The Instituto Cervantes in New York is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the birth of the famous Spanish poet, playwright and prose writer Federico García Lorca, with a musical theatrical show that will unite all the disciplines he mastered.
In the voice of the singer Lucía Espín, accompanied by the musician Daniel Acebes, the show “El Universo de Lorca” includes poetry, theater, music, painting, and even testimonials from colleagues, relatives and countrymen of Lorca from Granada, Spain.
“Bringing this show to New York is very important because of what the city meant to Lorca,” said Espín.
The idea and concept of the project came from the singer, and she has already presented it on other stages in Europe, such as the Instituto Cervantes in London. One of the reasons why the poet is so significant to her is that they both share her birth date: June 5.
“Lorca has always been very present in my life. Most of the stuff I’ve done has been about him,” she added.
The poems and monologues have been chosen by Espín, who together with Acebes has made some musical variations for the show. Both have a long journey through the musical world. Espín has worked as an actress and singer in several productions such as “La pasión de Yerma”, a show where she also honors Lorca. She is also working on the production of her solo album that she hopes to release soon.
Acebes, for his part, has become known as the rock cello player, giving classical music a unique sound using the acoustic and electric cello. He has also worked with Latin Grammy-winning artists and is a winner of the Spanish talent show “Tú sí que vales”.
The show, in addition to presenting works by Lorca, will feature iconic themes from Spain, such as the famous song “Granada” composed by Agustín Lara, among other well-known flamenco tunes.
Lorca’s fame
Lorca is a figure of literature in the Spanish language who became known worldwide and after his assassination, during the Spanish revolution, he became a historical figure.
“The show has a didactic point, so that people who have not been so close to Lorca can enjoy his art,” added Espín. “Bringing this to New York is huge.”
One of Lorca’s most important and recognized works is “Poeta en Nueva York”, a set of poems composed during his stay in the city in the years 1929 and 1930. During this period, the stock market collapsed and this influenced his poetic vision.
Lorca once said: “poetry doesn’t want fans, it wants lovers”, and Lorca’s Universe will have the power to reach out to the audience and create new poetry lovers, as Espín explained.
The show is part of the Instituto Cervantes program “The word in music”, dedicated to the internationalization of arts and music in Spanish, and was organized in conjunction with the National Institute of Music and Performing Arts (INAEM), the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Spain and financed by the European Union.
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