Berga, Catalonia, is marking a family milestone tied to one of its best-known traditions, as the Prat family celebrates 100 years as the official drummers for the Patum festival.
The role has passed through five generations. Xavier Prat, the current drummer, said the drum is more than an instrument, describing it as a deep emotional and family link to the festival. The tabal, or drum, was first documented in 1621 and rebuilt in 1726, and it sets the rhythm for the rest of the celebration.
Prat spoke from the Casa de la Patum, days after the drum announced the festival for Ascension. He said he has lived with the tradition since childhood and that, while he values all the festival figures, the drum is the one that means the most to him.
Historian and Patum scholar Albert Rumbo said the drummer’s role has long been linked to local families, helping to keep the festival going from one generation to the next. He pointed to earlier family lines in Berga, including Anton Aspachs, known as Xamberg, who served as drummer from 1826 to 1828.
The current centenary dates from 1926, when Ramon Tort i Balaguer, a distant uncle of Xavier Prat, took over the role. There was also a two-year period when Ramon Soler held the drum. Xavier Prat became the main drummer in 2016, taking over from his uncle, Carles Prat, after already playing before then. He also recalled first dressing as a drummer at age 12, the same year his grandfather, Albert Prat, died.
Carles Prat served as drummer for 31 years, after taking over in 1986. He said this year will be his last in the role, adding that he wanted to reach the family’s centenary. Both uncle and nephew said the work is physically demanding, with the drum becoming heavier as the day goes on, but they agreed that the role is carried by feeling rather than technique. For them, the drummer is the person who starts and closes the festival.
The family also said the role still draws children’s attention and remains part of Patum’s shared memory in Berga. Carles Prat recalled how the festival changed under Franco, when strict rules limited how long it could run, while Xavier Prat said the celebration now stretches into the early hours and brings larger crowds. For more local coverage, see news.