The Balearic newspaper Última Hora has reported the death of Joan Roca, Antònia Font’s bassist, at the age of 53, after a long illness.
Roca joined the Mallorcan band in the early years of its career, during the recording of ‘A Rússia’, and remained with the lineup until the group’s split in 2013. His bass was present on all subsequent records, contributing to Antònia Font’s distinctive sound on acclaimed albums such as ‘Alegria’, ‘Taxi’, ‘Batiscafo Katiuscas’, ‘Lamparetes’, or ‘Vostè és aquí’.
With the band’s reunion in 2022, Roca returned to the stage alongside Joan Miquel Oliver, Pau Debon, Pere Debon and Jaume Manresa, also taking part in the album ‘Un minut estroboscòpica’, which marked the comeback of one of Catalan music’s most important groups.
His last concert with Antònia Font was last June at Mallorca Live Festival, a thunderous performance that no one could have imagined would end up being a farewell.
