The Beatles Nàked Pòdcast” border crossing
On Saturday 3rd of May, Queen Mary University of London hosted a very special session of the "Beatles Nàked Pòdcast," a program that, for the first time in its history, crossed borders to record an episode abroad. This podcast, created and presented by teachers Borja Granell (Sueca) and Pau Bou (Fortaleny), brought together members of the Valencian diaspora in London to reflect on music, migration, and the sense of belonging, using the work of The Beatles as a common thread.
A Valencian Podcast in the Heart of London
"We were very excited because it's the first time we've gone abroad with something that is very local: a podcast in Valencian made by people from La Ribera," explained Borja Granell about this unique experience. For him and Pau Bou, this recording has been a new challenge: "It's not the same being at home as being away. We've also recorded this season at the University of Alicante and at Casa Cantonera in Algemesí, but there we knew the people. It's not the same being in Algemesí as being in London, of course," Granell pointed out.
With his characteristic touch of humor, Granell added: "Imagine having the nerve to go talk about The Beatles in their home and on top of that in Valencian, right?" But far from bringing folkloric elements, what they brought was "the Valencian language to a London university," thus highlighting the importance of language as a cultural vehicle beyond our borders.
Valencians UK: A Bridge Between Cultures
The episode, organized jointly with the Valencians UK collective and recorded at Queen Mary University of London, featured the participation of Jordi Miquel, a media and content creation lecturer from Alzira residing in London, and Malena Benavent, a student at the Royal College of Music in London, who performed a violin version of "Nowhere Man," a song that, in Granell's words, "talks about being outside, about not feeling like you belong anywhere in particular," thus establishing a parallel with the experience of the Valencian diaspora.
Additionally, the episode featured the participation of Barnaby Bouchard, a young Englishman settled in Sueca and fully integrated into Valencian social and linguistic life, who provided the opposite perspective: that of an Englishman in La Ribera. This dual perspective enriches the dialogue and shows how cultures can intertwine and nourish each other.
Beyond The Beatles
The "Beatles Nàked Pòdcast" has accumulated more than 100,000 plays on major streaming platforms, but its creators are clear: although it may seem like it, "it's not a podcast about The Beatles." "Initially, it was born from a shared passion between Pau and me, which was The Beatles' music, but as the program grew, we realized it was a space where many more things could fit," recalls Granell.
Throughout its four seasons, the podcast has addressed topics as diverse as religion and atheism with priest Alejandro Navarro regarding the song "God," the revolutions of the 20th century with professor Roser Baldoví on the theme "Revolution," the anti-fascist struggle with Guillem Agulló—father of the murdered young man—under the umbrella of "Julia," or the limits of humor with comedian Xavi Castillo based on the censored cover of the album "Yesterday and Today" by the Liverpool quartet.
A Name That Says It All
The name "Nàked" synthesizes this mixture between Anglo-Saxon culture and the roots of La Ribera. "It speaks to the spirit of what the podcast is: Anglo-Saxon culture has a lot of weight and it's made in La Ribera. By naming it this way, with the open accent on the 'a', we create a kind of Anglo-Valencian neologism. It's trying to condense the spirit of the podcast into a single word," explains Granell.
A Space Open to New Voices
The episode recorded in London will be published in the coming weeks on major streaming platforms. Granell emphasizes that the project is an open space: "We are easy to find on social media and platforms, and just as we receive proposals, we are open to any voice that wants to participate even if it's not linked to music."
This initiative demonstrates how Valencian culture can cross borders and establish dialogues with other realities, always maintaining its essence and using its own language as a vehicle for expression. The "Beatles Nàked Pòdcast" not only talks about music but builds bridges between the banks of the Xúquer and the Thames, between Valencia and London, between the local and the global.