Lorca’s Lorquian journey began in Matanzas.

The event began precisely on the day of his 127th birthday and the 95th anniversary of his trip to Cuba, where he provoked a spatial, splendorous atmosphere that extended from the intelligentsia to the people, capable of reciting his verses or crying with his theatrical tragedies.

“Federico Garcia Lorca is the most read and represented author in Cuba”, highlighted the National History Award, Urbano Martinez Carmenate, when inaugurating the Lorca Day in Matanzas.

And it is precisely that the event began on the day of his 127th birthday and the 95th anniversary of his trip to Cuba, where he provoked a spatial, splendorous atmosphere, which spread from the intelligentsia to the people, able to recite his verses or cry with his theatrical tragedies, a mirror of the burning blood of Spain, which also runs through our veins.

At the El Mirón Cubano Theater, Urbano, author of the book «García Lorca y Cuba. Todas las aguas“, signified the wake he left in the city of rivers and bridges, ”with the mystery and grace of an elf» during his fleeting visit, in 1930, which took him to the Ermita de Monserrate to admire the Yumurí Valley and to converse with the poor children of the Simpson neighborhood on his way.

His assassination in 1936 by fascist hordes shocked Cubans.

Since then he has been called here “warm seed”, “Federico, pomegranate and spring”, among many affections that derive from the greatness of his being and the universality of his texts.

On the inaugural evening, those present enjoyed the excellent performance of the Nova Danza company, directed by Kenia Carrazana, with a fragment of the work entitled “Campanas del Alba”, an allegory of Lorca’s drama.

In an itinerant cycle, the day continued at the Casa de las Letras Digdora Alonso for the promotion of the plaquette “Son”, with the famous poem that begins: “When the full moon arrives/I will go to Santiago de Cuba”, in a deep research and editorial work of each verse, by the poet laureate Alfredo Zaldívar, director of Matanzas editions and National Publishing Award.

Then, two bibliographic samples of the Andalusian writer were shown at the Gener and Del Monte libraries and at Vigía Editions.

In the afternoon, the José White Concert Hall hosted the screening of the documentary “Lorca in Havana”, by Spanish directors José Antonio Torres and Antonio Manuel, produced this year by Plano Katharsis Producciones, with a script based on the book by Urbano Martínez Carmenate.

Back to El Mirón Cubano, the play La casa de Bernarda Alba was staged by the Trébol Gitano group. Lorca returns to Matanzas.

Written by María Elena Bayón.