Photo by Soundtrap
For the culture…
4 Black Creatives in Spain to Know + Support
Without art, the world is a boring place.
Luckily, Spain is a country known for its artists like Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Antoni Gaudí. In Madrid, we’re fortunate to have the Golden Triangle where you can visit the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen all within walking distance of one another.
Meanwhile in Barcelona, you’ve got this amazingly rich vibrant cultural scene influenced by diversity and the intersection of where the past meets the present.
That being said, most of the paintings hanging in these galleries; the majority of the headliners in these clubs are well, let’s just say they don’t look like me. (I’m Black, by the way).
This is why I want to take a moment to share 4 Black artists who deserve your support.
Musician + Arts Educator: Erin Corine
@erincorinedoesthings
She sings. She writes. She composes. She leads her own band. She plays the flute. She’s multi-lingual. She’s an educator + vocal coach. I’ve just listed 7 things, and I know for a fact I’ve missed at least 3 others. Erin , a graduate of Berklee College of Music, has been a staple in Spain for almost a decade, selling out shows from coast to coast.
If you want to listen to the type of music that literally penetrates your soul and transports you another world, meet Erin. Jazz, r&b, gospel: raw. Everything she sings is dripping with the rawest and purest of emotions, and she’s classically trained to boot!
Hip-Hop to Bop to: Brotha CJ + The Othahood
@theothahood @brotha.cj
One thing you should know about me is I don’t usually leave my house after 10pm. But for CJ, I would. His concerts always make feel like I can stay up past 2am! Read: magical! I’ve literally been a fan of his music for years, and have watched his progression. The Othahood is such a beautiful, and talented addition to what was already an incredible act.
Amplifying BIPOC Voices: Art Spoken Madrid
@artspoken.madrid
Art Spoken is a community of dedicated individuals all of which have one goal in mind: amplify the voices of BIPOC in Spain. How do they do this? Through spoken word events, through music; they have a book club, host open mic nights, and by bringing guest speakers to educate audiences on a variety of topics. They are also a bilingual community.
Healing Music with Soul: Feroza Cayetano
@feroza.cayetano
Feroza is fierce. (See what I did there?) She’s a proud Garifuna woman fromBelize and based in Madrid. Her music really does feel like a hug, and can’t we all go for a hug at this point in our lives? She’s a multi-talented singer-songwriter and her live performances are not to be missed.
These artists I recommend above are all people I’ve had the honor of meeting in person, and supporting. Erin is not only talented, but a wonderful human being. CJ, well, I listen to his music on Spotify, then text him that his music really is that dope. Charles Snyder, the director of Art Spoken is passionate about the written word and sparking change in the community. Feroza’s amazing energy literally shifts the vibes (in the best way possible) in any room she’s in. Being an artist is hard. Being in artist in a foreign country, away from everything you know, is even harder. Let’s show them love.
“Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced.”
