Declivi releases “Què volen aquesta gent?”

Born in Manresa in 2023, Declivi are an emerging Catalan rock band blending raw energy with melodic sensitivity. Their songs, entirely written in Catalan, explore the contradictions, relationships, frustrations and concerns of their generation. Since their live debut, they have built an intense and visceral stage presence, driven by a direct connection with their audience.

A few months ago, Guspira Records released their debut album, Guerra Endins, marking a new step in their career and introducing the band professionally to the Catalan music scene.

Now, with “Què volen aquesta gent?”, Declivi revisit the iconic song by Maria del Mar Bonet and Lluís Serrahima, giving it a new reading while highlighting the continued relevance of a song originally born as a response to political repression. Its release comes at a time when far-right rhetoric is once again gaining ground, turning the question at the heart of the song into one that feels strikingly relevant today.

Originally released in 1968, “Què volen aquesta gent?” was inspired by a real event during Franco’s dictatorship and became one of the defining songs of the Nova Cançó movement and the anti-Franco struggle. Censored by the regime, the song was later revived and covered by different artists, remaining a powerful reference point for collective memory and resistance against repression.

With this new version, Declivi reclaim the song’s anti-fascist spirit and bring it into today’s political landscape. The band focuses on the rise of the far right in Catalonia, particularly the growing influence of Aliança Catalana and the normalization of its political discourse.

In this context, Declivi are joining the anti-fascist demonstration taking place on the eve of Catalonia’s National Day at the Fossar de les Moreres, standing against Aliança Catalana. Their version of “Què volen aquesta gent?” becomes a soundtrack against the far right, while reaffirming music as a tool for challenging hate, exclusion and authoritarianism.

Musically, Declivi take the original song and make it their own. The new version preserves the weight of Serrahima’s lyrics and melody, while giving them a more guitar-driven sound closer to the band’s identity: sharp guitars and a performance charged with intensity and emotion.

More than fifty years after its original release, “Què volen aquesta gent?” is once again brought to the forefront by Declivi, proving that some songs are not only part of our collective memory, but continue to speak directly to the present.