"I am a Catalan". Up to three times Pau Casals was invited to the United Nations, but without a doubt it is the speech he gave on October 24, 1971, that is most remembered. That day he presented the United Nations Hymn, composed by himself, received the Peace Medal, and delivered one of the most emotional speeches remembered of him, in defense of peace and his homeland.
I wouldn't dare admit how many times I've listened to this speech and how many times I've been moved by his audacity. One of the most universal musicians of the 20th century —whose 150th birth anniversary we celebrate this year, by the way— before the representatives of almost all countries in the world, decides to introduce himself, first and foremost, as a Catalan.
He does not renounce his identity to speak to the world. He does exactly the opposite. It is from this deeply rooted identity that he manages to appeal to it, and speak a universal language.
Perhaps great works, people, and also cities share this same virtue. When they don't try to resemble others, when they don't dilute their personality to reach further, when they are faithful to the place they come from, that's when they manage to transcend it.
Great works do not lose identity when they cross borders. On the contrary. It is precisely because they have a very defined identity that they manage to genuinely connect with completely foreign or distant people.
"If Barcelona arouses interest around the world, it is not because it is a copy of other capitals, but because it is unequivocally Barcelona"
Let me explain: a work can be deeply rooted and, precisely because of that, universal. And, in fact, I've been thinking for a while that this is exactly what happens in Barcelona.
If Barcelona arouses interest around the world, it is not because it is a copy of other capitals, but because it is unequivocally Barcelona. For its architecture, its way of doing business, its culture, its creativity, its research, its history, its way of understanding innovation… The stories born there interest far beyond our borders, precisely because they breathe Barcelona.
And when they don't breathe Barcelona, in fact, we get angry —and rightly so—: when we see our city lose identity, lose authenticity, or lose tradition.
And with this philosophy, of being deeply rooted but aware of the universal projection of the place where we live and what we are, this week The New Barcelona Post incorporates a third language into the magazine, which does not mean a third perspective.
Starting this week, all content from The New Barcelona Post will also be available in English. The new version joins the Catalan and Spanish editions, and will share exactly the same editorial perspective. It is not a different magazine, nor a selection of content. It is the same journalism, the same stories, and the same commitment to Barcelona, now also in the international lingua franca.
We do this because we believe that many of the stories we tell have long ceased to be just ours. The business projects born in the city, the research developed there, the major events, creativity, gastronomy, architecture, or culture awaken an interest that goes far beyond our borders. But also because Barcelona hosts an extraordinarily rich and diverse international community that lives, works, researches, undertakes, and creates from here, and which is also part of the city's present and future. We want The New Barcelona Post to also be a way of understanding Barcelona, discovering it, and feeling part of it.
Because Barcelona is not only a global city for all that it projects outwards, but also for all the people and perspectives it welcomes. And we believe that explaining Barcelona also means explaining where we come from, what has brought us here, and what it means to be the capital of Catalonia.
This new step is part of a growth phase that has begun to transform into projects this 2026. In May, we launched a new digital platform, designed to give more space to unhurried reading and good stories. In June, we announced the incorporation of Espectacles BCN to reinforce our commitment to culture and urban experience. And today we expand the reach of the magazine with a third language.
Perhaps this is also our small "I am a Catalan". To continue explaining Barcelona from Barcelona. With the conviction that the most universal stories are not those that hide where they come from, but those that dare to tell it with pride. I am Catalan. I am Barcelonian.
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