Six songs by Antònia Font in memory of Joan Roca

Saint JohnSaturday evening. The tenth anniversary of Mobofest is drawing to a close. Around 11:30 p.m., practically everyone was heading towards the main stage to accompany "the band of our lives," they said, the band "that changed everything for music in Mallorca and in Catalan," it was commented. Yesterday, more than ever, the audience couldn't miss it.

The members of Antònia Font came onto the festival stage in Pla as four for the first time: Pau Debon, Joan Miquel Oliver, Pere Debon, and Jaume Manresa. Missing, and always will be missing, was bassist Joan Roca, who died a few days ago. Making a huge effort to push the words out, Pau Debon, embraced by his bandmates at all times, explained that Roca had been very eager to make it to last night's concert. It wasn't possible: "We believe the best way to honor him, and surely he would be happy, is to play a couple of songs. You'll have to help us a lot, as you always do," Pau Debon asked of the loyal, diverse, dedicated, and empathetic audience; a total audience. 

Without the line below, the'Joy d'Antònia Font started to play to shake off a sadness that clung like lead to everyone's skin. Pau Debon was breaking down and the audience gave him air again to help him sing. And from "orbits in sync" to "things are not easy for anyone, inside this igloo, so defrosted, so long, so full of endings, so private from you". A lyric that, if it already was, last night sounded more devastating than ever.

Four notes were enough to make the audience exclaim loudly: it was playing Samurai mountaineers, the song that has probably been used the most these days as a farewell to Joan Roca, an "angel who spreads his wings and leaves the sky full of light", while the "flowers fade from the trees". And the people, the voice of the people to sing the words that Pau Debon let escape through emotion.

To lighten the mood a bit (contradictory, loving, sad, contained and overflowing at the same time), the group played All engines, a song that "Joan, who was above all a heavy metal rocker, really liked".

To close the concert (there was an encore, but we didn't know it at the time), Pau Debon presented the Palma choir Sa Corrala, who accompanied them to sing one of the perhaps most beloved and epic songs by Antònia Font (this could be a lie, because we love everything by this group): Bathyscaphe galoshes. What does this song have? Brilliant black and blue, a sound of the deep sea, a tribute to the Margalides, a shining night, magical beings like mermaids, impossible like whales. With the singers of Sa Corrala on stage accompanying the musicians, it was the photograph of the evening.

Pau, Joan Miquel, Pere and Jaume said goodbye, touched, grateful, accompanied, eternally embraced by all the fans, lovers and friends. With words of remembrance for the family of Joan Roca, with words of thanks to the organizers of Mobo (for having made it so easy in recent days, for having endured ten years of festival with strength). And with a very long applause from the audience, they left the stage to return after a few minutes and play Wayeah! with strength. The audience was so engaged that Pau Debon didn't sing a single word until after the melody. "Thank you for these thirty years, it's been amazing." And the stage went dark; and although it hurts a lot now, and it seems impossible, you will find joy again, Antònia Font.

For now, we'll stick with all your songs. Thank you for this life you've filled us with music.