The initiative, headed by Esquerra Republicana, aims to contribute to the preservation, promotion and dissemination of the Catalan rumba at a national and international level

With the support of all the party groups, Spain's Congress yesterday passed a motion introduced by Esquerra Republicana to recognize the Catalan rumba as World Heritage by UNESCO. As Esquerra congressman Francesc-Marc Álvaro, responsible for defending the initiative, said, "We are talking about one of the most important popular musical genres springing up in Europe in the 20th century. Specifically, in Barcelona, at the bosom of the gypsy community."

The recognition of the Catalan rumba as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO will contribute to its preservation, promotion and dissemination on a national, state and international level, thus also guaranteeing its continuity and transmission to future generations.

"A neighbourhood community music that has become universal. Neighbourhoods such as el Raval, Gràcia and Hostafrancs in Barcelona, and in other cities such as Mataró, Lleida or Perpinyà (Perpignan). A genre that is sung in Catalan, Spanish, Romaní Caló, and French in the case of the gypsies of Perpinyà and the regions of Northern Catalonia,” pointed out Mr Álvaro. "I am just a spokesperson for the concerns of the great rumba family, which has been fighting for years. I want to explicitly thank our friends at the Platform for the Defence of the Catalan Rumba,” he concluded.