Lluís Llach

Who is Lluís Llach?

Lluís Llach i Grande is a Catalan composer and songwriter from Girona.

Though partially dependent on arrangers, like Manel Camp or Carles Cases in his early works, Llach's songwriting has largely evolved from the more basic early compositions to a vastly more complex harmonic and melodic writing. Self-taught as a guitarist, Llach only strums simple chords on guitar. As a pianist, he shows a good knowledge of the European song tradition from Schubert to Hahn with touches of Satie and his local epygons like Mompou and Manuel Blancafort. Llach has used salsa piano patterns and jazzy whole-step block modulations and progressions. Some early songs depicted some inspiration from Baroque dances and ostinato chord patterns. Among his influences as singer, Llach has recognized Mahalia Jackson and Jacques Brel.

His lyrics can range from the most traditionally romantic songs, to more complex, philosophical song-cycles and also to some more ironic, politically based compositions, with a more upbeat tempo. Sea and vitalistic attitude in face of death are two of his cherished topics. When he doesn't write the lyrics of his songs he puts music to a variety of poets, including Constantine P. Cavafy, Màrius Torres, Josep Maria de Segarra, Pere Quart and, perhaps more often than with any of the others, Miquel Martí i Pol.