Sunday 26 July 2009

100 X 100 Serrat

El Lienzo Norte, the Congress Palace was opened in April. the Town Hall has invested a lot of money to have a place for big events to be held in Ávila. There was nothing similar. It hosts an Exhibition Room, two Concert Rooms, smaller rooms for meetings, a cafeteria and a wonderful terrasse viewing the Walls.
The idea is using it for both working and amusement events.
It was amusement yesterday. 100 X 100 Serrat concert.
Serrat is one of those singers that became famous when we were still fighting for democracy and freedom. He dared to put music to those poets who had to leave the country after the Civil War, he dared to write about everyday's feelings and emotions, he dared to demonstrate in favour of conscience prisoners. He is the music of our youth.
This is why the room was full with people my age who had taken with them younger people to share that old emotion.


On a very simple stage, with his guitar and his pianist, a bottle of cava, two glasses and the lights Serrat took us on a journey to his best songs. Dressed in jeans and a blue shirt, he talked with us, the audience to make us live a magic evening.

May this spirit of freedom gets everybody.

6 comments:

ivasil said...

I'm sure it was a night to remember. I'm so glad you could be there, to live and re-live that joy and emotion. These things never die.
What's "conscience prisoners"?

caluad said...

People taken to prison becasue of their ideas. Not only politicians were taken to prison, but teachers, students, workers. Anybody that showed oposition to the government. People who were acting according to their conscience.

ivasil said...

I see. Thanks. We had that here, too, but not with this name.

ivasil said...

One more question, if I may. I have been reading (sleepless night!)about Serrat singing in Catalan, as you mentioned, and about Franco's language politics. But I also saw that there is a Leonese language, in Castilla y Leon. Does its area extend as far as Avila or not? I guess not, Avila is part of Old Castile,from the historical point of view. right? And why do you say Castilian instead of Spanish, to emphasize diversity? Sorry, it was more than one question after all.
OK, got to "fly". See you.

caluad said...

No, there is not such a thing as Leonese nowadays. In fact, spanish as a written language started in a monastery in León. but there is not any language called Leonese. and you are right, we called it Castillian as a way to reinforce diversity. I must say that Castillian people, even me, have not the same regional feeling as in Basque Country or Catalonia. Perhaps because the central government in the hardest times was in Madrid and everything was "ordered" from this part of the country. Madrid was not autonomous then, it belonged to Castilla la Nueva. Anyway, I believe in idversity but I don't want to be restricted to an area. I feel more open.

ivasil said...

Thanks for the answer.