France 24 has published a report on 17 August following young Catalans who say they are pursuing cultural and language-based activism after the political demands of the independence movement were not met.
For Catalan-speaking residents in places including Celrà, near Girona, and Vic, the report presents everyday language use and Catalan music as the focus of this activity. It follows Pau, a former independence activist from Celrà, and Joan, a 27-year-old DJ who performs as KZU Music.
France 24 said its ENTR team travelled to Catalonia in June. The report recalls that more than two million people took part in the 1 October 2017 independence referendum despite the Spanish government's crackdown on the vote.
Language takes centre stage for Pau
Pau told the reporting team that he had previously belonged to a student union involved in organising the referendum. He now links his position primarily to Catalan language and identity.
“The only Spanish thing about me is my identity card,” Pau told France 24.
Cabro Rock festival in Vic
The report visited the annual Cabro Rock festival in Vic, which promotes Catalan music and identity. France 24 described Catalan as the predominant language at the event, where red-and-yellow-striped flags were displayed among food and drink stalls.
Joan performed there as a DJ and said music and language had been his way of expressing his pro-independence views since childhood. He became known on social media after remixing traditional Catalan music.
“Under my posts, there are lots of comments saying: ‘You’re doing more for the Catalan language and for Catalonia than most Catalan politicians,’” Joan said.
France 24 reported that Joan regards preserving Catalan as a political act, while the festival offers performers and audiences a venue centred on Catalan-language music.
Reported by racocatala.cat, Mon, 17 Aug 2026, inkl.com, france24.com, plataforma-llengua.cat, Racó Català.
