Desfile Azul

Marxa
composerXamena Sastre, Joan
publisherLa Federació Balear de Bandes de Música i Associacions Musicals
genreMarch
instrumentationModern instrumentation; New edition
notesCol·lecció Passacarrers, No. 1. Edited by Miquel Barceló Oliver and Joan Antoni Ballester Coll.
also availableMarch card-sized parts
change date2025-01-26 New

The Passacarrers collection

Bands from all over the island of Mallorca have accompanied, and continue to accompany, the most significant moments in the lives of their people. In many cases, they parade with original music that has become an integral part of the celebration itself.

The Passacarrers collection was created to contribute to the preservation of this music which was made to be played while walking. At the same time, it aims to expand its reach beyond its traditional niche and make it accessible to a wider audience.

This music, which can range from funeral or processional marches to pasodobles and fast marches, is highly local. Many of these compositions are the work of musicians or directors from the bands themselves. Naturally, these are handwritten works that have been copied numerous times, with modifications made by different directors to adapt to the specific circumstances of each moment in the band’s history.

An exclusively digital edition has been prepared, including a complete score for the director and parts in march card format for the instruments.

With the publication of this new collection, the Balearic Federation of Music Bands and Music Associations seeks to disseminate the music of our bands beyond the boundaries of the individual towns where they are performed. By sharing these works, we aim to make them more widely known and to contribute to the preservation of the musical legacy of Mallorca.

Joan Xamena Sastre and Desfile Azul

This is a march for the town of Llucmajor’s own parade, although it’s also found in other archives, such as the Banda Música de Pollença archives, thanks to the efforts of musicians and conductors.

In the 1930s, Llucmajor was a hub of musical and concert activity. One of the most renowned musicians of that era was Joan Xamena (Porreres 1904 – Llucmajor 1964)Z, a trumpeter, bandleader, party hall owner and composer.

For the history of the work that we present here, we have to travel to the year 1936, right after the Francoist coup, during the first months of the Civil War, when Llucmajor’s military commander was the captain Jesús Jiménez Momediano, a Francoist.

Local accounts (and the sources heard it years later from Xamena’s own mouth) tell of a fateful evening at the cafe of Can Ganones. Captain Momediano entered, ordered everyone to leave, and then approached Xamena. He declared, “Tomorrow, we (the Phalangists) have a parade, and you’re required to compose a march for it.” Faced with Xamena’s resistance, Captain Momediano drew a revolver and placed it on the table. Given no choice, Xamena spent the night composing a military march titled “Desfile Azul” (Blue Parade).

About this edition

This edition is a compilation of the existing material in the archives of the Societat Cultural Musical i Recreativa Sa Música (Llucmajor) and the Banda de Música de Pollença. Most of the material used was original handwritten scores, along with copies, as several calligraphies and parts from different periods have been discovered. Over the years, some additional parts have been added that didn’t originally exist, and these have also been included in this edition.

The most recent additions are the snare drum and bass clarinet papers. These were likely added by Vicenç Fontelles, the percussionist of the Municipal Band of Palma – Simfovents. In the nineties, Fontelles was the master of percussion at the Sa Música school in Llucmajor and later became the director of the Music Band of Pollença. An oboe part has also been added, which is a copy of the flute part, to provide a more complete instrumentation.

Finally, it should be noted that the manuscripts described this work as “paso-double” or “double step,” which meant it was for a parade in step at twice the speed, i.e., at 120 steps per minute. This should not be confused with a pasodoble to be danced. To clarify this, the score now indicates that it is a “march” in addition to the speed indication.