Figures such as Frederic Mompou, Jordi Savall or Montserrat Caballé have been added to the list of musical ‘honoris causa’ doctors that the University of Barcelona has invested over time, starting this Monday two names, for the first time, coming from the popular sphere, Maria del Mar Bonet and Joan Manuel Serrat. Both have their roots in a cultural phenomenon, the ‘nova cançó’, with Els Setze Jutges as an agitating collective, merging, she recalled, “with the protest movement against the Franco regime, with its clashes with the police and censorship& rdquor ;.
Long shooting session, this Monday in the auditorium, with the Cor UB welcoming the speeches of the rector, Joan Guàrdia, and the historian Agustí Alcoberro. The Mallorcan singer-songwriter began by going back to her beginnings in Barcelona. “The city where I was trained as a singer. She will now be 56 years old & rdquor ;. From singing popular tunes to composing classics of the ‘cançó’, using Catalan “from the soul, as if it were not a restricted language, as the dear Joan Vinyoli used to say& rdquor;. And from there to the entire Mediterranean. “I have always considered it a country of mine: Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Egypt…”
A long way
He pointed to this “purple month & rdquor; to sing a piece, ‘Madona de sa cabana’, with Dani Espasa on keyboard, whose captivating ‘crescendo’ left the audience speechless. De Serrat said that he “has always had the sun in his hands & rdquor ;. And he did not deprive himself of showing her feelings. “Dear Maria del Mar, I appreciate your love so much and it makes me so happy… Life comes back every time I see you and I remember the path we have traveled & rdquor ;.
Serrat emphasized the psychic powers of music. “The saying goes that whoever sings his evil scares away, and it’s true: singing you share what you love and face what makes you uncomfortable& rdquor ;. He went back to the famous Pythagoras, who “2,500 years ago he already recommended singing and playing an instrument daily to combat fear, worry and anger& rdquor ;. At present, he continued, “there are many scientists who say that music has healing effects& rdquor ;.
The organic seed
Related news
Serrat recalled that he was a Biology student at the UB and evoked some professors who marked him: Bolòs, Prevosti, Pons Perafita and Margalef. “They centered the seed of ecology in me more than 50 years ago,” he said before singing ‘Pare’, accompanied by Kitflus, with neat severity. From there to a piece shared by both voices, ‘Cançó de l’amor petit’, by Serrat, of which Bonet made an adaptation one day.
An event with a social dimension, it was attended by the ‘Councillor’ for Culture, Natàlia Garriga, and the President of the Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol, as well as a multitude of colleagues, such as Joan Albert Amargós, Carles Benavent, Joan Isaac, Jofre Bardagí, Sílvia Comes, Mariona Sagarra and members of the Dharma. And in the front row, Serrat’s wife, Candela, and her two daughters. All, paying tribute to two creators, as Alcoberro pointed out, who “became leaders of a generation that wanted to change things& rdquor ;.