The king of the roost

Edicions Cal·ligraf has published the book Oleeé! Torno a ser aquí (Oleeé! I'm Here Again) by radio broadcaster Jordi Vendrell (Manlleu, 1947 - Barcelona, ​​2001). It is a fitting tribute, documenting Vendrell's career through the testimonies of family, friends, colleagues, and collaborators. The book's hosts are Nurith Levy and Jordi Rodón, who organize its most interesting contents, such as the diary on the creation, launch, and first steps of the program L'orquestra (Catalunya Ràdio), or the appendix, which today seems subversive, which transcribes the broadcast that, due to political censorship against the independence movement, silenced the successful orchestra.

A son of the Pallardó generation and the legendary Al mil por mil , an accomplice to the vital and spectral spirit of Jordi Costa, Vendrell was not sectarian. He knew how to be excited by the depths of Constantino Romero's voice, the creative effervescence of Luís Arribas Castro, or the strategic silences of Jesús Quintero or José Maria García (whom he especially liked when he heard them lighting a cigarette). In a radio studio, Vendrell played at downplaying himself, but in reality, he was demanding and a perfectionist when it came to, so to speak, "controlling the scene." He knew that repetition is the secret to building his own style. Perhaps that's why he insisted on sharing names like "La Mercantil Radiofónica" (with his partners Ramon Barnils, Quim Monzó, and Judit Sala), or expressions like "oleeé" or "àpali" with which he combated persistent hypotension.

In a radio studio, Jordi Vendrell played at downplaying himself.

Another defining element was laughter, halfway between a spontaneous reaction and a calculated resource used as a lubricant against the temptation of transcendence and petulance. Later, when he listened to himself—often the program was recorded, and he listened to it to improve—he didn't always like what he heard. In his diary, he writes: "Maybe I laugh too much: I need to try laughing further away from the microphone." It's a concern for the detail that has been lost. Today, the omnipresent, strident laughter is in fashion, and a repetitive, tiresome informality prevails, more mechanized than subtle.

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He later became a pioneer in internet radio education, with a community of advocates, members, and supporters who are now leaders in the Catalan digital world. He had exquisite musical taste, which he shared with the great Xavier Salvà, and in another life, he produced two immortal albums: Brossa d'ahir by Pep Laguarda and Carabruta by Gato Pérez. Being an Apple fanatic, I asked him one day to recommend a computer. He said, "Buy an iMac, they're gorgeous." Seeing me hesitate, he insisted, "Do you need any other reason than a gorgeous design?" I listened.