Welcome to the Metropolitan Culture Corner! We’re back from our winter break, and we’re starting the 2026 season with a very special guest.
Nando Cruz has been a music journalist since the late 1980s. He has contributed to everything from specialty music magazines (Popular 1, Rockdelux), to mainstream newspapers (El Diaro, El Periodico) and from regional television programs to local radio broadcasts. In recent years, he has become infamous for his passion for shining the light on musical realities marginalized by mainstream culture and media, through his feature section, Otros Escenarios Posibles (or “Other Possible Stages”) in El Periódico de Catalunya, and his radio program, 10,000 Fogueres (or “10,000 Bonfires”) through Betevé.
He is also the author of half a dozen books, the most recent of which is titled Microfestivales, Y Otros Escenarios Posibles. His work explores how culture unites a community, and why there’s no substitute for homegrown art, and how it can function almost as medicine for society.
Last month, we interviewed third-generation art dealer Alex Yamet. Alex's grandfather, Irving "Sonny" Yamet, was one of the first American art dealers to introduce European prints to the United States after World War II, many of which were acquired from legendary workshops in Paris and beyond. In partnership with architect Xavier Claravall, Alex has just inaugurated a new space called BF4gallery in the neighborhood of El Born, with an exhibition of some of these works as well as works of contemporary artists, titled Ellas. The show reflects how art isn’t created in a vacuum, but instead is a reflection of the era in which the artist lives and works.
Stay tuned to Barcelona Metropolitan’s YouTube channel and social media to make sure you don’t miss a single episode of our monthly interview series! You can also watch the full archive of previous interviews on our official YouTube channel, or listen to all the MCC interviews as free podcasts on Soundcloud, Apple or Spotify platforms. Be sure to follow Metropolitan on Facebook: @BCNMetropolitan, Twitter: @bcnmetropolitan and Instagram: @barcelonametropolitan.