CORAGRE

HISTORY OF A LONG ILLNESS

Part 1-Beginnings

Òscar Garriga "Coragre" his musical trajectory begins in the middle of the 70´s, as poet-lettering and musician-singer. He started initial musical incursions exploring songs with acoustic and electric sounds. Together with diverse groups of friends named: “Beat Rock, Dapax Romàntic Band, Carpricorn…”

These experiences created the electrification adventures with the groups of Catalonian Rock. The "COP DE ROCK” makes its debut in direct in 1983.   As members of the "MUNGUBUS" group participate in concerts and festivals and they carry out a first video clip "Accidentalment" for the television of Mataró, where they begin to incorporate theatrical elements into the songs.   Under the name of “FOR A DE TO” they make a musical demo with own topics and a concert at the beginning of the 87. With   Emilio " Morenito " and Andrés Lora like main musical motors it consolidate a repertoire interpreted for the most part in Catalonian, with prominent topics as: “Accidentalment, Quan et Cridava, Ulls Elèctrics, Conyac, Comentari sobre la Nostra Mort, Imatge d´Arxiu, L´Home de Mil Anys, Blues per a Dona, S´en va el tren”... -it is a period of initiation with many changes, with diverse influences and ideas, of musical, poetic and theatrical experiments-.

In this way, Surrealism and Poetry influences directly the letters of the songs, while the Pop-Rock and the Blues develops the intensity of the music. This interaction and creativity translates into real contributions to the “Rock Català” during the 80’s and 90’s.

Part 2 -Evolution

It is at the beginning of the 80’s when the nickname of “CORAGRE” takes its form.   In 1987 Òscar Garriga meet Francesc "Frans" Beltrán and jointly compose topics of critic and sarcastic nature, where the synthesizers are the vital element in the music.   With songs like “Què és el sexe?”   they recognized, as group,   in the competition of the “Miki Moto Club” of “Catalunya Ràdio".   They are also selected for the “Xè Festival de la Cançó de Manlleu” with the “Com Quatre Flames!” (1ªversion) composition. The effort established lines of sinister sounds and mordant letters, with base instrumental electro-synthetic music that characterize this stage.  

The influences of the Jazz and the "Cançó " leave their marks (without forgetting the Rock roots) in a new stage. During this time, Pere Hernández   joints the team and the sound of “CORAGRE” experiences a change, here the coalition between poetry and music reflex an internal spirit.   Their creation of “Alè humà” reaches and win the first prize in the ”XI Festival de la Cançó de Manlleu".   In the year 1990, with the collaboration of the musicians Marcel Grífol and Pere Masriera, the first LP records, for “Àudio-Visuals de Sarrià", in the studies “Moraleda” of Barcelona, under the I title of “ENTRE DOLÇ I AGRE” was created.   The disk, a difficult but achieved balance between quality and commerciality, is an eclectic sample of coalitions and influences: Symphonic Rock, Funky, Pop-Rock, Cançó, Classic, Jazz, Blues. The important highlight topics include: “De Tant en Tant (promotional single), Nostra Senyora de la Televisió, Alè Humà, Com Quatre Flames!, Animal de Circ and Blues per una Boira del teu Cor”.   This new baggage takes them into the first positions of the hit parade of radio stations programs like “Catacrac” of “Catalunya Ràdio".   They also record video clips for TV local programs and the Channel 33. In the 1991 with a renovated band, Òscar Garriga, Pere Hernández, Manuel del Viejo, Agustí Galan and Michel Solves, present the disk in the “Das Andere” of Mataró theatre. The lack of promotion by the discography, and the Catalan music's sectarian diffusion that promote the communication media, undone the composer duet.  

Despite all these obstacles, Garriga decides to continue ahead with the rest of the group and a new stage begins in 1992. The band performs concerts for the “Comarca del Maresme”;   they also produce a video clip for “TV Arenys de Mar” with the song of “Nostra Senyora de la Televisió".   Òscar Garriga and Michel Solves work in the themes for a new album at the end of the 1993.   They begin the production and recording of “INFIDELS SOCIALS” in the “Sidi Estudios” of Mataró with the collaboration of musicians from the “Comarca del Maresme”, on guitars Jordi Nogueras, Pep Romaguera and Lluís Quadrench; on bass Josep Buch; on the voices Raquel Xiberta, Esteve Genís, Josep Mª Ruiz "Pilón", Pita Sardà. The current formation: Òscar Garriga-voice, Michel Solves-drums, Fredy Solves-keyboards, Manuel del Viejo-bass and Javier Hinojosa-guitar directed the initiative. For various months the "Master" is recorded in a relaxed way, the music is more direct but also more difficult to understand. The sound is compact and personal, but   the poems: “L´hora del Coragre, En el Foc!, El Llenguatge dels Infidels Socials, Deixa que el Cel es Cremi!, Sentint el Temps del Dolor, Entre Dolç i Agre, Cor de Roc, Lament, Oda per Infidels” are sour, meaning a remarkable change from previous work. This effort sets the base for the Progressive Rock giving form to a conceptual album with many musical and poetic blend like sensibility, irony, inconformity and maybe with certain pessimism in a chancy quite critical exercise. Unfortunately the album was not published by any of the discography’s that initially were interested (???).   Discourage arrives to the group when was not possible to further advance and the band disintegrates.  

Part 3 -Maturity

Òscar Garriga after overcoming this bitter stage, realizes that the Rock, at the creative level, no longer satisfy his nature and attempts through new compositions to open new experimentation roads, where   he carries out the demo “Retrat a l´Aiguafort".  

At the end of 1995 he contacts Josep Aragonès "J.A.T", together they decide to modify the new created songs with sounds included inside a new age music.   In this way in the 1996 arises the new CD (demo) title “CORAGRE amb J.A.T" - “SENSE CONCESSIONS” . The songs “Murs, Histories Eròtiques, L´Autodestructiu, El Pas dels Anys, Sense Concessions, Histories Decadents, Tercer Món, L´Home Isolat, Aiguafort…” represents a coalition of two strong personalities marked by many influences with a creativity that incorporates themes of primitive and intricate sounds, fruit of a concrete period and specific circumstances.   

At the same time, "J.A.T." collaborates with the “Sarruga Produccions” theatre company and publishes a CD title “Eppure si muove".   During the 1996- 1997 period, Garriga forms the “STRAWBERRY FIELDS” group (being devoted to make versions of the Beatles) with the components of the Catalan progressive Rock group "Barrock ". Also, he creates, in solitary, a new demo called “Trajecte en Terra of Cecs".   

"CORAGRE amb J.A.T." concentrate on elaborating new compositions, with a music mature that before, possible less spontaneous, but difficult to take into the scene.   The CD “NAVEGANT EN L´ESCENARI DEL CRIM" (97-98) which includes 10 origin topics “Vidres, Equilibris entre la Boira, En l´Escenari del Crim, El Lent i Dur Hivern, Soledat, En un Cor de Pluja, Rèptils…” has diverse inspiration where each song presents a   sense and meaning different to the rest.

From 1999 to 2001, nine different topics are created for the CD   title "INTEMPORALS" (which is digitally engraved).   Includes: “Intemporals (frist part) Gemecs, Sense trobar el Somni, Gel, Al Ritme del Dolor, La Buidor, Els Anys i els Danys, Una Partida, Intemporals (second part)” has the prevalence of   guitar (everything and the musical wrapping that follows is played with keyboards and percussions) with stronger sounds than in the previous works, achieving poetic and musical concept which allow the creation, of a more sophisticated design CD. In definitive, this is the more complete, reflective, and integrated work that have been able to make.  

The musical concept of “CORAGRE amb J.A.T." very difficult of classify, since it blends a sinister and strong music with sensitive senses and universe.   The poems created by Òscar Garriga and his musical artistic concept, difficult the access to mentalities accustom to the conventional messages.   On the other hand, the Josep Aragonès   instrumental integration and conceptual balance integrates into the compositions a moiety of mysterious and seductive sounds.   This hybrid fusion resembles each other to the combination of smooth pigments, in the Plastic Art (or kitchen ingredients) that to their own musical orthodoxy.  

                                        (It is not only music for the ears, it is music for the senses)

                            "No és   sols música per les orelles, és música pels sentits"

                                                           ( L´hora del Coragre - 1993)