Ferran Palau has built an impressive musical legacy with albums such as Kevin (2019), Blanc (2018), and Santa Ferida (2015). Aniversari feliç marks a shift — a turning point in which Palau has come to recognize who he is as an artist. This new format featuring strings and wind instruments undoubtedly signals a new chapter, one where the silences and mystery that so strongly defined his early work return once again.
Ferran Palau: vocals, guitar, ukulele, and backing vocals
Jordi Matas: guitar, bass, and pianet
Bruna González: cello
Marcelí Bayer: flute and clarinet
Day 12,324 A.D.
(After the DAY)
As we crossed a dense, dim forest, I could hear the creaking of the leather in his garments mixing with the crackling sounds made by his horse crushing the branches and dry leaves of the undergrowth. FERRAN was riding a beautiful white horse named Aurora. Since the beginning of our journey, I had never seen him part from her, not even for a moment. FERRAN and I didn’t speak. We understood each other mentally — ultra-sensory communication.
One night, deep in my sleep, I heard a sharp, sudden scream. Like that of a wild beast. It was Aurora. I opened my eyes and jumped up. She was lying on her back with her legs in the air, a snake coiled around her neck. It had bitten her just below the mouth. That damned snake. FERRAN was also standing, looking on. Tears streamed from his eyes as blood poured from the horse’s neck. Thick and dark. It flowed like a torrent of sorrow. FERRAN’s sword had pierced Aurora’s neck. There was nothing to be done — we knew those snakes. They were deadly.
We looked at each other. We had to leave. Keep going. Just as we were setting off, we heard a sound behind us. We froze. We turned around and saw a figure standing in the shadows. It was Matas.
Joan Pons
El Petit de Cal Eril