The first change that the second edition of the RAC105 Awards ceremony experienced yesterday was the location. A year ago, the baptismal ceremony for these awards took place in the Barts room. An event was held there with which the radio station wanted to support a Catalan music scene at a fairly critical juncture due to the pandemic.
The delivery of the RAC105 Awards ended yesterday in the Apolo room with the same philosophy with which it was born a year ago, that is, to support the Catalan music scene in a complicated situation and, on the other hand, to stimulate the return to normality of the live music.
This change of scenery -with not many meters of separation- was not a major impediment for this second edition to become a celebration of optimism, a desire to laugh, a feeling of being together and good music.
And although the winners and the different categories were already known, the public that filled the large room of Apolo -mostly people from the profession- enjoyed what they saw and heard.
Ernest Codina and Marc Sarrats had to do with it, with the roles distributed from more serious and more transgressive, who were presenting award-winners and acting. Earlier there was a kick-off download from Els Catarres who brought Animals to life with energy, rhythm and electricity, giving them a very appealing perspective.
From then on, the award ceremonies followed one another, normally concisely thanked and trying to stick to a schedule that finally lasted longer than expected: Nil Moliner (most broadcast song on RAC105), Joan Dausà (direct), Habla de me in present (newcomer group), Sopa de Cabra (honorary award), Rigoberta Bandini (song) and Alfred García (popular vote of RAC105 listeners).
Along with the previous ones, we must highlight the presence of the Oques Grasses, who had a dose of greater prominence because they had obtained two rewards, for the best video clip that was given to them by the members of the jury Noemí Galera, Sílvia Colomé (chief editor of Culture of La Vanguardia) and Xènia Rafí, and for best album. And also because they were in charge of lowering the curtain with a very intense interpretation of De bonesh with all its members seated.
Beyond the ceremonial process of giving and receiving the reward, there were juicy, humorous and also revealing moments. Like knowing that Nil Moliner Libertad's song had been broadcast 1,900 times throughout 2021. That Joan Dausà verbalized the background of that evening and part of the awards themselves by saying that the key to all our work is direct ". Discovering that the revelation group is made up of five young people from Barcelona, Paris and Germany, who have been working as a group since 2013, but that it was this year when they made the leap to visibility with their catchy album Vivir más. Or check that Alfred García is in a period of transition in the artistic and musical aspect, with a second album appearing in the past or with some significant collaboration also in 2021 with Sopa de Cabra.
Precisely one of the endearing moments of last night was remembering what the beginnings of Sopa de Cabra were when the honorary award was linked to the thirty years of the appearance of their referential album Ben endins. There it was possible to see an endearing video with period images of its very young members, others already current and words of a Gerard Quintana accurate and adjusted to the timing: "the songs are present more than us".
Although the one who surely got the favor and above all the ovation of the night was Rigoberta Bandini, one of the protagonists of the music scene here and there in recent times for her art and her feminist position. Thus, last night Paula Ribó -civil name of the thirty-year-old from Barcelona- collected her award for Ay mama. The person in charge of giving it to her was one of the celebrities of the night, Judit Mascó, who discovered from the outset that "this is the award for the first woman of the night" (the first and the last, everything must be said). And Rigoberta, transparent and credible as always, recognized that "I am very excited about the award for a song that unites us to our truth, that still resonates in society."
All in all, the great attraction of the ceremony-show was once again the live performances, offered by artists and groups more or less with the RAC105 listener profile. Thus, and in addition to the aforementioned opening cut of Els Caterres, last night we could hear a combination based on Suu, Ginestà, Sopa de Cabra, Julieta and, finally, Oques Grasses. Blaumut's announced performance did not take place, and Pau Riba's emotional reminder was a success, with images mostly already very veteran but exuding until the last breath his endearing philosophy of life.
It was comforting to see and hear Suu coming out of her comfort zone singing Nota de voz , traveling to the vibrant past of L'Empordà with a Gerard Quintana releasing the unfading "bona nit malparits!", or discovering the voice and scenic power of Julieta , although with the diction thickened by the acoustics.
Two last curiosities in a night that was solved with a good rhythm and a final acceleration. On the one hand, the funny, sometimes witty and sometimes not so much, video where Rosalía's Motomami alphabet is modified, including at the end a "visca Catalunya lliure!". And on the other, a peculiar, somewhat surprising and witty tribute to groups and artists who have never received awards despite their high degree of popularity, such as Mesclat, Damaris Gelabert, 3XL.Dance, Sau or even Cesk Freixas.
The attendees laughed and had a good time. Which was also about that.
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