In 2005, Catalan was tied with Queta. Now, eighteen years later, this talking mouth has been modernized, works with a button, has acquired multiple voices and can be given any look you want. At the Palau Robert in Barcelona, the Ministers of the Presidency, Laura Vilagrà, and of Culture, Natàlia Garriga, presented the new campaign to promote the use of Catalan, with the slogan "Try it in Catalan. Much to talk about, much to live."
"La Queta in 2005 was one voice and now there are many. Now she has arms and legs so she can be customized and represent everyone with all the accents," said Garriga. The campaign is one of the 100 measures that the Generalitat announced at the end of last year to promote the use of the Catalan language, in parallel with the Language Pact, in the process of being drawn up with broad parliamentary support .
"One of the objectives is that, from the beginning, we address those we speak to in Catalan and maintain it, without prejudice. With a desire to add, to unite, to be positive", continued the Minister of Culture. With this aim, a new website has been launched with linguistic resources "so we don't have to change languages". The website Moltperparlar.cat contains information for learning Catalan and ideas about using the language. Garriga also pointed out that "there are two election days on the calendar and then this campaign will stop".
The event that was held at the Palau Robert yesterday afternoon, with background music that was not in Catalan, was presented by the actress Natalia Sánchez, "purely from Madrid", as she defined herself , but who speaks the language of Alba de Vic with a perfect central accent. This has allowed him to act for the first time in a work in Catalan, FitzRoy, by Jordi Galceran, at the Borràs theatre.
After the video, some of the singers performed the promotional song, which was recorded by Oriol de Ramon and Xavier Coca (The Tyets, from Maresme), Kelly Isaiah (from the group Koers of Nigerian origin), and the Valencian Sandra Monfort, the Mallorcan Clara Fiol and the Catalan Selma Bruna (of the musical group Marala Trio). A range of accents of the same language, which is one of the purposes of the campaign.
For her part, the Councilor of the Presidency, Laura Vilagrà, declared: "From the Government we act firmly for the protection and defense of our language, because the language defines us and unites us". The councilor considers that "it is our strength as a country", and that is why she exhibited the initiatives that are already underway. Of the 100 measures presented in November, 51 are already on their way. "Now this campaign must help us in raising awareness, so that all citizens get involved in this absolutely necessary reinforcement of the use of Catalan", he concluded.
The general secretary of Linguistic Policy, Francesc Xavier Vila, was also present at the event, who made an analysis of the current situation of Catalan: "It is a complex situation because there are many aspects that stress the language. But there is one very important one: cultural. But we Catalans have something very internalized, which is to switch to Spanish when we think or suspect that the other person will not understand us. Every time we deprive the other person of this stimulus, of encouraging the other person to speak Catalan, we are preventing the other person from learning it".
