Singer-songwriter Enric Hernàez dies at 68

Barcelona-born singer-songwriter and composer Enric Hernàez , a prominent member of the 1980s singer-songwriter generation and closely linked to the Barnasants festival, has died at the age of 68 as a result of complications from a serious illness, according to sources close to him.

His career, which spanned more than four decades, was characterized by a fusion of musical styles, including rock, pop, jazz and Brazilian music , which resulted in around fifteen albums, and by maintaining a strong commitment to the Catalan language, although he also set poems and texts in Spanish to music.

After being part of the duo Somni in the 70s, he began his solo career in 1980 with the release of a single that included the songs ' Carme ' and 'T'he sorprès a mitja veu '.

After a trip to Brazil that marked his musical style, in 1984 he published his first full-length album, ' Una foguera de Sant Joan en ple gener ', which he presented at the Grec Festival in Barcelona with four concerts in the Plaza del Rei.

During the 80s, Hernàez released several albums that reflected his stylistic evolution, such as ' La tardor a Pekín ' (1985), in which he set various poems to music, ' 7 PM ' (1986), the Spanish-language album ' Gente ' (1987) and Arigató (1988), where he adopted a sound closer to that of a band.

In 1990, together with Jordi Gas, he published ' L'últim segon d'un gran somni ', a transitional album that marked the end of his first stage.

Second stage

Enric Hernàez began a new phase with ' Llunes del Passeig de Gràcia ' (1993), a work followed by ' Enric Hernàez i el Lotus Blau ' (1997), and in 2002 he published ' ¡Oh poetas salvajes! ', his second album in Spanish with poems set to music by authors such as Mario Benedetti, Ángel González and Cristina Peri Rossi.

In 2008 came ' No t'oblido ni quan l'aspra nit s'obre ', with poems by David Castillo, and a text by Bob Dylan.

In 2010 he recorded ' 360 llunes ', a live album that compiled the best of his repertoire, as well as a version of Pau Riba's 'L'home estàtic ', a work that earned him the 2011 Barnasants Award for the best concert of the festival.

In 2013, he participated in the opening of the Barnasants festival alongside the Aranese singer Alidé Sans, and in 2017 he presented his album ' Prop la via del tren '.

Then came ' Cançó per a Helena ' (2014) —dedicated to his daughter-, 'Prop la via del tren ' (2017), and ' Himmes ' (2019), a live concert at the Barnasants festival alongside other singer-songwriters, such as Anna Ferrer or Joan Isaac.

His latest album was '10 cançons ' (2022), recorded with Uruguayan musicians Mario Maeso and Álvaro Pérez.

Following his death, the Barnasants festival wrote on its X profile: "Enric Hernàez has left us, a leading voice in Catalan song, an incorruptible poetic combatant, and a tireless friend and activist of our project. Our deepest condolences to all his family and friends."

Singer Alfred García also lamented on this social network the death of Enric Hernàez, "one of my most valued teachers," who "together with my uncle David Castillo, opened the doors to Dylan for me, with his fabulous adaptations into Catalan."

"I will always remember his sweet 'Carta', the "Cançó per a Helena", dedicated to his daughter and included on the album of the same name (...), between verses with a bossa nova aftertaste and his detachable guitars," adds Alfred García. EFE.