Agenda Barcelona

Gema Corredera / Javier Colina Trío / Leonardo García / Martirio/Mayte Martín / Nelsa Baró/ Raúl Rodríguez /Sílvia Pérez Cruz

Al corazón de Marta Valdés

Singer-songwriter/ filin /jazz – various backgrounds

On this Friday night celebrating singer-songwriters, the Teatre Grec will host a concert in honour of a Cuban composer whose personal, original body of work has been covered by countless music greats. She passed away less than a year ago, but as we’ll see at this event, her poetry—inextricably linked to the music she composed—lives on.

Born in Havana in 1934, Marta Valdés devoted her life to composing songs. Hence, the rich legacy that has been performed by a wide range of renowned musicians, including some you’ll see at this concert: Gema Corredera, Javier Colina Trío, Leonardo García, Martirio, Mayte Martín, Nelsa Baró, Raúl Rodríguez and Sílvia Pérez Cruz, all in an evening under the musical direction of double bassist Javier Colina, a leading figure on the jazz and flamenco scene. They will be representing many other legendary performers, including Vicentico Valdés, Bola de Nieve, Elena Burke, Omara Portuondo, Miriam Ramos, Chano Domínguez, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Haydée Milanés, all of whom also performed songs by Marta Valdés. This evening dedicated to one of the greats of Latin American music will feature beloved songs such as Más allá de la música [Beyond Music] , Hay todavía una canción [There’s Still a Song], No te empeñes más [Don’t Insist], Llora Palabras [Cry, Words], with stars onstage and stars shining above.

The day before the concert, a related event organised with Casa Amèrica Catalunya will take place at Cinemes Girona (Carrer Girona, 175; 25 September, 7 p.m.), where the documentary Marta Valdés, soberana del tiempo [Marta Valdés, Queen of Time] by journalist Raúl Nogués and producer Juan Carlos Travieso Fajardo will be shown. The screening will be followed by a talk with musicians such as Gema Corredera, Martirio, Leonardo García and Raúl Rodríguez, as well as Marta Valdés’s great-niece Lena Duchesne, a musicologist. The moderator will be Darsi Fernández, a personal friend of Marta Valdés, cultural manager and producer and a lawyer specialising in cultural law.

For audiences aged 12 and up