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Flamenco’s newest twist

Her album titled, Mi Niña Lola (2006) is one of my all-time favorites. Concha Buika has a smoky, passionate voice perfect for singing new renditions of flamenco and tango. She offers an innovative twist to these classic sounds, and the result of her unique interpretations has been fame. Originally from Palma de Mallorca (one of the Balearic Islands, Spain), Buika has been touring internationally after the success of Mi Niña Lola but returns to Spain this summer to participate in Barcelona’s Grec Festival. This is not a concert to miss, as Buika is surely one of the freshest voices is Spanish music today.

Where: Grec Festival; Barcelona - http://www.barcelonafestival.com/esp/detalle/230/buika

When: 31^st of July

How much: €15 – 40

More: http://www.barcelonafestival.com/eng/editorial

There are some fine festivals that pass through Barcelona each summer, and this is no exception, with an eclectic mix of musicians including The B-52s and Erykah Badu. From the 9^th to the 29^th of July, B-Estival will be going strong at select venues around the city. The concerts are pricey at about €40 a pop, but the artists are mostly big names in music and therefore perhaps worth the higher price. Book in advance online or go to the FNAC in Plaza Catalunya to buy tickets in town.
 

Here are a few I recommend:

The 14^th of July: Erykah Badu      

If you haven’t heard of her go immediately to MySpace and have a listen. More likely than not, you have heard of this soulful diva and the music from her album Baduizm, which made her famous. This year she is promoting her new CD titled, Amerykah: Pt. 1 (4^th World War).

The 17^th: Muchachito Bombo Infierno + Peret

A multi-piece band, they claim to be influenced by Elvis Presley, Perez Prado and flamenco. They will play with Peret, the ‘king’ of Catalan Rumba. After their first album Vamos que vamos y Visto lo visto, the band has toured internationally and now returns to their home city to get things shaking.

 
The 20^th: Loreena McKennitt

I am a long time fan of McKennitt’s mystical sounds. Her soprano voice is one-of-a-kind and her music is completely different from the rest of the B-Estival line up. The Canadian sings a style of music that could be called folk, but it’s more magical than that and has always seemed very spiritual to me without being ‘fakey new-age’.

 
The 23^rd: Macy Gray

Grammy-winner Gray has been out of the musical spotlight for some time, but is now back with a new album titled Big. You may remember Macy’s scratchy voice from her pop hit Sexual Revolution and Psychopath.

Alas, Barcelona is many things, but green is not one of them. Spain, save the Basque Country and Galicia, is dry and maybe this has something to do with cities favoring pavement to grass. Whatever the reason for the excessive concrete, it starts to wear a person down after a while. I knew it had been too long since I’d gone to the park when I saw a spider in my house and was surprised, realizing it was the first animal I’d seen in weeks. Does this make me a city slicker?

 
Barcelona does have quite a few small parks in the center and some hillside parks that overlook the city and the sea. Here is a list of a few of the best.

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Parc de la Ciutadella 

What: One of the oldest city parks in Barcelona and the most central of Barcelona’s parks. Adjacent to the zoo.
Metro: L4 Barceloneta
More: Parc de la Ciutadella
Address: Pg. de Pujades
08005 Barcelona
Open: 10am until nightfall every day.

 
Jardins del Palau Reial de Pedralbes

What: In up-town Barcelona adjacent to Parc Güell
Metro: L3 Palau Reial
Address: Parc Güell
Olot, 7
08024 Barcelona
Open: January, February, November and December:10am-6pm
March & October: 10am – 7pm
April and September: 10am – 8pm
May to August: 10am – 9pm

 
Parc del Castell de L’Oreneta

What: Great view of the city of Barcelona. Activities for children and families. Access: From Metro: Plaza Catalunya, S6 Reina Elisenda
More: Parc del Castell de L´Oreneta
Address: Montevideo, 45
08034 Barcelona
Open: 10am until nightfall every day.

Muntanya de Montjuïc

What: Trails and museums plus 1992 Olympic installations.
More: Montjuïc
Address: Montjuïc
08004 Barcelona

Parc de Collserola

The largest metropolitan park in Spain. Good for biking and BBQ.
More: Parc de Collserola
Address: Carretera de Vallvidrera a Sant Cugat Km 4,7
08028 Barcelona
Open: 24 hours a day

 
Jardí Botànic de Barcelona

What: Mediterranean plants from all over the world.
More: Jardí Botánic de Barcelona
Address: Parc de Montjuiïc
Doctor Front i Quer
08004 Barcelona
Open: 10am – 5pm daily.
July & September: 10am – 3pm daily

Graica is currently one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Barcelona if you are a person who leans to toward the alternative side of life’s spectrum. Hippies, hipsters, bohemians, artists, designers, musicians and many a foreigner have flocked to Gracia, buying up flats and setting up shop in this charming barri. Gracia sits above the Eixample, and so is up-town Barcelona. In fact, as is the case with most of Barcelona’s exterior barris, Gracia was its own village up until the mid 1900’s. It still maintains an image of being its own thing, somehow separate from Barcelona, though still very much a part of it. In a word, Gracia is cool. It is tourist-free, grass-roots, cutting-edge and a great place to go out for the evening even if you are like me, that is: not very cool.

No. 1: SMS Delicies Restaurant

As most bars and restaurants in this neighborhood are, SMS is a space-challenged establishment, with tiny tables and skinny bar stools. It’s new and cozy, with a menu that caters to tapas or dinner. I’ve had fantastic goat cheese salads at SMS, and their patatas bravas (spicy French fry) make a good appetizer.

To get to Gracia, you need to get a cab (OK, you could walk from the center up Passeig de Gracia…but that would be quite a hike) or better yet, take the Metro to the Fontana stop. From Fontana you round the corner and, following the crowds, head down Asturies Street into the heart of the barri. SMS is a block down on Asturies Street making it impossible to miss. I like its convenient location. If you go to SMS for tapas at 8pm, maybe go earlier to sniff around the shops. There’s a bit of everything ‘handmade’ from soaps, lotions and potions to shirts and other one-of-a-kind threads.

Where: Asturies, 33 – 93 217 95 47

When: Evenings, tapas, drinks, dinner

What: Simple fare. Great salads. About €15.00 p/ person

One of Gracia’s major draws is its independent movie theater, Verdi Cine. Oh how I love this place! First of all, as any decent cinema should, Verdi shows only original version films. This is not the case with most of Spain’s theaters where almost every film is dubbed in Spanish. I’m a firm believer in subtitles, and if a person is too lazy to read them they shouldn’t be at a foreign film to begin with. But I digress…Verdi doesn’t dub, and they bring in films form all over the globe. Sometimes they hold film festivals, such as a recent festival from Brazil which included an array of disturbing films from politically minded directors.

There’s a bit of everything at Verdi and its eclectic selections are popular with the arty Gracia crowd. If you’re interested in seeing some new and often raved about Spanish or even Catalan cinema, this is the place to go. Verdi Cine is located on a street of the same name, which offers a delicious smorgasbord of bars, boutiques and bistros to enjoy pre or post movie.

Where: Verdi, 32 – 932 38 79 90

When: afternoons and evenings

What: http://www.cines-verdi.com/

When not just any cut will do…

Catalans are generally a creative bunch. Walking around Barcelona one finds it hard not to ogle over embellished architecture,  vivid shop windows, and ornate fountains. Over-the-top creative expression seems to be in the blood in this town (just look at Miró and Dalí; both Catalans), for better or worse. Besides sporting lively outfits of the most fantastic rainbow of colors, people in Barcelona also like to represent their creative edge through their hair-dos. No cut is too short or too spiked; no color is too pink or too zebra-striped for this city. Oh no.

One popular look these days is the mullet, which I barely remember from my 80s childhood. The mullet lives on in Barcelona, alive and well and adorning the heads of men, women and (gasp) children. Another striking style for women is the ‘black on the top; blonde on the tips’ look. It’s a shocking affect, which has always brought to my mind images of a skunk or an explosion. While Barcelona hair may not be everybody’s cup of tea,  one must give them an A for effort in the creativity department.

If you feel like fitting in, you’ll need a haircut (unless you’re already part of some punk rock band). Head off to La Pelu where despite the first impression, they’ll take excellent care of you. On my first trip to La Pelu, a woman wearing a pink bra and a see-through lime colored mesh t-shirt announced that she would be cutting and coloring my hair. I took a look at her head, and wondered what color her hair actually was. Grey? Blue? Silver? She was only 30 at the most, with charcoal ringed eyes and a sweet smile. I told her I wanted a natural color, and a natural cut. Nothing drastic.

She gave me one of the best haircuts I’ve ever had and I’ve since gone back many times. Every time I’ve gone I’ve had a different stylist, each one freakier looking than the next, and have never been disappointed. They have high quality service and talent as abundant as their lip piercing and tattoos.

Plus, I like the feel or vibe at La Pelu. They’ve always got great new music playing and a crowd of people waiting to get trimmed and rinsed. They have three locations in Barcelona, all in hip areas meaning after your haircut you can go have a café con leche on some adorable square and show off your hair cut.

La Pelu is not cheap, nor are they expensive. A wash and cut will run about €45.00. Color is more. Go on, embrace your creative side.

Argenteia 70-72

93 310 48 07

Why Barceloneta is Where to Stay and Play in the Catalan Capital-

By Regina WB

Shhhh; it’s a secret. It’s hard to keep a lid on anything in Barcelona, but Barceloneta has just about succeeded. And maybe I should keep it that way? After all, it’s my neighborhood, and I don’t want it to be over-run with hotels and cheesy souvenir shops. You’ll keep it between you and me, right?

Let’s take a look at the typical visitor to Barcelona; they stay on or near La Rambla, they tour the Gothic barrio, they eat tapas and drink sangria. If well-informed, said visitors will wander down to the Mediterranean Sea and have a look at Barceloneta and its port. But will they eat in Barceloneta’s authentic seafood restaurants such as Can Ramonet? Will they sample delectable tapas at La Bombeta’s noisy tables or El Vaso de Oro’s crowded bar? Probably not. Those who are in the know come to Barceloneta to eat, drink, spend the day, and if they’re wise, spend the night.

Wait. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me fill you in on Barceloneta, the neighborhood which consists of some of Barcelona’s most developed seaside property. A small barrio, Barceloneta is bordered on one side by the city’s port, with darling houseboats and a view of Montjuic’s cliffs. On another side sits the hip neighborhood El Born, and to the east are the sea and an expansive boardwalk perfect for strolling, roller-blading, biking, jogging and walking Fido while viewing the Med. Indeed, just down the boardwalk from Barceloneta one encounters Fank Gehry’s Fish sculpture and the five-star Hotel Arts.

In contrast with Hotel Arts, Barceloneta apartment buildings are not grand, nor are they decorated with ornate cherub statues or fanciful iron-clad terraces. They are tall and thin with potted plants and drying socks, shirts, jeans and skirts flapping from small French balconies most days of the year. The neighborhood was set up in 1750 by the city for blue-collar workers and has long been a fisherman’s barrio. Why would the city give the lowest-paid residents the beach-front property? Simply because there wasn’t a beach in Barcelona before the 1992 Olympic games.  Prior to lighting the torch, Baceloneta was a dreary, seedy portside neighborhood, and no one who didn’t have to wanted to live there. But things change. Nowadays, the barrio has a new image and buildings are being fixed up and many foreigners are moving into the area because of its beachside positioning. While Barceloneta is becoming popular, it will never be ritzy, which will keep it diverse, unique, affordable and inviting.

For the same reasons, it is one of the best places to stay in Barcelona for those visitors who want to have a more bona fide experience in a real neighborhood on the Med. If you want postcards, overpriced hotels, tourists and tourist prices, stay in the center of the city. If you really want to get to know Barcelona, stay in Barceloneta. That said there are just a few hotels in the area and virtually no hotels within the barrio proper. Enter Akaza apartment rentals. I love this idea because it really gives visitors the full experience. Instead of staying for a week in a hotel, travelers can rent a vacation apartment in Barceloneta from Akaza rental agency and live like the locals do. Renting an apartment is about the same price as a hotel but better for families and plus allows guests the chance to cook and have a cozy ‘home base’ for exploring the city. There are many agencies who offer short term vacation rentals around the city but Akaza is the only one which specializes in Barceloneta. Since 2002 Akaza has had virtually all of its rentals in the eclectic little district by the sea. In a sense, Barceloneta is Akaza’s neighborhood, with owner Andréa Drottholm keeping an eye on things from her house boat on the barrio’s port.

So there you have it, the big secret, the inside scoop, the cat in the bag. Take it from this local and pay a visit to Barceloneta on your next visit to Barcelona before they stick in a McDonalds or a cheapo shop selling Mexican sombreros and dumb t-shirts. As we all know too well, the good stuff never lasts long, with authentic individuality ever fleeting in a more and more homogenized world. In other words, get it before it’s gone.

Additional Information at:

AKAZA RENTALS: Web: www.akaza.net

CERVECERIA: EL VASO DE ORO: Calle Balboa 6,

BARCELONETA GENERAL: http://www.acib.cat/es_barrio_playa.html