At a time when musical selection falls more and more in the hands of the algorithms in charge of ordering songs in streaming applications, Apecat, the Association of Catalan phonographic and video producers-editors, wanted to pay tribute to the media traditional, responsible for prescribing from journalistic experience the best pieces to listen to. It is for this reason that the Fongrama 2023 award will be presented to journalists Esteban Linés, from La Vanguardia, Maite Sadurní, from Catalunya Ràdio and Jordi Turós, from TV3, a trio of journalists with long careers linked to the musical world.
Apecat has highlighted “the romanticism, militancy, stubbornness and professionalism” of specialized journalism to publicize the musical proposals of the Catalan scene “at a time when the prescription, mainly of young people – and, therefore, of the public of future-, is in the hands of algorithms of digital platforms and social networks like Tiktok”, as they explain in the note where they announced the winners. An unknown formula in contrast to the contextualization offered by the media.
At the awards ceremony, which will be held on November 16 in La Pedrera, the special Phonogram Award for Lifetime Achievement will also be presented to Fèlix Buget, director of the Barcelona label Blanco y Negro, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary as independent record label of reference in European electronic music. His are reference compilations in the 90s such as Blanco y negro Mix or Pioneer the album, as well as hits such as Ritmo de la noche or Voyage voyage.
The second edition of the Fongrama awards comes accompanied by several events that will be held from November 16 to 18 in different music stores. Next Thursday there will be talks at Disco100 about musical recording with producer Jordi Matas, singer and composer Nuria Graham, and a talk about live production Ginestà, La Fúmiga and producer Genís Trani. The next day, Ultralocal Records will host talks by singer and composer Henrio, singer Aiala and producer Aleix Iglesias. On the 18th, Saturday, El Genio Equivocado will host performances by the Barcelona indie rock group Krögers, the musician and producer Mama Dousha, the guitarist and composer of Da Souza, Lluis Cabot and the musician, singer, composer and producer Àlex Pérez.
Along with these events, on November 17, a professional day open to the public will be held on artificial intelligence and its applications to the recorded music industry. It will be held at the Fàbrica Estrella Damm, and will feature the participation of musicians such as Ferran Palau, Marala, Baiuca or Zetak. The president of the SGAE, Cristina Perpiñá, will speak with them; the Secretary of Digital Policies of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Gina Tost; the curator of Sonar D, Antònia Folguera or the director of Cadena Ser Cataluña, Jordi Finazzi, among others.
