this Spanish Theater Madrid a tribute to the figure hosted this Monday Almudena GrandesThe author, who died of cancer at the age of 61 in November and was named the city’s Favorite Girl after her family’s death, is the first woman to receive this award.
Despite the scorching heat the city was exposed to this afternoon, large numbers of people lined up at the theater’s doors to witness a performance attended by many figures from the worlds of culture and politics.
Not so, is José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the mayor of Madrid, who has expressed his refusal to give the title to the Grandes – he eventually agreed in exchange for saving the budgets – and hid behind the agenda reasons not to participate. The final part of the political fight around the author’s institutional recognition.
Presidential Minister Félix Bolaños attended on behalf of the government.
poet and director of the Cervantes InstituteThe author’s widow, Luis García Montero, was the one with the children.He rose to the Spanish charts to get the author’s admission that “more illusions” would do.
“His city was Madrid, the city of his literature was Madrid.Each of the stories he told in his novels was the history of Madrid, lived from the inside by the men and women of Madrid,” said García Montero. “The Madrid City Council institutionally represents the people of Madrid. (…) He showed his love for Almudena”.
The public gave the poet and his children a standing ovation for minutes, and an emotional Garcia Montero said: “When someone has suffered a great loss, it’s hard to find meaning in life, but people’s love, emotion, friendship. little by little gives meaning to a life to our children, our family (…) “.
Various recordings of the author are reproduced below, and Joaquín Sabina, describing Grandes as “absolutely irreplaceable”, took the paintings and added that “not after his death, because in his books he lives in wonders and will always live on”. “Love poems from the heart of Luis García Montero and his friends who loved him so much.”
Then the actress Blanca Portillo read to the public some pages of the author.Accompanied by pianist Rosa Torres-Pardo, Garcia Montero sang ‘Fandango de Lavapiés’.
Author Marta Sanz spared a few words to Grandes, who “speaks from the almost dual perspective of scientific knowledge and curiosity to explore” about her city, and Natalia Menéndez, artistic director of the Spanish Theatre, spoke of the special relationship between the two artists. The author owns this place where he takes part in impromptu meetings in his bar before and after witnessing the works.
The closing was moderated once again by the recitation of two poems by García Montero, one dedicated to Madrid and the other to his wife ‘La immortalidad’. “I wrote it thinking about what God would remember about me when he closed the door, but in the end it was just the opposite,” he concluded.
The last to receive the title of Favorite Son are Plácido Domingo (2012), Julio Iglesias (2015) and city planner Arturo Soria posthumously (2021).