Mario Montané proposed a musical adaptation of the poems of Antonio Machado. The singer performed melodies and arrangements that respected Machado’s concise and contemplative language. In interpreting the poems “Caminante,” “La plaza tiene una torre,” “La noria,” and “Sólo que tú me llevabas,” Mario Montané’s voice engaged with harmonic textures and explored the intimacy of the texts treated as soundscapes. The musical gesture emphasized simplicity: pure vocal lines, guitar accompaniment that amplified the echo of the verses.
The singer concluded the concert with a personal creation “El Sitio”: his tribute to Antonio Machado. Musician Mario Montané used to be the lead singer of the group Confidencial. A retired Spanish teacher, he is passionate about Hispanic literature.
Before the musical part, the Catalan artist and writer Manuel Menéndez led a meeting dedicated to the Machado brothers: prominent figures in Spanish literature of the 20th century. Manuel Menéndez discussed the destinies of Antonio Machado and Manuel Machado, who chose the Francoist side in 1936 but were still connected by unbreakable fraternal bonds and mutual respect.
These events, attended by a large audience, took place within the framework of the 6th cultural, republican, and trans-Pyrenean meetings organized by the association of former Spanish guerrillas in France-French forces of the interior.
