parents were from Andalucia, the groom was from Chicago and his parents were from Chile. There were guests from Barcelona, Andalucia, Japan, Australia, USA, Switzerland, Colombia, Israel, France and a lot of other countries I can’t remember due to an excessive amount of the free flowing cava. It was like a really fun UN gathering with a gigantic cake. More than the urban structural modifications underway in Barcelona, it’s this new wave of international immigration that is changing the city. Before our very eyes it has become one of the world’s largest melting pots — a topic we will talk about tirelessly because it is one of the topics that we don’t get tired of. How does the capital of Catalunya keep its proud heritage in the face of this incoming tide of people arriving with all their cultures, traditions, food and languages? Where do we fit into this mix? It’s a question that we ask ourselves every day and we try to tackle in this week’s issue of BCN WEEK.

Jennifer Cross J E N N @ B C N W E E K .CO M

staff Marcus Villaça foundeR / creative director Jennifer Cross editor / publisher Lena Wiget managing / listings editor Laurent Bompard distribution director Bruna Cypel design assistant Louise Quinn photo assistant editorial contributors Ana Calzada, Isolda Dosrius Déulafeu, Elliotsdöttir, Núria Ferrer, Irene Hwang, Nicole Kelly, Joe Littenberg, Mandonna, Maggie Scott, Zach Shtogren, Spencer Tarp, Daniel Vells, Lucy Wyatt

art contributors Toni BG, Elliotsdöttir, Laura Tättilä

advertising sales Domenico Composto dom@bcnweek.com Joe Littenberg joe@bcnweek.com Robert Senior rob@bcnweek.com Juan Carlos Cantalejo juancarlos@bcnweek.com Francesca Hanson sales/marketing intern

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Guiri Trivia! BETWEEN 1996 AND 2006 THE NUMBER OF AFRICANS LIVING IN BARCELONA ROSE FROM 4,044 TO 22,336. T H E A J U N T A M E N T D E PA R T E M E N T E S T A D Í S T I C A

o t t u g n benvi C AT L I F E

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ENT R E F F I D Y T R I H AN T H T E R O M NERS M R E O L C R U PAR O F L L OM A R F , S TAL E N G E A R U G D O N O A L W Y L L BO M I N E T RS... ; A O B B E O P L I G P R E DEL T A ! OS, W I E R U O S T S I U I C T O L L U , C S I E ULT PLAC M , I F W O L R U O WELCOME TO PHOTOGRA

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PH S BY

Laura Tättilä

¡La borra-china! BY

Irene Hwang

Excited new acquaintance:“¡Qué bien tu castellano!” Me: (beaming) “¡Gracias!” Excited new acquaintance: “It must have been so difficult for you to learn the language… especially considering your distant origins!” Me: (confused) “Wait, by distant, you mean New Jersey?” Obviously bummed new acquaintance: “Oh, perdón. Are you not from China?” Ok. Sure, technically I’m Chinese: I’ve got the pinstraight, silky black hair, those almond-shaped, brown eyes, and well, under most lighting conditions, it’s pretty easy to catch the buttercup-colored highlights in my skin. Yes, I speak Chinese, cook Chinese food, and my entire family is Chinese. But, my native language is English, thankyouverymuch. I’m ‘merican. Not the self-loathing, I just can’t live in the States, it’s so gauche, Gawd, I just love Europe kind — No, not me! Four years now (and running), I’ve lived in both Madrid and Barcelona and find myself still jonesing for Rice Krispy treats, cornbread, NPR, and Bloomingdales. I still haven’t found an adequate replacement for English muffins and beg (beg!) my friends to bring me Irish Spring deodorant soap every time they come to visit. I’ve even gone so far as to eat (repeatedly) at the Hard Rock. (I know! I know! I just can’t get enough of those hamburgers!) A rather common phenomena in the States, my Asian American-ness sets me apart in Spain, continually casting a unique spin on my expat experience. No, sorry, I don’t know what your tattoo says because I can’t read or write Chinese — Yes, really, I’m illiterate. No, I don’t know what time the 100-peseta store opens in the morning – No, I really don’t work here, and NO! I really DON’T think that the lack of elderly Chinese people is because they end up in the “arroz de tres delicias”… and by the way, WHAT exactly is “arroz de tres delicias?” Where’s the dim sum and mouthwatering, spicy Sichuan dishes?! No Kung Pao chicken?! HUH?! I admit that when I first moved to the Iberian Peninsula, my knowledge of the population was pretty thin: it just about covered paella, the running of the bulls in Pamplona, and I knew that everyone spoke Spanish (which, as I later came to learn, was not entirely true.) And, as much as I’ve complained over the years, I love it here. Spain is an amazing country, full of all sorts of pork products, yummy cheeses, cute boys, bottomless wine cups, and of course, an astounding number of places, people, cultures, and ways to cook garlic. ¡Viva el ajo! However, my love of this place hasn’t always come so easily. It’s weird to live here and imagine that I must be experiencing the same kinds of misconceptions that my parents felt when they first moved from Taiwan to Kansas (!) back in the late sixties. Growing up in an affluent Jersey suburb and member of the “model minority,” I was far from the front lines of nonviolent racial ignorance. The first 27 years of my life were spent in a carefully mixed, upper tax-bracket population, one frozen at a constant ratio of 40% Caucasian, 20% Asian, 10% Black, and 10% Hispanic. I was shuttled to and from private high school, from where I transitioned straight into an Ivy League college and finally finished up my master’s degree “in Boston.” (Yes, “wink” — in Cambridge to be exact). In the States, when people learn of my credentials, they’re instantly impressed and suddenly I seem a whole lot smarter (not based on any objective truths). In Spain, I’ve felt the opposite. When someone sees my face, I’m often convinced that they’re hoping that I won’t try to sell them pirated DVDs or flashing plastic necklaces. No, I do not know how to paint your name in rainbow colors. This contrast has been the hardest thing for me to reconcile. Sometimes I find myself defending a community that is decidedly “unhip” (What’s up with the tacky dragons?), considered antisocial (Why don’t they make more of an effort to learn Spanish?), and described as aggressive (Have you seen how they’re taking over Calle Trafalgar?). I’ve become part of a Chinese immigrant population that I don’t belong to. Given these dual identities, both American and Chinese, my expat limbo, which can be difficult at times, has afforded me the opportunity to see and be seen in completely unexpected ways. It’s definitely made me a big hit at parties (“Have you met that Chinita?! She’s American too! And, she has a Spanish name! Qué guay!) In Barcelona, I never know how people will react, what they will say or ask. These unexpected happenings make my life a daily adventure, and I’m still having too much fun to go back just yet.

about face our catalan opinion poll on immigration BY

what do locutorios, vinegar,and arab movie posters have in common? ni idea, but you sure can find lots of them in barcelona.

Núria Ferrer

Continuing our trend in unscientific investigation, we took to the streets and the Internet to ask 30 natives about the effects of immigration on the Catalan lifestyle. Their answers revealed some common concerns and, indirectly, contributed to the ever-evolving definition of what exactly constitutes the Barcelona “lifestyle.” Punto de partida: Has there been a marked increase in immigration over the last 20 years? The answer was an emphatic “yes,” although a couple of people said that the notable difference has occurred in the last 10 years. Several people also added that the immigrants were mostly non-Spanish, and hailed from North Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, and Asia. When the term “immigration” gets floated, it’s notable that no one is speaking about northern occidental newcomers. This We/They dynamic, though perhaps intrinsic to a poll of any select population, was a running theme in the responses to our questions. When asked whether immigration has brought about changes to the Catalan lifestyle, 17 of our respondees said, “Not many,” or “It doesn’t have to.” Many of these 17 people also said things like, “We do our thing and they do theirs,” or “In some neighborhoods more than others.” One person responded that, “You note the change depending on how open you are to change; there are some Catalans that are so closed off that they won’t talk to anyone who doesn’t speak Catalan.” Another respondee went further: “Many Catalans still have a provincial and uncosmopolitan attitude, and it will be years before they interact naturally with immigrants in the same way that citizens do in cities that have more practice (London, Paris, NYC.)” A significant number of natives continue to see immigrants as a body apart from Barcelona’s “true” being. On the other hand, 12 people said that lifestyle had changed, to one degree or another, but they were divided as to our third question: whether these changes were beneficial or detrimental. 7 people believed that the changes were purely beneficial, and most of these responses came from a cultural perspective. “Multiculturalism is a fact,” said one respondee, “and we have to understand that changes have occurred continuously throughout our history. It’s always positive and it expands our horizons.” “The mix of cultures (Arab, South American, Asian) is something Barcelona’s maybe gone

too long without.” The vast majority of those polled saw both positive and negative effects of immigration. 12 people believed that the cultural diversity and the opportunity to learn about other cultures was a benefit, and a significant subset of respondees also thought it was positive that children were growing up in a more diverse school system. A third of those polled mentioned the new diversity of restaurants and food as a major plus, and 5 people cited the larger labor force as a benefit. “There’s more labor available for the service industry and construction;” “it’s work that normally Catalans don’t want to do and, if we did, the pay is so low that only immigrants will do these jobs.” The most common drawback cited was the heightened sense of danger on the streets, as well as the increased number of robberies and the resulting distrust of some immigrant groups. “Tolerance is always a positive value in all senses; the fear and insecurity that certain social subgroups of immigrants engender in citizens of Barcelona is not at all positive.” One respondee noted, “Anyone who comes here to work or study or to contribute is welcome, but anyone who comes here for anything else doesn’t interest me.” Still, this new insecurity was seen, by some, as the result of a larger regulatory issue: “When this immigration doesn’t arrive in the proper way, there can be an increase in delinquency due, in many cases, to lack of means.” Several people also blamed poor government control for the ghettoization of some neighborhoods and the deplorable living conditions of many immigrants. Interestingly, only 3 respondees jumped on the language issue. One even said, “These new immigrants, whether for socio-historicalpolitical reasons or just simple motivation, show more interest in learning the language and customs of Catalunya than earlier waves [of immigrants.]” Cultural practices that lead to “noise and mess” were of slightly more concern to some of the respondees, who are used to a tranquil lifestyle. Most of these problems, however, were seen as nonseparable from their benefits: “The best thing about immigration is that we are exposed to new ways of life, and, of course, the worst thing is that we are exposed to new ways of life.” As several people agreed, Barcelona is experiencing a demographic sea change, but we won’t know the real effects until the dust settles.

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‘sóc dominicana però no sóc puta’ BY

try counting the number ofllenguas in this picture.

supercat

Daniel Vells

I was born in Barcelona. Very early in life I was kidnapped by my parents and taken to a 37 year trip around the world. Like most immigrants, my parents suffered the Ulysses syndrome. In an environment of melancholy and remembrance, I grew up with the feeling of having a great city waiting for me. And so, after a lifetime away from home I was finally coming back. I wondered what it would be like to speak Catalan with people other than my parents. What it would feel like to walk in a city where I could prove citizenship? I wanted to walk down the Ramblas, get into trouble having to show my Spanish ID card to the police and go “HA!” Nothing could have been farther than the truth. I couldn’t feel more foreign in Barcelona if I was standing in Barceloneta dressed in Lederhosen and yodeling. Rather than a perfect place, I found a land so divided by traditions and languages it makes the former Yugoslavian nations look like Disneyland. The difference being that we keep it low profile; we are not yet as pissed off to seek independence, however if things go on as they are, soon we will be demanding sovereignty, threatening opponents with dried out butifarras as weapons. Blending in, in Barcelona is not an easy thing to do, soon you will see yourself hanging out with foreigners who share your feeling of not fitting in. In four years I have only made one Catalan friend. Catalans in general, feel somehow disconnected with foreigners. They first look at us with interest and awe. Some even

invite us out for drinks and introduce us to their friends as circus freaks (us, not their friends), but soon the calls stop coming. This is what many incomers might feel when trying to mingle with locals. Being either the Estatut or the right way to prepare Pa amb Tomaquet, there is always a reason for them to close ranks against foreign intrusion. But Catalunya is a panacea compared to most of Spain. A few months back I drove cross country on my way to Portugal. The moment you cross the border of Catalunya, you enter a surrealist world of small towns in which, by the way the locals look at you, you feel you can disappear here in a blink of an eye and be served as farm manure or find yourself playing the pigs part in a remake of the movie Deliverance. Strangely, in each town I stopped, all the locals had a particular physical trait which distinguished them from other towns. For example; in a given town every single person would have a hairy mole the size of golf ball growing in the left nostril. In another town, their earlobes would be utterly grotesque; everyone’s ear would look as if genetically manipulated to be used to blow away the flies. I believe they’re into some heavy inbreeding in small town Spain. Maybe if some immigrants move there their gene pool will be stirred up a little. I glad to be back in Barcelona after that trip. Being myself a Catalan by blood, I know that due to our renegade nature we tend to be kind to immigrants, although still lacking the ability to understand that stagnation in any tradition is historically speaking a cultural suicide. We build walls against any paradigm shift threatening our ways. Unless we allow new blood into our system, we are doomed to disappear. Hold on tight to those butifarras.

Elliotsdöttir

Let me tellyou a story about the other side of being a gUiri a LatinAmerican gUiri that is, or better known as sudaka. A couple of years ago I would idealized this city,from the other side of the pond like an intellectual paradise, the belly button of the world,something was happening here, and I was pretty damn sure I wanted to be part of it. I finally arrived,with excess luggage and tons of expectations.There I was on my second job,my 4th month here,the perfect guiri job,handing out flyers in el gótico for a club.I had my lines well memorized:Hello Good evening would you like to have free pass for / Hallo Alles goed? Wil jij één pass vóór / Hola Buenas noches! Un free pass para... I knew where was my club located,untilwhat hour it was open and how much would a beer cost. One day standing in la Rambla a bolding Spaniard spots me from far,I knew something was fishy because it seemed that he was looking for something else and not quite a club to party. Five steps latter then man is invading my space, literally stepping on my shoes and asking me with Gorgonzola breath D’on ets? —I reply —Sóc Dominicana—;with an evil grind Gorgonzola breath dares to ask Oh! Cuanto vales? Cuanto cuestas por hora? I felt immobilized. I mean,was this person actually suggesting that I was a Lady of pleasure? I looked at myself from head to toe,trying to find something that would definitely scream: Hello! HOT MAMASITA! Customer Wanted! Don’t get me wrong,i’m not condemning prostitutes nor will I get in to that subject,yet let’s just say that’s not my cup of tea. So I stood there,blowned out of the water trying to figure out if it was appropriate to let out the ‘black-Latina’attitude or try to show my diplomatic side. I took a very deep breath and informed him that yes,I was indeed Dominican but that I didn’t sell myself for a living. He looked at me as if I was from mars,he couldn’t quite understand how could that be,he asked —Segura? The man so convinced I was a prostitute he got me questioning my own self for about two seconds, with a hand full of flyers mumbling in my brain let’s see...I’m Dominican.Hmm...Am I a prostitute? Hmm...two plus two is 4.—Jesus!!— I said out loud and simply walked away. Still nowadays from time to time,I think of that odd encounter and I just think it’s rather ignorant to believe that someone sells weed or is a prostitute because of their accent or skin color. I know,this problem has a root,I’ve seen other Latinos and their behavior and generalization is not the key. I wonder if certain statements are strong enough to be able to assume you know every individual,are you obtaining a reasonable and coherent conclusion? Then again,we can’t blame anyone,is pure ignorance.And that could have happened here or elsewhere. For a couple of days,I saw allthe negative things of the city,but mi querida Barcelona has a way of winning me back,of seducing me to throd her streets with a wide Caribbean smile.That little bump just helped me realize that the Utopia I once had in my dreams exist only my dream world,yet for my mundo terrenal I have lovely Barcelona bursting in colors and offering me the little oddest things day by day. So I still have Barcelona.Oh,And my headphones in case another Gorgonzola boldie comes along

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guiri, where do you come from? BY

Ana Calzada

When you ask any spanish person what a guiri is, you always receive, more or less, the same answer. The word ‘guiri’ is not in the oficial spanish dictionary (the RAE, Spanish Royal Academy of Language) but everybody uses the term to name this huge amount of North Europeans who are coming here looking for sun, beach and party. Whether you feel like fitting in this description or you are simply a curious person, you may have wondered how this funny word, guiri, entered the Spanish vocabulary to define such a group of people, or where does it come from. Well, this is a difficult intríngulis. The more credible origin is situated on the 19th century. Guiri was the name used by carlists during the civil war to designate the supporters of Queen Cristina (cristinos), and subsequently all the liberals. Basques called the cristinos guiristinos, and although there is no evidence for this particular example, this does seem feasible. Following this hypotesis, the first guiris were probably French and English, regarding the involvement that they had in the war, mainly on the liberal side. So the term guiri was coined to apply to northerners. Nowadays, the French are commonly called gabachos or franchutes, and the term guiri has been extended to European foreigners that don’t speak Spanish, I mean, anglophones (North Americans are included). This teory is reinforced by literature. Galdós the writer explains that the Royal Guard of Queen Cristina (Guardia Real de Infantería) used to be called guiris because they had three letters, G.R.I, on their caps and cartridge cases. On the other hand, the word could come from the term

guirigay (or guirigall in catalan) which means firstly “language dark and difficult to understand” (could English fit?) and secondly a lot of people talking or shouting at the same time. Eureka! It really fits with guiris! At least with the ones that we don’t like… and that’s the point, sometimes the term is negative, but with some other ones it has not connotations. Anyway, the term remained sleeping in the collective mind till the sixties, when hordes of tourists invaded Spain with white socks to their knees. They came, and they come, of countries where solar protection has not yet been invented, and while they, los guiris, are red as crabs and exposed their face of ‘idiots’, they, las guiris, were sexys and liberal blondes. A paradise for the local Iberian macho. Even some people believe that guiri comes from the evolution of “girl”, due to this circumstance. Another possible origin comes from Welsh, where ‘gwr’ means man. The word could have arrived to Spain along with British mining expertise at the turn of the 19th century. The Welsh miners used to call each other gwr and became known by locals as guiris. After that, it was used to stigmatize everything that was foreign, new, or imposed. There are many other teories about the origin of the word guiri, some of them quite imaginative, as those that affirm that it comes from “where is?” or from “get it!”, this last one supposedly what the English retailers who resided in the Canary Islands in 19th century oftenly said to their servants, and for that reason were called guiris by them (also chonis, from the pronuntiation of Johnny a la española). Finally, I must say that in Turkish guiri means ‘exit’, and in japanese, ‘debt of honor’, ‘duty’ or ‘obligation’. A part from that, there are many different types of guiris, but this is another story that I’ll tell you… another day.

19/6/06

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in through the front door, barelY. prince osito and the african curse BY

Maggie Scott

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This is how aspiring Hip Hop/Reggae artist Prince Osito came to Barcelona for the first time several years ago: He was a football player for Betis and was returning back from vacationing in Venezuela. He had a connecting flight to Seville in Barcelona. He had one hour to make the connection. That would have given him plenty of time if he hadn’t been arrested. He was stopped in customs and pulled aside. The police suspected him of having drugs. He said he didn’t have drugs. They didn’t believe him. They handcuffed him and told him he had to go have an X-ray taken. He complied noting that he had a flight to catch. He got an X-ray taken which showed no evidence of

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the port trying to sell tourists faux Prada bags from blankets with strings attached for easy folding and running in case the police come by. What is the Ajuntament to do? As one Catalan put it, “these immigrants coming from Africa are different than immigrants coming from other parts of Europe or the US. They integrate. Africans don’t.” An African storeowner agreed, “The problem isn’t with Spain or with Europe. The problem is with Africa and Africans. We have been taught to hate ourselves — to hate our brothers. Wherever we go that will be the case. Look at the Pakistani community here. They come together. They work together. The Chinese too. Us

How much easier is it for a white immigrant to find their way here than someone whose skin color announces them before they even open their mouths? any plastic bags of cocaine in his digestive track. By the time he was released he had missed his flight. He requested that the airline give him a new ticket. They said no, the police would have to. The police laughed and said no, he would have to buy it himself. He didn’t have enough cash. He didn’t have a credit card. He called some of his teammates to wire him money. That was the first time he came to Barcelona. And this is a pretty nice entry experience into Spain. According to a recent report on the US Public Broadcasting Station PBS, an estimated 1,300 Africans have died at sea while trying to make the voyage from Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands. Some of them make it through, though. You can view many of them here in Barcelona down by

Africans, it’s every man for himself. We don’t trust each other. So what do we do? Many of us steal to survive. We sell drugs. We make a bad rap for ourselves.” How much easier is it for a white immigrant to find their way here than someone whose skin color announces them before they even open their mouths? A black bar owner from Colombia has hope. “My children go to school with other black children, and Asian children, and Catalan children. I think in a few generations Barcelona will be more integrated with people living together.” Hopefully so but Osito won’t be here. He’s moving to France or Germany, where the people are “more used to Africans” and he can focus on his music.

Isolda Dosrius Déulafeu

you’re lucky, myguiris! On the beach with Mimí.She likes to look the young boys with black bodies. She doesn’t recognize it,but I know it. Sometimes I’m speaking with her about...for example,the social effects of the guiri’s invasion,and she has her glance on some boy.Then,when I turn up my voice,she simulates she was sleeping and she yawns.‘Are you listening to me? Or are you in an erotic dream with this black boy?’Her surprised face shows two round dishes like maximum opened eyes,and her indignated and red mouth says: ‘Noooot,what kind of mind do you think I have? Sisplau,Isolda!’Two seconds later,she looks him yet again and her mouth is amazed.Well,Mimí’s way...I like to be here only to preserve my beach, my earth.I think if I don’t come,every time my beach become more and more guirilandia.But during last years I discovered a new invasor’s model. “Cola,barar,biar”...30’’seconds later: “Cola,bater,biar”.10 seconds more: “Cola,bata,biar”.One minute later: “Cola,barar,bier”,this one is on delay... I know they arrived here on 60’s,and they didn’t show themselves to catalanets till 80’s.They were working underground,occuping all works that the proud catalanets

When isolde dosrius Délafeu was a happy little girl, she learned very early the lying art. Now,arrogant and ambitious woman, she get married with catalan man (arrogant & ambitious man, of course!)

‘FIGURAS’ OUR VERY OWN ‘A-LIST’ OF BARCELONA PERSONAJES BY

Joe Littenberg

the BEER ‘PAKI’ His hands raise the beers,his first two fingers slung through the plastic loops that choke seagulls and drown pelicans.I recognize this tio.I've bought from him before.Never talked to him before,though.He doesn't speak much Spanish. Quiero hacer una entrevista. Que? En-trevista... in-ter-view? He shakes his head and shruggs his shoulders. That’s international communication. He’s from Pakistan.Then he nods toward his friend across the street.I cross and start over again.I get a similar response,poco Spanish poco English.Interview? Que? I want to talk to you.This times he understands,but refuses.The distrust bleeds through his eyes. Also Pakistani eyes.The fourth cerveza vendor I approach is younger,wearing a plain orange t-shirt and smoking.His Pakistani eyes are bloodshot but wide open.He's hesistant too,but something in those wide-open eyes says yes. Sahi has been in Barcelona for two years.Finding out the details of his life is a linguistic challenge while I follow him from place to place.For the first part of his two years here his brother gave him money to survive. I wonder how he spent that time (forgot to ask) because his Spanish is quite poor.Back in Pakistan he didn't need a job.His mother and father took care of him, gave him,"lunch,dinner"and home. They also gave him the money to leave when he expressed his desire.It's

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BLACK HORSE L

LA FATXA

didn’t want to do...“Mimí,are you listening to me?”“Sí,sí,what do you say about Catalanets? But these are us, not? I don’t catch you...”Impossible! “Yes Mimí,we’re Catalanets.Sorry,I’ll go to dip myself”“Vale! Jo vigilo les coses”...But we didn’t realise it until now,when there are no space to hide this people.Normal,if they were living 10 people per flat till now,and now they’re 15 per flat,I supose they have to use the windows,the balconys and the walls to sleep.The resting day, they must be on the street,walking, speaking or looking to the real guiris. Because they are not guiris.They don’t concern to this group.There is an abism between them and us and you,my beloved guiris.I pitty them.I understand they have to emigrate because in their countries they have no future.But it would be better they go to England or to Germany,I don’t know...better than here in Catalonia. Well,if I think twice,thanks to them the bons Catalanets can maintain our status quo and don’t turnish our hands and our name.But if I make a comparison,I prefer the first immigrants from other countries of Spain,yes,they lived in guetos,well, the majority of them,and you didn’t find them in the street.Yes...but quickly they achieved a good economical leveland later it was the foreigner immigrant’s turn.Nowaday you find them every day,everywhere, robbing or selling all kind of goods, from sunglasses or cheap beer to useless things like ridiculous automatical dogs...“L’aigua està molt bona,Mimí.Mimí?”Looking around,she’s with the black boy,I can’t believe it! She runs to me,“he asked only for light...”I don’t know if her face blush thanks to the sun or to her repressed wish.Maybe she has his number phone,maybe.These exotic bodies “fan estralls”.

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Week BCN

your life,they told him.But whatever grace period he had is now up and it shows in his eyes,which are not the eyes of a man who sleeps much.He pulls out another of his cheap brand cigarrettes and cracks one of the beers he stands there holding silently.He's not much of a salesmen. And if I'd been more alert I wouldn't have asked if he is religious.He was, after all,standing there smoking and drinking a brew-dawg. He works during the day in a place to remain unnamed because he works there illegally.It's a menialjob, which is to say any special skills he may possess are not required.Let's just say he chops things.Then at night he sells Estrella cans and those dirt-cheap lagers that I avoid when I purchase my street beer.He usually gets home at about 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning,where he might talk for a while with one of the 8 roommates that share his 3-room apartment in El Raval.Then he's up again for the day job at about 9.For fun? No fun.Work fun.He pays 250 euros for his room,food and phone included.That's cheap rent.So where does the money go? Home to Pakistan. Or that's what he said.I don't believe him.His parents had enough money to support him and to send him here.He doesn't want to go home."I like this culture."He wants to meet a girl, but not a Pakistani one,a European one.It seems he wants to live here,to be a perma-guiri.We'llsee.Maybe the money goes home,but maybe it's stockpiling,an immigrants’goldmine, an immigrants future in B to the CN.

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The Virgin suicides

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What is it about men here (Catalan, Spanish, Italian, oohhh, Argentinean alike?) that makes them define their characters to you on the first date? ‘I’m the kinda guy….’, ‘ I’m very romantic’, ‘I’m very inconsistent…’, no mate, you’re very consistent in pissing me off! I can always count on you to stand me up and not to phone. I would no more imagine telling a bloke on the first date what a hysterical, moody, intolerant bitch

for God’s sake,just because I’m a viej0 verde and my little lover boy was ten years my junior did not mean that I was after his beer-gutted, baldy pap. I am. And the ‘I can’t promise you anything’ line, erm,.. did I ask you to? Just because I called you (shock, horror, prospective stalker on the loose!), does not mean that I want to marry you, have your babies and spend every Sunday from now until eternity with your mami and papi in Baixadors de Vallvidrera. No, it just means that I had a nice time last Wednesday and your shower works better than mine, tío. Continuing with the mami and papi theme, every relationship I’ve ever had with a Spanish guy has ended quite coitus interruptus style within weeks of me being introduced to the aforementioned. Once I was accused by mummy of having my beady eye on papi, for God’s sake, just because I’m a viejo verde and my little lover boy was ten years my junior did not mean that I was after his beer-gutted, baldy pap. What a mistrusting esposa

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she was. On another occasion I had to endure a two hour family Sunday dinner where mummy held my thirtysix-year-old chico-friend’s hand all through lunch, ‘he’s mine, leave him be!’ she telepathetically mused. The guys here seem to be a little bit confused, they’re looking for the Virgin Mary and the whore all rolled into one but preferably without the Immaculate Conception. They mistakenly believe that all guiri girls are sexually liberated and therefore will be happy to shag anything which

has a pulse and get oh so upset when they realise that we won’t and neither will we cook their dinner and do their dirty washing. The Spanish boys love their madres but now and again they like to be a little bit desmadre and be late home for dinner or leave their Barça socks at some girlies’ house, but deep down they are the little reyes and will do anything their mummies tell them so as to remain on their thrones. A good friend of mine once told me that finding your ideal partner was like driving down a one way street, if you’re lucky you might both get stopped at the same semáforos and wham bam, love at first sight, but being English and driving on the left, or should I say right side of the road, the nearest chance I’ve got is a head on collision and serious road rage with a fat trucker from Vallodolid. ¡Vaya mamada! Good job I can’t drive!

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‘Viejo verde’ — (Cradle snatcher) Translated literally means ‘old green’. Errm, green what? Anyway, doesn’t exist in the female form of the word. ‘Esposa’ — (Wife) or alternatively handcuffs and I don’t reckon they’re referring to the S&M ones. ‘Desmadre’— (Out of control) basically out of mummy’s control. Oh, come on. ‘Reyes’ — (Kings) Spoilt little Juancas,and you thought there was only one king of Spain. ‘Semáforos’— (Traffic lights) which in Spain is a totally obsolete stump of metal. Mamada — (Oh,what bad luck) or a blow job/fellatio. Note the connection with the mother again? Now what would Freud make of that?

D I G I N T O T H E M E LT I N G P O T

the short list

bars, restaurants and hangouts que molan big time M E T I C U L O U S LY S E L E C T E D ( B U R P ! ) /// R E P E AT E D LY J U E R G A -T E S T E D /// N E V E R E V E R PA I D F O R

AFRO-CUBAN FOOD /BAR

LUPARA P L S A N T A C AT E R I N A , 2

TEL. 93 268 98 73

Sure the new Mercat Santa Caterina is wonderful with its multi-hued roof and convenient Caprabo but the best part of this growing district is little Lupara tucked around the corner. Every day is a good day on the Lupara terrace but the best day, without a doubt, is Sunday when Melvis works her Cuban culinary charm. Afro-Cuban cuisine and a Mojito are the best way to attend to whatever damage Saturday night did to your fragile being. The food is so simple, so staple and so good. For 5.90¤ (the price daily for all dishes), Melvis serves you up black beans, rice, chicken cooked to her liking and some yukka for extra carbohydrate intake. A local Argentinian is responsible for the deserts, namely the multi-layered dulce de leche pie which is only 2.50¤ a slice. Melvis will also make you a mean juice inclusive of whatever tropical fruits your little hungover heart desires for only 2.50¤.

ASIAN FOOD STORE

ASIA FOOD TA L L E R S , 7 7 T E L . 9 3 3 1 7 8 9 7 6

A R A B B A K E RY

AYUB H O S P I TA L , 9 5

The Pastelería y Panadería Ayub will tempt you with sweets from Morocco, Pakistan and from your own lovely Barcelona every time you pass by. Dozens of variations of baklava line the bottom shelves. They are 20¤/kg but would you really buy a kilo of honey and pistachio? Probably not. The middle tier on the window that is equally alluring and even more caloric is the

Pakistani shelf. Carrot halwa and sweet milk balls (more appropriately called gulab jamen) in varying colors are 10¤/kilo. If you have more of a local sweet tooth, Ayub can offer cream rolls and fruitcakes for 1.50¤. It isn’t all sugar here though. You can get what is called a chicken and onion drumstick (though it is actually a pancake) for 0.90¤ among other salty fried things that live in a refrigerated metal pan. Mint tea to aid digestion is only 1,00¤ and you can also grab some Maxi Egipto pan to-go for 2.10¤.

Your new super hot novia Mª Carmen requires impressing. Why not dazzle her with the sushi making capabilities you don’t really possess? Head right on over to Superstore Asia Food and they’ll fix you up. Ginger, soy sauce by the liter, dried seaweed – its all there. Every other staple could ever desire can also be found there – from, Powdered Purple Yam Uberpowder to Squid Brand Fish Sauce – its all on the shelves mixed in with Jiffy Peanut Butter and Pringles. Yes, that’s right – they also caters to the homesick guiri palate. The two best items up for grabs? Undoubtedly the Mini Cup Jelly for 1.35¤ (best when refrigerated) and the Omega Pain Killer (complete with Methyl Salicylate and Camphor Menthol). Serve that up with some fresh tofu and curry paste and you’ve got Mª Carmen in the bag.

MEXICAN FOOD /STORE

ITZLI MIRALLERS, 7 TEL. 93 319 68 75

RU S S I A N F O O D ST O RE

TPONKA DELI

UNIÓ, 3

Hankering from some dried herring? Or perhaps you prefer yours fresh in a bucket of brine? You will find these and other pickled curiosities at Tponka Delicatessen de Russia. Undoubtedly the best Russian supermarket in town, Tponka sports a community message board in front and a hairdressers next door. Communicate and beautify in one fowl swoop. The Russian chocolates are heavy and rich and sold by the kilo in wrapping that is so bright and cute you might not even want to open them. Lots of things you generally don’t crave

unless Russia is your motherland line the shelves along with Russian nesting dolls and DVDs. Sauerkraut and borsch are sold by the jug for 1.45¤. Enough to last you through 8-10 loaves of spelt bread. Put some full fat sour cream and tubes of pepper paste in your basket, push past the portly women who are always yelling about something we wish we could understand, and make your way to the cash till. Don’t forget why you really came: the vodka lined up conveniently right where you fork over your cash.

If it wasn’t for its signature multicolored lanterns out front you may never find Itztli and therefore remain deprived of one of the best places to eat in the Borne for all eternity. Itztli has very tight quarters, making it ideal for take-away. Although it is small, it makes up for its size in content and quality. Staples at Itztli are burritos, tacos, quesadillas, melted cheese and wraps, ranging in prices 3.30¤-4.30¤ . They are all served with rice, black beans, fresh vegetables and your choice of a main ingredient ranging from chile con carne to atún and everything in between. For a side we recommend the nachos with a side of guacamole for 2.35¤-3.35¤ depending on the size. If you have room the best batido is the mango. From the Itztli store you can pick up everything from Itztli’s own nachos to hot sauce, black beans and varying Mexican beers that you will be hard pressed to find in your neighborhood SPAR. Itztli is open Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 23:00hrs.

BCN

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thursday /// june 29 Under the motto Músiques giratòries or Spinning Sounds — sonic ambassadors are again showing off their creative take on music at the MACBA. Tonight at 22:00h it’s Martin Tetreault’s turn on the tables who is invited to demonstrate the medium’s analogue beauty. The DJ/improvisor/composer from Montreal will play “Drum Solo on Vinyl with Four Turntables” and “Surfaces and Objects” together with Merche Rosales from BCN on the drums. In tune with its vecino, the CCCB presents BCN-mp7, seven sessions of creating, mixing and debating contemporary popular music and the proliferation, mutation and transgression of musical genres. Those seriously interested in the issue of immigration in Catalunya should turn towards the Ateneu Barcelonès (Sala Verdaguer) where Miquel Pajares Alonso (responsible for immigration at CERES, president of the Comissió Catalana d’Ajut al refugiat and former president of the CITE) joins the conference “Integració i vot de la població immigrant” at 19:00h. Friends of other-than-Hollywood cinema are facing a difficult choice tonight: it’s the Dia dels Festivals de Cinema when cinema and video festivals around Catalunya are inviting each other to screen their best offs for free. Pues, the Festival Internacional de Cine de Terror de Molins de Rei shows 90 minutos de Terror at the Cinemes Méliès at 20:30h. FEC Cambrils shows it’s top six short films 2006 at Cinemes Casablanca Kaplan (sala 2) at 22:00h. FECINEMA (Festival Internacional de Cinema Negre de Manresa) shows La noche de los girasoles (Spain, 2005) at Cineplex Icaria at 20:30h and 22:45h. And so on and so forth… more info at www.festivalscatalunya.com. Those who are willing to invest 20¤ to walk through the doors of Razzmatazz tonight where the second Festival Gay Hetero-Friendly de Barcelona aka Dancing Queen starts at 21:30h in Sala 1, Pop Bar and Rex Room. At BeCool Kill The Party presents Invisible Party starting at 24:00h. The usual crew of Kill the Party DJs who’s also doing the Ommsessions at Hotel Omm is supported by Las Tomasas, Marc Mas y Male who’ll help the crowd to The Gossip, Tiga, Justice and The Arcade Fire sounds. Free entrance.

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The independent music festival Faraday 2006 starts today at the Platja del Far at Vilanova i la Geltrù. With 40-something kilometres fuera de BCN the town is not precisely around the corner but neither is it too far out to dismiss it straight away. Let’s have a look at the line-up first: Playing are QUEEN MACHINE, NISEI, THE HORRORS, EUROS CHILDS, BEEF, THE RESEARCH, TARÁNTULA, SYNDICATE DJs, DJ GRUYERE. The show is over at 6:00h when the trains to the city are up and running again. Contribution towards expenses: 20¤ for one day (advance sale) and 30¤ for both days. In downtown El Borne the gallery Metrònom begins its experiments with electro-acoustic music entitled Conciertos Phonos with an installation and perfermonce by Yaiza Nicolás called Golden Cage.The show is a good pretext to visit the special exhibition Memorial Metrònom 1980-2006 that’s running at the gallery until 29 July. As part of the Grec 06 the Dies de Dansa – a four-day-long international festival of dance in urban landscapes — begin today at 22:30h at the CCCB. Entrance is free. At the cultural association distritoQuinto six designers from Berlin show and sell their latest fashion designs. The exhibition entitled Berlin Bodystylism is inaugurated at 19:00h today. At Sala Apolo the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble starts their performance at 21:00h, at Sidecar, Blind Records presents Vinodelfin (pop) at 22:30h while at Magic the Desobedientes and The Singletons play punk and pop-rock. FARADAY FESTIVAL @ MOLÍ DE MAR, PASSEIG DE SANT CRSITÒFOL 12, VILANOVA I LA GELTRÚ // METRÒNOM @ FUSINA 9 // CCCB @ MONTALEGRE 5 // DISTRITOQUINTO @ FERLANDINA 53 // SALA APOLO @ NOU DE LA RAMBLA 113 // SIDECAR @ PLACA REIAL 7 // MAGIC @ PG PICASSO 40

SATURDAY /// juLY 1 At the Museu Etnologic begins today the exhibition Gitanos: Sis Segles de Cultura Romanó a Catalunya with interesting insights into how the gypsy people have integrated and transformed Catalan culture. A quick dive into Brazilian life and rhythms offers the Festival Bahia Fusion that takes place today

BCN

Week

and tomorrow at the Pati Llimona. The program starts at 11:00h with a market, music and food and continues throughout the day with concerts and dance performances. The first day of the festival closes with an open air screening of Doña Flor y sus Dos Maridos, a film by Bruno Barreto with the Brazilian estrella Sônia Braga at 23:00h. Apart from the Faraday Festival in Vilanova i la Geltù where from 20:00h onwards GARZÓN, 12TWELVE, FIELD MUSIC, THE ESSEX GREEN, THE PIPETTES, BLACK WIRE, IT'S NOT NOT, MIQUI PUIG DJ and DJ COCO are playing (for details see Friday) there’s also the Festival de Neocalorrismo at La Verneda, Sant Martí that revives the rumba tradition brought from Cuba and all sorts of unorthodox Flamenco sounds starting at 20:00h with NARAINA, LA RUMBE, RUMBORRACHERA, PANTANITO, JALEO REAL, ELECTROPUTAS, and many more. The Dies de Dansa continue from 12:00h to 14:00h at the Fundación Joan Miró, from 18:00h to 20:30h at the Pati Manning/MACBA/CCCB with special guests companies from Africa and finish with the last performance at the CCCB at 22:30h. MUSEU ETNOLÒGIC @ PG. DE SANTA MADRONA, S/N (PARC DE MONTJUÏC) // PATI LLIMONA @ REGOMIR 3 // FUNDACIÓN JOAN MIRÓ @ PARC DE MONTJUÏC S/N // MACBA & CCCB SEE ABOVE

SUNDAY /// jULY 2 Altercultura is organising its fourth Mercadillo (started yesterday) where fashion designers and artists show and sell their products to live music, video projections and performances. The Festival Bahia Fusion continues starting at 10:00h till 22:00h and from 11:00h to 14:00h they’ve organised a seminar about integration. It’s also the third and last day of the Dies de Dansa and one of the highlights is the show at the Piscinas Municipales de Montjuic which offer fantastic views over the city and a great backdrop for the different shows that take place from 19:15h to 20:30h. Entrance is, again, for free. ALTERCULTURA @ JOAQUÍM COSTA 24, 3O // PATI LLIMONA @ REGOMIR 3 // PISCINAS MUNICIPALES DE MONTJUIC @ AVENIDA MIRAMAR 31

MONDAY /// juLY 3 Another Monday! What about a beer a la playa or sex on the beach with a cool breeze from the sea? Or a bit of Reggae Business with Rankind D Selector and Benjammin MC at 22:00h at Nubaa or lots of Rock&Roll at 21:00h at Sala [2] at the night of the Gira Tributo a Link Wray starting 21:00h? NUBAA @ PASSEIG DE COLÓM 11 // SALA [2] @ NOU DE LA RAMBLA 111

tUESDAY /// juLY 4 Watching football is one possibility and for many it’s actually the only perceivable option. But some smaller theatres in BCN offer the one or other off-Grec/off-World Cup alternative. At Versus the show begins at 19:45h with the musical “John i Jen” for three musicians and two actors by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald. Later the same evening at 22:30h plays ‘La feria del amor: Poemas, cartas y canciones de Bertolt Brecht’ with music from Kurt Weill, Hanns Eisler and Paul Dessau which will demonstrate that before the World Cup broke out Germans were able to produce something like high culture… In Sala Apolo plays funk by George Clinton. VERSUS TEATRE @ CASTILLEJOS 179 // SALA APOLO @ NOU DE LA RAMBLA 113

WEDNESDAY /// jULY 5 With the summer starts the cine sin techo season. Most famous are the screenings at Sala Montjuic at the Montjuic castle that take place every Wednesday and Friday night from today on for five weeks until the 4th August. Tonight the show begins at 21:00h with the Sala Montjuic Jazz contest, continues at 22:00h with the screening of the short-film Avatar (2005) by Lluis Quilez and thereafter starts the first feature film, A History of Violence (USA 2006), directed by David Cronenberg. Free buses leave from the towers on Plaça Espanya from 20:30h till 21:30h. Confi deckchairs costs 2¤. The rest is quiet easy — breath, chill, smoke, drink and watch. Meanwhile, the famous Castellers de Barcelona demonstrate their human tower building skills — a tradition typical in Catalunya dating back to the 18th century — at Maremagnum from 20:00h till 21:00h. SALA MONTJUÏC @ THE ARCHERY RANGE RIGHT NEXT TO ONE OF THE SIDE WALLS OF THE MONTJUÏC CASTLE // VESTÍBUL PRINCIPAL @ MAREMAGNUM

reviews

Beaaaatch! LESBIAN LOVE GRANNY STYLE BY

Spencer Tarp

BAR ‘THE’LONA

year’s theme. The official poster image is As you read this gay pride month is of two lesbian grannies lovingly holding ending. Did you miss it? I wouldn’t be each other. It’s nice — nice like puppies or surprised. Besides six quietly publicized turtles are nice. Lesbian grannies are great events organized by official local gay and I hope to be a cock sucking grandpa pride organizations, there has been no one day, and such topics deserve pink tide rushing the city. I don’t know if attention and respect, but the theme and this is a good thing or not as my opinion visual image isn’t very stimulating or is split regarding gay pride. Being proud evocative of the bravado one usually of my sexuality is like being proud of my conjures for moments of pure display that left ear; what is there to be proud of, it’s the notion of ‘pride’ requires. I asked Alex an ear? Of course I know it has more to at the Col·lectiu Gai de Barcelona about do with not being ashamed rather than being proud, or that it’s not the sex we’re BCN’s ‘gay pride’ and he responded, “En proud of but the social progress that has Cataluña no decimos Día del Orgullo Gay been made, but standard celebrations of sino ‘Dia internacional per l'alliberament gay pride only further a stereotype I gai, lesbic i d'homes i dones transsexuals’, personally would like to see disappear: a parte de esta pequeña aclaración, te Drag Queens, Muscle Marys, and Leather diré que la organización está a cargo de Daddies all swishing around on parade casi treinta asociaciones de toda floats while go-go dancers gyrate on the Catalunya…”. You’d think with such a corners rubbing Viagra induced erections grand title and almost thirty associations that press against too-short shorts. These tossing in their two cents we’d have over exaggerated characters only something more boisterous and brash perpetuate what I see as a negative image than granny love. This typically practical that has absolutely nothing to do with my and bland approach to celebration is life. Having said that, sometimes it’s fun probably more in line with what we acting like a sissy and letting the priss out. should be thinking about and But before you strap on the platform remembering, which is that not so long boots and tweak your nipples perky ago none of this prancing around was remember that there hasn’t been any gay possible. Life wasn’t always a disco ball mayhem in our lovely city, at least not on and a bottle of poppers, ya know. Gay the level that you might expect for a city pride ends Friday June 30 in Plaça as referential as BCN. The pride fervor this Universitat with a demonstration at year consists of quiet talks, presentations, 18:30H and street party at 22:00H, so get and workshops whose focus is on older the1granny out and strut your chichi, we’re housead_LAUNCH.qxd 27/6/06 22:27 Page gays and their role in society which is this here, we’re queer, and everyone’s used to.

bowling for solitude CAROLINE DISTRIBUTION /// OCTOBER 31, 1995 BY

Zach Shtogren

There comes a time in many guiris’ summer when their eyes turn toward Morocco. Despite the fact that it is the absolutely worst time to visit, with daytime temperatures exceeding 50° C, our nearest Arab neighbor can be just the anti-scene you need. And if you’re planning on getting all mystical down in the Sahara you are going to need a soundtrack in your grand taxi. American expatriate, Paul Bowles, spent most of his 88 years living in Tangier. He wrote twenty-two volumes of poetry and prose, recorded Berber music for the Library of Congress, and hosted waves of exiled literati. Toward the end of his life he recorded some of his best poems in a gruff, tobaccotinged voice that leaves the listener hypnotized. They were released in 1995 as Baptism of Solitude (Caroline Distribution) to which Bill Laswell added a spacey and appropriately disturbing score. Baptism offers a world of haunted landscapes, raw violence, and existential wanderings. The dangers of the Orient are around every corner. Consider “A Distant Episode” or “A Delicate Prey” which both detail the

torture and murder of foolish guiri travelers by local nomads. Our victims are “unseeing with pain” as Laswell washes their demise in ambient vibrations. Bowles ranges from loaded narratives, like the previous, to more docile, if not entirely comprehensible, pieces. In “Next to Nothing,” a bizzare philosophical travelogue, we learn that “sea fog swirls across the lowlands,” that “we would need the machine guns by next March,” and are finally instructed to, “take me to the other end of the city where nobody knows the difference between you and me.” Huh? The difference between who and who? Before you flashback to your 0 in Twentieth-Century Poetry, remember that Bowles must be taken with a grain of salt. You’re not supposed to connect all his dots; rather, it’s the sublime heights to which certain sections take us. For example: “after you have gone down into seven empty valleys, one after the other, you find that you have been quietly crying for the past half hour.” Indeed. I feel just like that in Sarria when I can’t find a fucking bus stop.

vamos al mochima, oh oh oh.

SUNDAY JULY 16 18.00-1.00H

because you have nothing better to do on sunday night then drink free budweiser and shake your guiri rumP! Come to the BCN WEEK LAUNCH PARTY hosted by Chiringuito Mochima (Playa Nova Marbella L4/SELVA DEL MAR) and celebrate the birth of Barcelona’s first and only English cultural newsweekly. Sponsored by The King of Beers. And as if that wasn’t enough Andy Cato from Groove Armada will be on hand with his weekly ‘Pack Up And Dance’ just for you.

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fat freddy’s drop SONAR VILLAGE /// 2006 BY

Lucy Wyatt

Fat Freddy’s Drop are on the road, with their European tour landing them in Barcelona for Sonar’s Saturday daytime slot, shaking up the Sonar Village. From New Zealand, natively known as Aotearoa, this Wellington based band kick up a storm with the release of their new album last summer “Based On a True Story”. The band is made up of seven very individual artists, with an undisputedly hard genre to define. With their South Pacific fusion of dub to ska, there are also strong currents of jazz, even moving into house. A blend of digital dub rhythms with the soulful, velvet voice of the lead vocalist Dallas Tamaira (aka Joe Dukie), it was hard to know if most of the Sonar crowd was familiar with this band or celebrating the fact that they were being introduced to them. There were definitely whispers throughout the day

that they were to come. The less bouncy tracks weren’t met with the same approval as the rest of the set. The vocals and mood of some of the songs, such as “Del Fuego” were slightly too mellow and sleepy. There was also a down tempo, soulful interlude with “Dark Days” but they didn’t take too long to pick the crowd back up with the sunny, trumpet delights of “Wandering Eye”. Another blast of energy that woke up the audience came about when Ladi 6, a renowned vocalist for a number of New Zealand bands, joined the stage with her hip-hop inspired MC’ing to “Roady”. Fat Freddy’s Drop are certainly doing it for “the love of music”. On a mission to bring the spirit of New Zealand to a global level, their atmospheric and harmonious layers of music shall surely conquer the rest of world.

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Nicole Kelly

With songs about stamp collecting, chicken pox,and treehouses,Let Me Introduce My Friends could be the product of 29 first graders left alone with some keyboards and an afternoon.Or it could be what happens when 28 Swedes equipped with instruments varying from banjos to accordion to,yes,even a glockenspiel, and one singer-songwriter get together for a 12 hour jam session followed by snack time. The debut album by pop-rock group I’m From Barcelona is simple,melodic, catchy good times.Sappy and ridiculous,the lyrics are child-like and unfettered by stern symbolism or un-fun political messages.“I have built a treehouse,it’s a you and me house,”for example.If you missed the first verse,not to worry,you’ll hear it again after the chorus. These songs will make you tap your feet,bob your head,you almost certainly will fall powerless to the urge to hum along,or na na na along,

as the case may be. However if you find yourself longing for something more than a clever rhyme and music-class harmonizing,you may be in luck. Because when Emanuel Lundgren sings that he has climbed rocks, broken bones and chartered seas to find said treehouse, isn’t it possible that he could be singing not of a treehouse at all, but of a tumultuous adult relationship that has finally settled into a comfortable and ultimately fulfilling one? Or when he wisely cautions — “you can’t have it once you’ve had it” — against that well known malady of all our childhoods, could he really be talking about… love? Perhaps,but what probably matters more than metaphor to the cheerful members of I’m From Barcelona is that their music makes you smile. Apparently life after grade school can still be good,so long as you focus on the happy.

C O N C E RT

eclectic method ECLECTIC METHOD /// WE’RE NOT VJS /// SAN JOAN 2006 B Y

Last Friday the San Juan Beach Party at Playa Varadero was the perfect excuse to enjoy the live performance of Eclectic Method once again. For over two hours more than five thousand people rocked out along with the new kings of audio-visual remix who are being hailed as the “vanguard of nextera clubbing”. Influenced by pioneers like Coldcut and Hextatic, Ecletic Method was popularized by the MTV program “Mash”. The first time they preformed in Spain was last December at Resfest Festival in Barcelona. Since then they have visited us four times. Eclectic Method call themselves DVJs, because they mix video with the same facility as a DJ mixes vinyl. The

Ana Calzada

moment you see what they can do live, you’ll realise what the fuss is all about. If you imagine “2 Many DJs” mixing music videos, then you can imagine what these guys can do — and its fucking great. The software that they use to mix DVDs allows for an intense unloading of images and sounds with film sequences ranging from martial arts of Hong Kong to musical comedies of Bollywood, along with hundreds of fragmented video clips. “The key is to present mixes that are unexpected juxtapositions but still accessible and fun. Freshness is the watchword,” boys from Eclectic Method said. They’ve already made the trip from London to visit us 4 times and we can only hope that they keep coming back.

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Personal classified ads are free. They may be 25 words max in length. Business classified ads are 5 cents a word. DEADLINE Friday at 12:00 noon, the week before publication. HOW TO SUBMIT Send it via email to classifieds@bcnweek.com, fax to +34 93 443 6659, or snail-mail to San Gil 2, bajos 2, 08001 Barcelona

Top 5 CDs of the Month BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE BLACK HORSE

1_ Yeah Yeah Yeahs — Fever to Tell 2_ Mogwai — Happy Songs for Happy People 3_ 2 Many Djs —As heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2 4_ Violent Femmes — Violent Femmes 5_ Yo la Tengo — And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out

FOR SALE girl rollerblades Rollerblade-brand blades — like new. Used three times. Size 35. 50¤ OBO. cittikitti77@hotmail.com

marshall amp Marshall Valvestate 100 Combo Amp with foot pedal. Great all purpose guitar amp, only 250¤. robsenior@pupilorecords.com

BOAT LIVING Can’t afford an apartment? Buy my boat and live on it in Torredembarra marina or move to Barcelona. Includes full domestic equipment. 49,000¤.contact: sywhitesaurel@hotmail.com

FOR RENT GAY ACCOMMODATION IN SPAIN Gay and gay friendly apartments and hotels in Barcelona, Madrid, Sitges, Ibiza and others gays destinations. Consult info@rainbowinspain.com or visit www.rainbowinspain.com

BARCELONA THREE STARS HOTEL 36 euros PER PERSON Central located three stars hotel with air conditioning and small kitchen from 36¤ per person in double room. Consult info@rainbowinspain.com or visit www.rainbowinspain.com

BARCELONETA Very nice IKEA renovated 1 bedroom apartment next to the market and subway. Tons of light. 700 ¤. Rafa 616 560 299.

sunny room Room for rent (Urquinaona) Nice bright, fully furnished room, exterior in a comfortable flat, situated in the center. Only 2 minutes from the Metro L1 y L4.

280¤/month all bills included. simon-sparks@excite.com

Hostal Gatraval The young and hip gravitate to the area with the most underground nightclubs per square kilometre in Barcelona, namely the Raval, and the Hostal Gatraval is where they sleep. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Polmarc Apartment C Bright, attractive 30m2 private Apartment in the vibrant heart of Barcelona, ideal for a family or a group of friends of up to 4 persons. To book, email bookings@apartmentsi.com or visit www.apartmentsi.com.

Hostal Solarium The Hostal Solarium is a classic, well-maintained Barcelona hostel, located in a historic building which has been recently renovated. This quaint 17 room hostel is just at the foot of Las Ramblas. To book, bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Hotel Everest Hotel Everest is a great value 1 star hotel located in the heart of Modernisme Barcelona, within walking distance of some of the city's most emblematic architecture. Many of the rooms have large, private balconies and all wellequipped with air conditioning, central heating, telephone, satellite TV, and en suite bathrooms. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Templers Rooms large, central apartment divided into 5 private rooms and located behind St Jaume Square, in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, between Las Ramblas and the cathedral. Cosy, clean, newly remodeled accommodation in a very central location. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Pension Cortes Pension Cortes is a basic, clean hostel located in beautiful old building in Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, in the Eixample district, next to Plaça Universitat; it’s a quiet haven that is still close to the action. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Hostal Barcelona Ramblas The Hostal Barcelona Ramblas is a brand new and clean hostel located in Nou de La Rambla, just off Las Ramblas and a short walk to the old port and Barceloneta beach. You can’t get more central than this! To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Mare Nostrum A basic, comfortable, 2-star hostel

of 36 rooms, two steps away from the famous Liceu opera house. The breakfast buffet is included in the price and it is served in a lounge overlooking La Rambla. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Maite Bed & Breakfast An urban bed & breakfast operated (by who else?) Maite, a who lets out a lovely, sunny bedroom with its own balcony for enjoying breakfast a la fresco. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Hostal Boquería The Hostal Boqueria is a newly renovated hostel right on Las Ramblas, opposite the lively atmosphere of Barcelona’s Boquería covered market. The hostel is a good value for its central location, and it has 15 neat and tidy rooms with TV, air conditioning, heating and private bathrooms. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Paralelo 1 Apartment Recently renovated, private studio vacation apartment, Paralelo 1 Apartment is located on Avenida Paral·lel, sleeps a maximum of 4 persons. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Paralel 2 Apartment Paral·lel 2 is a small,private studio apartment for short-term holiday rental, located on Avinguda Paral·lel. This 15m2 studio sleeps a maximum of 3 persons, with a full bathroom and a kitchen. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Polmarc Apartment B Bright, central 30m2 private apartment in the vibrant heart of Barcelona, ideal for a family or a group of friends of up to 4 persons on holiday or short-term leasing. Emai bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Pension Villanueva A centrally located hostel in the very Plaça Reial, Pension Villanueva offers basic, functional, modestly furnished rooms.To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Avinyo Apartment For short-term vacation rentals, Avinyo Apartment is charming and sunny on a fashionable street in the centre of the "Ciutat Vella." This refurbished fourth floor apartment is situated in an 1864 building, categorised as historical. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Barco Paula I Have an original experience on the Paula I sailboat (not a houseboat), or as we like to call it the “floating apartment,” located in the Port Vell. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Gracia B&B Gracia B&B is a stylish 4 room, urban bed & breakfast, it is a unique, hip place to stay located on Gran de Gracia. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

façade painted with charming plant motifs and looks great after its restoration. Great location and a fair price.To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Hostal Plaza This picturesque, original 2-stars hostel of 20 rooms is located between Passeig de Gràcia, Plaza Urquinaona and Plaza de Catalunya, in the 1st floor of a modernist building. The hostel staff speaks French and English. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

WANTED SPANISH-ENGLISH CONVERSATION EXCHANGE I’m a native Spanish speakerlooking for a native English speaker for an English-Spanish conversation exchange. My name is Cristina. This is my telephone number: 696110438 and my e-mail is cristinacilla@yahoo.com

bike needed Any type can be interesting. If it’s old and not damaged — perfect. If it’s a bit more modern, ok! But don’t want to pay more than 100¤. schwester_polyester@yahoo.com

TV donation Necesito que me regale TV Busco una tele para que pueda disfrutar mi tiempo libre — me aburro mucho y me gustaria ver todo estas telenovelas de cuales esta hablando todo el mundo. Una en blanco y negro me serviria tambien! rosa23valles@yahoo.es

Gracia Apartment

Apartamento Picasso 32

For short-term vacation lease, Gracia Apartment is a comfortable, 3-bedroom, private apartment in bohemian Gracia. At 90m2, this spacious apartment sleeps 6 people comfortably in its 3 sunny bedrooms. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Up to 5 of you can stay in the 50 m2 Picasso 32 Apartment in the heart of historic Born. This efficient apartment is pleasant and the small balcony gives a good photo-op of the gargoyles from the building in front. For holiday rentals, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

American English teacher looking for private students starting in July. 12¤/hour. Adaptable, responsible, creative. Serious inquiries only. hleben@gmail.com

Polmarc Apartment D

Apartamento Picasso P2

I want to buy a men’s bike for less than 60¤. hleben@gmail.com

Cosy 30m2 private apartment located in Barcelona's most vibrant neighbourhood, ideal for a couple or a group of up to 3 friends. This modern, completely refurbished apartment is on the third floor of a 100-year-old building in multicultural Raval, and is available for short-term vacation rentals. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

For short-term holiday leasing, the private 50 m2 Picasso P2 Apartment is in the centre of it all, the Born area. A great apartment in a fantastic location! To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

Valencia Rooms Gustavo rents out a private room in his 4 bedroom apartment in l’Eixample to holiday-makers. The room has 2 single beds and is located towards the exterior of the building with balcony. Spacious and with high ceilings, it is well-decorated with Gustavo's own touch. To

BUTANOMAN (ARA EN VERSIÓ ORIGINAL)

Toni BG

Hostal Agua Alegre

english classes

used bike

intercambios at the English Oasis Café in the city centre (Gothic Quarter). We start by dividing people into 3 groups according to levels & have games and other props to help you. www.englishoasiscafe.com

2 star Hostal Agua Alegre is alegre as it oozes Mediterranean charm with a tropical foliage-filled terrace on which to sip your cafe con leche. To book, email bookings@barcelona30.com or visit www.barcelona30.com.

workshops in english

Hostal Paris

international groups

A cheap, centrally-located hostel between La Rambla and the charming Plaza del Pi, situated in a late 19th-century building that has a

The English Oasis Café was conceived as a place for people to meet, mix and network through English. If you are looking for a city

Interested in learning to “Sushi”? Sign-up to one of our short introductory workshops at the English Oasis Café lasting around 6 hours, just to give you a taste! www.englishoasiscafe.com

centre venue to meet in, consider English Oasis: info@englishoasiscafe.com

bilingual trivia nights What are the colours of the rainbow? What is the capital of Australia? Put your knowledge to the test, have fun, and meet new people. We use a projector so the questions are first read in English, then shown on the projector. www.englishoasiscafe.com

english teachers Bring your students to the English Oasis Café in the city centre. We have dictionaries and didactic materials to help with your lesson. info@englishoasiscafe.com

board games in english Board games and other games in English. Please contact info@englishoasiscafe.com

AND SERVICES VAN AND DRIVER FOR REMOVALS AND CARGO TRANSPORTATION Inexpensive, safe and flexible. Any day, any time. Barcelona / Catalunya. 647533344 / 933291363 www.vanbcn.com

AND WORK WANTED Design and marketing Combining Design and Marketing on a Strategic level. As a Dutch consultant I have experience in these three disciplines. I’m looking for a new challenge in Barcelona: barryverbeek@hotmail.com.

young couple wants work in cadaques I’ve worked as teacher, babysitter, waitress, retail. Speak English/ Spanish. My boyfriend has worked retail, “mozo”, and “delineante”. Speaks Spanish/Catalan. hleben@gmail.com

I SAW YOU Did u see someone you like? Need to get a message across? Too shy to say it to their face? Then BCN WEEK ‘I SAW YOU’ is for you! Be sure to tell us who you are (man/woman) who/ what you saw (man/woman/badly parked car... etc) when? where? why? a little extra detail? email or contact detail.

WHAT DA... I saw you in a record store on Tallers. You had on black converse and a bag with a pin that said “sometimes you just have to say what the fuck.” Email me please — andyisphat@hotmail.com

EX-DESIGNER I have seen you three times in the Central in Raval near Kasparo. You have black Alain Mikli glasses and last week you had on a shirt that said "Ex-Designer" Why don’t we have a coffee? I am always at Kasparo on Tuesdays from 12-13.00. I'll wait for you.

SPIKE COLLAR I used to see you all the time in the Parc with your dog. You have a bull dog with a spike collar. You might be gay but I can't tell. You might just have style. Call me -645 53 07 61.

SUSHI I saw you at a Japanese rotating restaurant near Placa Españya last week. You were eating alone and reading a book in Spanish. You kept looking at your dictionary. I am fluent. Email me danspeaks@gmail.com.

HABLAS INGLéS? I keep seeing you and you keep seeing me. Yesterday you said hi so I know you know I speak English. I saw this paper in your back pocket. So stop playing games. fadetoback@gmail.com.

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SWIM

Dora is wearing the Rouched One-Piece from our year-round swim line.

We promise to come to Barcelona soon and open a store there. In the meantime we're offering BCN readers free shipping when you shop online until August 15th. Just enter the following promo code when you get to checkout: BCN2006.

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To learn more about our company, to shop online, and to find all store locations, visit our web site: www.americanapparel.net