Acoustic exposure and fire: an analysis of ‘correfocs’ in Barcelona

In Catalunya, devils are people belonging to a ‘Colla’ (a group partaking in fire and drumming street performances called a ‘Correfoc’). Many devils are part of a ‘colla’ for decades, thus exposing their hearing to extreme levels of sound several times a year. This can result in aural diversity and health being negatively impacted by the sound devils willingly expose themselves to. This paper examines the intricacy behind the sense of belonging and why the health impacts do not seem to deter participation in ‘correfocs’, a temporary making of place in the city. It also explores why are fireworks’ producers keeping their product so loud. The methodology has been a combination between quantitative methods (survey to ‘colles’ to gather information on placemaking and sensory perception and the sense of community) with qualitative methods (interviews to devils and pyrotechnic manufacturers). There is also an autoethnographic component during fire season 2022. There is a strong sense of belonging ascribed to a ‘colla’ and this influences devils to oversee their personal health. There is a tradition to pyrotechnical artifacts loudness that is now under review by the city, but change will be slow. The paper concludes proposing an aurally sustainable approach to partaking in this inherent element of Catalan popular culture. The originality of this paper is its transdisciplinary approach (between urban sociology, aural studies, and sensory studies) and the bodily effects of place-making during a correfoc.