Raimon, "the untamable"

Barcelona"This is something wonderful. Terrific. What a guy, I would buy it," says Raimon (Xàtiva, 1940) looking at the cover of the book Raimon. That Self That I Am (Ara Llibres, 2026), written by journalist Miquel Alberola (Valencia, 1958). On the cover is a 25-year-old Raimon at the Olympia in Paris in 1966. "60 years have passed," he states, blowing out in the face of the dimension of time gone by. "What do you want me to tell you? It's a very well-made book. It doesn't say silly things. It doesn't make any mistakes. It's a book that when I read it, I see myself. That is, it's what I am," Raimon continues at Abacus headquarters, sitting at a table between Alberola and Ara editor Carles. Barcelonés at an event hosted by Antoni Bassas, packed to the brim.

And what is Raimon, according to Alberola? "An indomitable character," "an absolutely disruptive singer," "a classic of the level of authentic classics, of those who have built their entire work with a language that does have a state behind it, like Léo Ferré, Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, Violeta Parra, or Ví. And as Salvador Espriu wrote, "a very complex phenomenon." "Raimon is not just a singer, he is not just a musician, he is not just a poet. In addition to that, which he is with great excellence, everything he does has repercussions on language, literature, music, the civic and political movement, and above all, it greatly influences the awakening of a sense of belonging to a collective, the Balearic Islands, which have previously been separated by the centripetal force of a centralist state. Raimon is many things," explains Alberola.

Raimon. That I am is is the first biography of the author ofAl viento that covers his entire artistic career, from the first recital to the farewell concerts in 2017 at the Palau de la Música. A mix of "narrative journalism and essay" and written with "total freedom," it would not have been possible without the friendship and mutual knowledge, and without the immense work of Annalisa Corti (Raimon's partner) in systematizing his chronology. "A couple of books have also been very helpful to me. One is the portrait that Joan Fuster made of him in Raimon, published in 1964. The other is La construcción de una canción (2005), by Antoni Batista, which is a more academic book, because Batista is a musicologist as well as a journalist and writer, and has suggested many keys to me," says Alberola.

Indeed, the book covers Raimon's entire career. The author applies a double focus: one on the contradictions," and another broader one that provides the sociopolitical context, which is fundamental because it directly affects what Raimon does. There is no need to insist, or perhaps there is. As Alberola says, he is a man "uncomfortable for the dictatorship, but also uncomfortable in democracy" because he has never sacrificed coherence to please. a black and white photo of Raimon, which made sense at a particular moment in history, in certain circumstances, as an endemic singer of an era, but which does not correspond to reality, because Raimon has a long evolutionary career. From the most existential and essential moment, he evolves towards harmonic complexity. He is a singer with many registers. From what is called singing, which is what has remained most in that black and white photo, to rhythm'n'blues, counterpoint melody, free jazz, contemporary minimalism, pop, and rock," he recalls as Raimon smiles in approval.

"The book is a vindication of heritage, perhaps an exceptionality can be recognized: "the extraordinary international projection". "He has toured in Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Central America, South America, Central Europe... He is the most international of our singers in Catalan, without a doubt. He was also the first to sing in the language of Ausiàs March at the Olympia in Paris", says Alberola, who does not forget other facets in which Raimon was a pioneer: "He was the first to make an album with poems by an author – by Salvador Espriu, on the album Canciones de la Rueda del Tiempo, from 1966–. Before Paco Ibáñez. And in 1968 Joan Manuel Serrat, copying Raimon's idea, did the same with Antonio Machado, and later with Miguel Hernández".

Raimon and the ruling classes

Obviously, there is room for clashes with authority. First with Francoism, absolutely annihilating and determined to prevent Raimon from dedicating himself to song. In that sense, Alberola values the importance of Barcelona. "In Valencia he would have become a bearded professor, while Barcelona was decisive for his emergence as a singer," says the biographer. He finds the explanation in the different nature of "the ruling classes" and the sociocultural composition during Francoism. "Barcelona did have a ruling class open to supporting Raimon's creative proposal, a bourgeoisie that wanted to have him as a guest at home, always. This did not happen in Valencia, because in the 50s, 60s, and even the 70s it was a very Castilianized society. If you spoke in Valencian, you were immediately expelled from all circles. Valencian is like slippers for home, but when you go out on the street you have to put on your shoes, which are Castilian".

The book also recalls the clash with political parties, when in 1980 he rejects various offers from PSOE, PSUC, and Convergència Democràtica to sing at rallies. Raimon, indomitable by nature, Alberola writes, "reproaches them for only remembering cultural references when elections arrive." It also includes the 1982 controversy over the Cruz de Sant Jordi, which he did not want to accept because "the award could have connotations of liquidating assets" and that it was being sent "to a museum of antifascist resistance" at a time when the new power considered Nova Cançó obsolete. "I have gone from the fight against the dictatorship to prevention against the administration and a certain disappointment," Raimon explains at the time. Alberola does not overlook the complicated relationship with power in the Valencian Community, first during Francoism and then during democracy, a relationship that with "the Popular Party remains as bizarre as it was at that time, and as radical".

Asked about the current political situation, in general terms, Raimon takes a breath before answering. "I find the current situation quite fucked up. Things are bad from many points of view. We are governed by people who should not govern us, it should be another type of personnel. But what can you do if people vote for what they vote for? It's very complicated, that. Very complicated," concludes the indomitable Raimon.