Music for the Right to Housing
More than thirty Catalan musicians have joined forces to release a new song, Estimada Valentina, in support of the upcoming general strike for housing rights on Wednesday 11th November 2026. The track, presented today in Barcelona, aims to highlight the reality of evictions and promote collective action through organised civil society. The initiative comes from the musical duo Ginestà, siblings Pau and Júlia Serrasolsas, with contributions from artists across genres including La Ludwig Band, Joan Dausà, The Tyets, Alosa, Gerard Quintana, Fades, and Judit Neddermann. Pau Serrasolsas wrote the lyrics, which frame an emotional letter from a woman facing eviction to her friend Valentina, expressing both fear and hope as she sees neighbours and the Tenants’ Union (Sindicat de Llogateres) mobilising in solidarity.
Premiere at La Paloma Tonight
The song will be officially presented at 7 PM this Monday 9th November at Sala La Paloma in Barcelona, in a central event organised by the Tenants’ Union ahead of the strike. The evening will also feature performances by Tarta Relena, Anna Andreu, and Al·lèrgiques al Pol·len, alongside appearances by communicator Juliana Canet and actors Enric Auquer and Miki Esparbé. All proceeds from Estimada Valentina will go directly to the Tenants’ Union to support its work. The track was recorded at Medusa Studio with production by Àlex Pérez, mixing by Roger Rodés, and instrumentation from Andrea Puig (guitar), Gerard Sala (piano), and Àlex Pérez (synthesisers). A music video, produced by MTK Space and filmed by LeCuala, includes footage from the recording sessions and real eviction scenes.
The song not only claims the reality of evictions, but also claims that, in the face of the violation of the right to housing, organising and supporting each other is essential to change things.
Cultural Mobilisation Grows
The release is part of a broader cultural push in support of housing justice. Since the strike date was announced, the University of Barcelona has become the 'Casa de la Vaga' (Strike House), serving as a logistical and cultural hub. For weeks, the space has hosted union assemblies, workshops, and public concerts featuring artists like Rita Payés, Lucía Fumero, and Catalunya Freestyle. These events aim to draw in audiences less familiar with union organising, offering accessible entry points through music and comedy. Rap battles in Catalan and improvisation challenges, such as imagining a dialogue between an expat and an art history student unable to pay rent, have engaged younger crowds. Other cultural sectors have joined too. Theatre professionals are urging attendance at the demonstration under the slogan 'we can't find a script for so much drama'. The Sindicat d’Habitatge Socialista has also released a reworked version of Ovidi Montllor’s Va com va. A similar event is planned in Madrid on Sunday 15th November at Palacio Vistalegre under the title 'Union Power: The Future Is With Housing', featuring Amaral, Biznaga, Delaossa, and Nerea Pérez de las Heras.
