Exactly a year ago, the San Juan festival in the Font de la Pólvora neighborhood of Girona ended tragically: A fight between two neighbors led to a shootout that left two people dead and several injured. The events triggered clashes between clans, reprisals, and destruction in the neighborhood, generating a wave of tension that lasted for weeks. The seriousness of the situation forced the convening of a Local Security Board, which, beyond implementing containment measures to calm the conflict, opened the door to the development of a comprehensive plan for the entire Girona East sector. A year later, Girona City Council has officially announced its implementation.

The outskirts of East Girona, where the neighbourhoods of Vila-Roja, Font de la Pólvora and la Creueta are concentrated, is the most disadvantaged area of the city. Marginalised for many years, these neighbourhoods are often in the news due to constant power cuts, police raids, gang conflicts or the risk of houses in poor condition collapsing. However, beyond these endemic grievances, there are also very powerful and interesting projects brewing to dignify and improve the lives of the residents. One example is the extraordinary concert of Afro-American music, free and open to the public, which this Saturday morning, March 1, is being organized by the Black Music Big Band in Mas Ramada, between Font de la Pólvora and la Creueta.