La Pegatina

La Pegatina is a Catalan rumba group from Montcada i Reixac, Spain, active since 2003. The group forms around Adrià Salas and Rubén Sierra, and begins under the name Pegatina Sound System before adopting its current name.

Formation and early activity

The group starts in 2003 after Ovidi and Adrià meet Rubén, who is performing as a solo musician at the time. Within a year, the band has more than 20 performances and becomes one of the most active acts in the Catalan scene. It then begins appearing at festivals and shows in different parts of Spain, and after more than 90 concerts it continues as a live-oriented group.

Style and language

La Pegatina is associated with rumba catalana and a broader mestizo approach. Its music draws on the cultural atmosphere of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter and combines urban rumba with a direct, crowd-focused performance style. The band uses Spanish, Catalan and Galician in its songs, and also sometimes includes English or French.

Live performance and themes

The group is known for performing in public spaces such as squares, streets, suburban trains and buses, with songs built for audience participation. Its writing often includes protest themes in support of human rights and in opposition to injustice, war and lies, usually through local or everyday examples.

Albums and collaborations

Its first CD, Al Carrer!, appears in early 2007 after an intensive period of work in Hospitalet, where studio recording is combined with live activity from the previous year. The release contains 13 songs and a bonus track, and features several guest appearances. Gambeat from Radio Bemba plays bass across the album, Leo and Kachafaz from Che Sudaka contribute to “No a la guerra”, Alguer from Txarangö appears on “Penjat”, Emma Calafell sings on “Petrolero”, and Manu Chao plays guitar on “O Camareiro”, a reworked version of a track that appears on the A Per Loca compilation.

Group identity

La Pegatina presents itself as a direct, non-pretentious live act built around simple songs, repeated refrains and audience participation. Its name is associated with party, dancing and collective celebration.