UAB to acknowledge the dissemination tasks of singer and songwriter Paco Ibáñez

The work carried out by Paco Ibáñez as a disseminator of Spain's literary history will be recognised at an event held on 15 October at the UAB. The event also will include the presentation of a project conducted by education centres from El Prat de Llobregat and the singer will interpret some of his songs.

08/10/2014

On 15 October, the UAB will host an event in recognition of Paco Ibáñez and his working in disseminating Spain's literary heritage. He will interpret some of his songs at the event. This event is organised by the Arxiu Occità (Institute of Medieval Studies), the José Agustín Goytisolo Chair, Cultura en Viu, the Centre de Recursos Pedagògics del Prat de Llobregat and the Ministry for Education of the Government of Catalonia.

The event will be divided into two parts. At 9 am, the Plaça Cívica's Cinema Hall will offer a session in which the project carried out by centres in El Prat de Llobregat will be presented. The students of these centres worked with teaching material based on songs written by Ibáñez in the 2013-2014 academic year, with the aim of coming into contact with Spanish literary heritage, through its different languages, music and oral expression. The project was directed by Antoni Rossell, professor of the UAB Department of French and Romance Languages. Antoni Rossell and Sílvia Carrasco, Vice Rector for Students and Cooperation at the UAB, will be presenting the session.

Following the session, at 11 am at the Theatre Hall of the UAB, also at the Plaça Cívica, UAB Rector Ferran Sancho, and José Enrique Ruíz Domènec, Director of the UAB Institute of Medieval Studies, will present the academic event dedicated to Paco Ibáñez. The session will begin with the song Palabras para Julia, a poem by José Agustín Goytisolo with music by Paco Ibáñez, which will be interpreted by the UAB Choir. Antoni Rossell will offer a conference entitled "La poesia i la música en Paco Ibáñez". Finally, at 1 pm, the event will end with the singer interpreting a few of his songs.

Adaptations of Classic and Contemporary Works

Francisco Ibáñez Gorostidi (València, 1934) went into exile in France with his family after the Spanish Civil War because of the political activities of his father. His political commitment forced his to stay in France during many periods of the Franco Dictatorship and his songs were forbidden in Spain.

While living in Paris in the 1950s, he was influenced by the music of Georges Brassens, Atahualpa Yupanqui and Léo Ferré, as well as by a series of existentialists. In 1964, he recorded his first musicalised poems by Luis de Góngora and Federico García Lorca. Since then he has dedicated his career to putting music to poems by classic and contemporary authors from Spain and Latin America, including Quevedo, Blas de Otero, Jorge Manrique, Gabriel Celaya, Miguel Hernández and Nicolás Guillén. He established a close relationship in Barcelona with poet José Agustín Goytisolo.

Ibáñez has twice been awarded with the medal of honour "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" conferred by the French government. He refused to accept the medal on both occasions, as well as all other awards and mentions that he has been granted.

More information: Paco Ibáñez at the UAB