Balada grew up in Barcelona in a liberal family under Francisco Franco's regime.
As he recalls, being raised to respect freedom of expression and equality caused him to admire post-World War II United States.
[1] In 1968, Balada received a commission by Spain's RTVE Symphony Orchestra to compose a work scored for them.
[weasel words] The symphony is dedicated to Enrique Franco, a fellow Spanish composer.
The movement list is as follows: The composition describes the journey of black people in the Americas from slavery to freedom.