One of the most deeply rooted summer activities in the coastal towns of Catalonia is the singing of habaneras. One of the largest gatherings takes place annually in L’Escala and is closely linked to the local FC Barcelona supporters’ club: the Penya Blaugrana de L’Escala. This penya, which belongs to the Federació de Penyes de l’Empordà i Catalunya Nord, has organized the event from its inception to the current 47th edition, in collaboration with the L’Escala town council.
This year, the habaneras singing brought together over 7,000 people at Riba Petita beach in L’Escala. Once again, the supporters’ club demonstrated its great mobilization capacity, attracting local residents, summer visitors to the region, and guests from other parts of the territory.
Strong penyes representation
David Falgàs, president of PB L’Escala and also of the Federació Empordà i Catalunya Nord, hosted the event for the other representatives of the penyes movement who attended. Among them were Antoni Guil, president of the Confederació Mundial de Penyes; Dionís Crusellas, president of the Federació Osona i Ripollès; and Toni Valverde, president of Federació Bages, Berguedà and Cerdanya. They were all accompanied by the mayor of L’Escala, Josep Bofill.
In this 47th edition of the Habaneras Singing, the three invited groups –Barca de Mitjana, Port Bo, and Els Pescadors de l’Escala– performed alternately throughout the evening. As tradition dictates, the highlight of the night came when all the groups shared the stage to jointly perform “El meu avi,” “La bella Lola,” and “Els Segadors,” emblematic anthems that year after year mark the end of this deeply rooted event.
