The first stage: the creation of the modern couplet
According to Adrià Bauzó, musician and artistic director of the Amb So de Cobla festival in Palamós, the first major transformation experienced by the cobla was the one promoted by Pep Ventura around 1850, when he added the tenor and tible to the original line-up of three quartans, which consisted of three musicians who played four instruments: the tarota, the sack of groans, the flabiol and the tambourine. This is how the modern couplet was born, with a richer and more varied sound, which made it possible to interpret new repertoires and musical styles.
The second stage: the consolidation of the couplet as a musical genre
The second great transformation that the couplet experienced was the one that starred a generation of great composers such as Garreta, Toldrà and Montsalvatge, who elevated the couplet to the category of a musical genre, with works of great quality and complexity, which bring the sound of the couplet to concert halls and international festivals. This stage meant a recognition and diffusion of the couplet as an artistic and cultural expression.
The third stage: the fusion of the couplet with other styles and disciplines
The third great transformation that the couplet is experiencing is the one based on the fusion with other artistic styles and disciplines, from rock and jazz to rap and fado, passing through contemporary dance and theater. This stage has groups like Dharma and Santi Arisa as pioneers, but it has developed mainly in the 21st century, with numerous proposals that combine the instruments of the couplet with other formations and artists. It is in this context that, in 2017, Amb So de Cobla emerged, a unique festival, which also benefits from the work done by other initiatives such as the Mediterranean Fair in Manresa and the FIMPT in Vilanova i la Geltrú.
With So de Cobla will celebrate its eighth edition next summer. “We must continue to work to publicize the sound of the couplet, which comes from the traditional instruments that compose it, this unique sound that can be merged with any style,” says Bauzó. All kinds of musicians have paraded through the Palamos festival, both in their own productions and in others that already existed outside the festival: from Roger Mas with Cobla Sant Jordi – “the great pioneer” – to the experiments with saxophonist Llibert Fortuny, Za ! & the TransMegaCobla, the rumbero Petitet, the fadista Névoa, the Menorcan singer Cris Juanico, the Valencian rapper JazzWoman and the pianist and composer Albert Guinovart. Very different musicians who have one thing in common, says Bauzó: “They have all been surprised by the strength that the instruments of the couplet have given to their compositions. It is a really alive and limitless sound, which we have also put in touch with contemporary dance and that can be linked to any artistic discipline.”