Gerard Quintana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gerard Quintana i Rodeja
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Quintana in 2020
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | 27 November 1964 Girona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Genres | Rock, rock català, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, novelist, poet, actor |
| Years active | 1986–present |
Gerard Quintana i Rodeja (born November 27, 1964) is a talented singer, songwriter, poet, and actor from Catalonia, Spain. He first became well-known as the lead singer of the rock band Sopa de Cabra from 1986 to 2001. Sopa de Cabra was one of the most important bands in the rock català music style.
After the band broke up in 2001, Gerard started a successful solo career. He has released many albums on his own and worked with other musicians like Jordi Batiste and Xarim Aresté. Besides music, he also writes and publishes poetry and has worked as a journalist. Gerard has also acted in a short film. Since 2019, he has become a respected novelist, writing popular books.
In 2011, Sopa de Cabra got back together for a short time to celebrate 25 years since they started. Gerard returned to his energetic rock-star style for these concerts. The band has since reformed and released new music in 2015 and 2020. Gerard is also a well-known figure in Catalan culture, beyond just his music. He has shared his thoughts on important topics and is currently the President of the Acadèmia Catalana de la Música, which helps musicians in Catalonia.
Contents
Musical Journey
Sopa de Cabra: The Early Years and Reunion
In the mid-1980s, Gerard Quintana was part of a group of young artists in Girona. He started out more as a writer, creating poetry and fanzines. Even though he loved music, he was shy and first wanted to be a writer. Before Sopa de Cabra formed in 1986, he was in other bands. When Sopa de Cabra started, he became their lead singer and wrote most of their song lyrics.
Sopa de Cabra's music was influenced by classic rock, reggae, and blues. Their name was a tribute to the Rolling Stones' album Goat's Head Soup. What made their sound special was combining these styles with the Catalan language and the creativity of Gerard and his bandmates. This made their rock music truly unique and distinctly Catalan.
From 1989 to 2001, Sopa de Cabra released many singles and albums and went on regular concert tours. In 1991, they performed at a huge concert in Barcelona with other top Catalan bands. This event, with 20,000 people watching, is still seen as a very important moment in Catalan music history.
After their 1993 album Mundo infierno, Sopa de Cabra faced some challenges. This album was recorded in Spanish instead of Catalan, which upset many Catalan fans. By the late 1990s, the band was popular again. However, due to a band member's serious illness, they decided to stop performing at the end of 2001.
In 2011, the remaining members of Sopa de Cabra announced a reunion concert to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Because so many people wanted tickets, they planned a full tour of seven concerts, which all sold out. Gerard showed he still had his amazing rock-star energy. The band played their classic songs, and the lineup was almost the same as before, with a new guitarist, Xarim Aresté.
A CD and DVD called El retorn was released in December 2011, showing the 2011 tour. Other albums were also released that year, including a "best of" collection.
Gerard's Solo Music Career
Even while with Sopa de Cabra, Gerard worked with Jordi Batiste, an older Catalan musician. They covered songs by Bob Dylan, who was a big inspiration for Gerard. They released two albums together and continued their collaboration in 2012.
After Sopa de Cabra officially stopped in 2001, Gerard continued his career as a musician, writer, and actor. His first solo album, Senyals de fum (meaning 'Smoke signals'), came out in 2003. He released four more successful albums, performing in a more personal and poetic style, different from Sopa's rock music. He has worked with many important Catalan musicians. His 2010 album, De terrat en terrat ('From roof to roof'), is like a musical picture of Barcelona and its lively, diverse atmosphere.
In 2013, Gerard helped organize and perform in the Concert for Freedom at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. He performed with the old Sopa de Cabra lineup, singing one of their most famous songs, Camins. He also sang a powerful song by Lluís Llach.
Working with Xarim Aresté
In 2013, Gerard started a new project with Xarim Aresté, writing new rock songs. They previewed some of these songs on a small tour. Their new album, Tothom ho sap ('Everybody knows it'), was released in March 2014. It had 13 new songs and extra tracks online. They toured to promote the album throughout 2014. Gerard's stage presence was as strong as ever, and his collaboration with Xarim Aresté and their talented band created an exciting new sound in Catalan music.
Sopa de Cabra Returns Again
After the successful 2011 reunion, people wondered if Sopa de Cabra would get back together for good. In early 2015, rumors spread, and on March 28, 2015, a surprise concert announced the band's return with new songs and an album. They did a mini-tour that summer, and their album, Cercles, was released at the end of 2015. They toured extensively in 2016 and 2017 to promote it. In 2016, the band celebrated its 30th anniversary with 23 concerts, including shows in Madrid and London. A live album was released in 2018.
In February 2020, Sopa de Cabra released another album called La gran onada ('The great wave'). A special concert was filmed at the ancient site of Empúries before the album went on sale. The planned tour for the album was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but some concerts were still possible in the summer of 2020. The new songs on the 2015 and 2020 albums were written by the same team as their earlier hits, with music by Josep Thió and lyrics by Gerard Quintana.
Writing Adventures
Gerard Quintana had written articles for newspapers for a long time, but his first full-length book, Més enllà de les estrelles ('Beyond the stars'), came out in April 2012. It was a personal story about the 2011 Sopa de Cabra tour, sharing details about his life and the hard work behind a rock tour. The book included photos by David Julià.
His second book, published in February 2015, was a surprise: a story for young children! L’odissea de sant Jordi ('The Odyssey of Saint George') is a new version of the legend of Saint George, with lovely illustrations. The story mixes the Catalan legend with parts of Greek mythology, like a one-eyed giant and Sirens. In Gerard's story, Saint George starts as a very shy boy who is scared of the world. He goes on a journey alone to face his fears, armed only with a book (for knowledge) and a rose (for love). Music also plays a magical role in the story, and the song that helps Jordi when he meets the dragon is a real one by Gerard and Xarim Aresté, which can be downloaded.
In March 2019, Gerard's first full novel, Entre el Cel i la Terra ('Between heaven and earth'), was published. It tells a story about family relationships, mostly set in Barcelona and Girona from 1952 to the end of the 20th century.
Gerard wrote his second novel in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This book, L’home que va viure dues vegades ('The man who lived twice'), was published in March 2021. It won the Ramon Llull Novel Award for 2021, which is a very important prize for books written in Catalan.
Acting Roles
In 2014, Gerard Quintana played the main character in a short film called Diògenes, el gos (Diogenes, the dog). The film takes the ancient story of the Greek philosopher Diogenes and Alexander the Great and sets it in modern times. The movie includes many famous sayings and stories about the philosopher.
Music Albums
With Sopa de Cabra
- Sopa de Cabra (1989)
- La Roda (1990)
- Ben endins (1991) (live recording)
- Girona 83-87: Somnis de Carrer (1992)
- Mundo infierno (1993)
- Al∙lucinosi (1994)
- Sss… (1996)
- La nit dels anys (1997) (live)
- Nou (1998)
- Dies de carretera (2000)
- Plou i fa sol (2001)
- Bona nit, ...! (2002) (live)
- El llarg viatge (2003) (live)
- El Retorn (2011) (CD and DVD of the anniversary tour)
- Les millors cançons (2011) (a 'best of' collection)
- Re/Ebullació (2011) (the 14 Sopa de Cabra singles from 1989-1992, with a DVD of the 1991 concert)
- Cercles (2015)
- La nit dels Sopa (2018) (live)
- La Gran Onada (2020)
With Jordi Batiste
- Els miralls de Dylan (1998)
- Sense reina ni as (2000)
- Forever young / Per sempre jove (2012)
As a Solo Artist
- Senyals de fum (2003)
- Les claus de sal (2004)
- Per un tros de cel (2005)
- Treu banya (2007)
- De terrat en terrat (2010)
With Xarim Aresté
- Tothom ho sap (2014)
Books Written
- Més enllà de les estrelles (2012) (Story of the 2011 tour)
- L’odissea de sant Jordi (2015) (Children's book)
- Entre el Cel i la Terra (2019) (Novel)
- L’home que va viure dues vegades (2021) (Novel)
Images for kids
-
Quintana in 2020
See also
In Spanish: Gerard Quintana i Rodeja para niños
