Tradition, understood in the sense of custom that prevails from generation to generation, is easy or difficult to maintain depending on the will of the generation. There are traditions—much of the craft, for example—that unfortunately are being lost despite individual efforts of resistance and the little value placed on them. On the other hand, more festive and popular traditions are maintained strongly thanks to broad collective support. The case of the public's refusal to lose My grandfather The repertoire of habanera singing demonstrated how difficult it is to change what is already considered the natural order of things, rather than a tradition. This, and the fact that it's summer, a traditional time of year when there are no topics to debate, and, just between you and me, how lazy to have to talk about prostitution and colonialism now. Let the rum burn, then.

The grandson of Josep Lluís Ortega Monasterio, author, as is known, of the habaneraMy grandfather, considers "a victory" that in the Calella de Palafrugell song on Saturday the audience will end up, as one man, warbling the popular songKoldo Ortega Monasterio, as he is called, has announced a lawsuit against the authors of the documentary.Walls of silence, from TV3, insinuating that the composer was "connected" to a network of sexual exploitation of minors. He says this "is absolutely false and manipulated" and that his grandfather's innocence "has already been proven in court, but it has not been respected." Thus, the debate on the separation between work and author is not necessary for the moment, but, of course, it is inevitable.

On Saturday night, TV3 broadcast the Sung habaneras From Calella de Palafrugell. Míriam Riau was the journalist in charge of presenting the event, which this year had an added dose of expectation: a controversial ending due to the City Council's decision not to sing. My grandfather as a final farewell performance, as was traditional. The reason has to do with the chain. The documentary Walls of silence linked its author, José Luis Ortega Montasterio, to a sexual exploitation network. The composer's family has denied this, and the facts are pending trial, but the sordid nature of the case has led to extreme caution. My grandfather It was not prohibited in any case, but was removed from the enclosure. Inland Sailor, The Beautiful Lola and The seagull was the musical triplet chosen to close the sing-along.

For the first time in 48 editions, the singing of habaneras in Calella de Palafrugell did not have to end with My grandfather. However, there are traditions that are difficult to break and the public ignored the decision that had been taken by the artistic committee of the song after the 3Cat documentary, Walls of Silence. Large Scale 2000, linked its composer, Josep Lluís Ortega Monasterio, to a sexual exploitation plot.

On Thursday, during the 3/24 news roundup, there was a very comical narrative subtlety hidden among the headlines. It was a fleeting aside, only available to those who watch television closely. One of the news items explained that, this year, The habanera singing of Palafrugell would not end with My grandfather as was the tradition until now. And they explained the reason: "To José Luis Ortega Monasterio, the author, the documentary Walls of silence 3Cat linked him to a case of sexual exploitation that the family denies." And then they inserted some archive images of the Palafrugell public singing The beautiful Lola and waving handkerchiefs in the wind. The short fragment of the song they selected for the headline was, precisely, "Oh what a placeeeeer... I felt." The choice, premeditated or unconscious, made it inevitable to smile. That after recalling the discovery of Walls of silence about Ortega Monasterio, which allegedly linked him to a sexual exploitation network, the choice of these verses to close the news is somewhat comical. Be that as it may, the subtlety is appreciated. Considering the amount of tragic news we see on 3/24, it's good that they've given us this wink with such sly humor.

This year's habanera singing in Calella de Palafrugell will not end with My grandfather For the first time in 48 editions, after the controversy over the documentary Walls of silence, which links its composer, Josep Lluís Ortega Monasterio, to the sexual exploitation of minors. "We said we would reflect on whether it needed to be renewed, and we believe it's time," said the mayor of Palafrugell, Laura Millán, who added that "it's time to make way for a new repertoire." The song—which, with the exception of the first decade, has always closed the event—will be replaced by three classic habanera songs, Inland sailor, The beautiful Lola and The seagull. According to Millán, the selection pays "tribute to composers linked to the municipality."