From the classroom to the stage
Erxart Casas, the winner who received the most support from the popular vote, acknowledges that Sona UB has allowed her to reach a milestone: “I study Philosophy at the UB and I always imagined myself doing a concert at the University in front of my classmates and professors. When I walked by the gardens where the performances took place, I was amazed, thinking that one day it could be me the one playing there”. Laia Lechuga (LaiaLaia) entered the competition encouraged by her peers: “To have won the favour of the university community has been very gratifying, and it has convinced me that I am capable of this and that I am doing things right”. Elodie Pagador, Elo, is excited to be able to perform in Els Vespres: “I have felt a kind of relief to see that I’m doing something that arouses emotions in others”. For the Bons Nois band, formed by Gerard (bass), Go (guitar), Quim (guitar), Marc (drums) and Dani (singer and guitar), the incentive of being able to perform at Els Vespres was the main reason for participating in Sona UB: “We did not know if we would win because we didn’t think we would reach the university audience. Therefore, being selected was a great surprise. We are very happy to present our album Delta in this summer concert series”.
Erxart Casas. Foto de Cesc Maymó.
For the winners, music has played a key role in their lives. Erxart Casas carries her vocation in her veins: “My father (Amadeu Casas) was a musician, and there were always instruments in my house. When I was fourteen, I picked up a guitar for the first time and started making songs. I also studied jazz at the Taller de Músics for many years”. In Laia’s case, her musical baptism came as a singer in a cover band that performed at neighbourhood festivals: “Then, I started a musical project with a friend, Dama Carmesina, with whom we entered some competitions, such as Sona9, and we managed to perform at the old Damm Factory. Finally, I decided to start as a soloist, which had always been my dream”. Elo admits that “my first musical memories take me back to motorbike rides with my father. When I wore a helmet, I had a sense of isolation and could sing as loud as I wanted. It was my moment of experimentation. I would never have imagined that I would make it to a studio”. The origin of Bons Nois came about thanks to a contest that never took place. The singer and composer, Dani, received confirmation to participate in a contest in Apolo, and realised that he had no band. He gathered his friends for the occasion, who would be the future members of the group: “The pandemic frustrated the performance, but the seed of the project had germinated”.
LaiaLaia. Foto de Cesc Maymó.
The appearance of the muses
The source of inspiration for Erxart Casas’ songs is everyday life: “‘Vull viure i després escriure-ho’ [I want to live and then write about it], says one of my compositions. It defines well my motivation when composing. The melody is an accompaniment to this story”. In LaiaLaia’s case, the predominant intention is to turn “personal experiences” into universal feelings that everyone can identify with. “Music is like a suitcase of memories. I think about what happens in the lives of the people I love and, in fact, I often reflect on what I would say to them in the form of a song”, Elo admits. “Our songs reflect personal and everyday events in Dani’s life, who is the composer: love and heartbreak, friendship, etc. He does the writing and with the band we shape the songs”, explain the members of Bons Nois.
Musical eclecticism: the references
The diversity of rhythms and styles is the keynote of all the groups and soloists performing at this year’s Els Vespres d'Estiu. In the case of the winners of the Sona UB competition, the musical references are also varied. “In addition to my father, Amadeu Casas, I look to B. B. King, John Mayer, Eric Clapton… and all the way to pop music, like Shawn Mendes or Dua Lipa”, says Erxart Casas. The French influence dominates LaiaLaia’s music: “Artists like Adèle Castillon or Catalan pop-indie, with groups like Manel or Mtines, have always influenced my musical vision”. Elo’s origins from Extremadura, Catalonia and France have shaped her musical creativity: “I like Diam’s, Carla Bruni, Soha, Lole y Manuel, Manzanita, Bad Gyal and Rihanna, among others”. Bons Nois’ latest album moves between “the guitar sound of Nuria Graham’s Does it ring a bell? and El Petit de Cal Eril”, but the live performance and the new songs are influenced by “Fontaines D.C. and Radiohead”.
Elo. Foto de Cesc Maymó.
Els Vespres as the horizon
The four winners of Sona UB all agree that they want to make the most of performing on a fully consolidated platform like Els Vespres d’Estiu and, at the same time, entertain the audience at the concerts. Erxart Casas (9 July) will perform his recently released EP El que no vull live in its entirety. “I want to bring joy, happiness and the desire to sing to the stages of Els Vespres”, says Laia Laia (16 July). From Elo (18 July), the audience can expect “a very personal, carefully constructed atmosphere that doesn’t limit itself, but explores and draws inspiration from everything that surrounds us every day”. Bons Nois (11 July) will bring the baggage and experience of having performed their new album live in a smaller format (thirty minutes): “We believe that the tour we started last year has made us improve a lot as a group, and we hope to prove it at Els Vespres”.
Bons Nois.