Thirty years after its foundation, the group of devils and drummers Els Bocs de Can Rosés collaborates with the associative fabric of the neighborhood and promotes self-financed projects to be able to maintain itself many more years.
In a context of consolidation of the first devil groups in the city of Barcelona, in 1996 the Bocs de Can Rosés association was born to offer the first fire parade at the main festival of the Les Corts neighborhood that same year. “To be ready for the first performance we had to rush, but, at the appointed time, we were with our more or less painted costumes and our prepared pitchforks, influenced by the Terrassa group,” explains Enric Pradas, one of the founders of the entity. The following year, in 1997, Pradas recalls, the Bocs de Can Rosés group already represented the Les Corts neighborhood during the La Mercè festivities where, for the first time, both devils and drummers participated.
About to disappear
With the passing of the years, the group kept growing and became known throughout Catalonia, constantly collaborating with other groups from different cities.
However, the association gradually lost members progressively. "Time made some of those who were there at the beginning get tired and, in 2006, we were about to disappear," comments Pradas. Despite this, the members who still kept the group active carried out numerous meetings to restructure the project. "Everything started working again, a quite numerous, cohesive, and enthusiastic group continued closing the neighborhood festivals in Can Rosés square year after year," recalls Pradas with pride. At that moment, the group gathered many young people eager to participate in the different events that were organized.
Currently, however, between the drummers and the devils the group is made up of more than 30 members, the majority residents of the district between 20 and 40 years old. "From time to time, there are also people from Sants and other bordering neighborhoods," explains Ramón Navarro, member of the Bocs for more than a decade. Navarro comments that "the world of fire is a quite masculinized space." That is why the entity "works in different ways so that this is not the case," for example, appointing both a man and a woman as group leaders.
“The City Council does not help”
With the will to keep alive the associative fabric, the Bocs constantly collaborate with the other six devil groups of the district. "They also invite us to participate in events throughout Catalonia," says Navarro.
Although the tradition of correfocs and drummers remains alive, this resident of Les Corts points out that generational replacement is not assured. “The people who join stay for two years and then leave,” laments Navarro.
To face this and taking advantage of the celebration of its 30th anniversary, the Bocs group has published a children's story and has launched a crowdfunding campaign. The book tells the story of Aegis, the group's fire beast, which this 2026 also celebrates 10 years of life.
“We have to find other sources of funding because the City Council does not help us,” denounces Navarro. The members of the group explain that they are subject to a public thoroughfare license with some schedules for rehearsing “very limited.” “We lack infrastructures,” they demand.
Despite this, next June 6, the Bocs de Can Rosés will celebrate their 30 years in Can Rosés square. "We must work for a neighborhood that cannot be allowed to be lost," concludes Pradas.
