Els Setze Jutges

Els Set Jutges ( " The Sixteen Judges " ) were a group of songwriters in Catalan language. It was founded in 1961 by Miquel Porter, Remei Margarit and Josep Maria Espinàs. The name comes from a very popular in the Catalan -speaking tongue-twisters ( "set jutges d'un jutjat quantities fetge d'un Penjat ", literally translated: "Sixteen judges of a court eat the liver of a hanged man ").

Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia are historical regions and differ from the rest of Spain by each distinct culture, history and language. The Second Spanish Republic was the worn 1931 bill and these regions granted considerable autonomy. With the end of the civil war in 1939, General Franco broke up all the institutions of the Republic and established a dictatorship that lasted until his death in 1975. The abolition of democracy and autonomy also led to the suppression of anything that did not serve a pan- Spanish identity. The Catalan language and culture could survive from then on only in secret.

In this repressive environment in 1961 some Catalan artists and intellectuals joined forces with the aim to provide cultural resistance. One of the first clandestine appearances was announced as follows:

" Sessio EXTRAORDINARIA dedicada a la Poesia de la Nova Cançó. Interpretaran cançons pròpies, traduccions catalanes de G. Brassens i de " Porgy and Bess". "

"Special Presentation to the poetry of a new song. There are own songs, Catalan translations of G. Brassens and from " Porgy and Bess" carried forward. "

Thus, the term Nova Cançó ( " The Last Song " ) was coined. The founder of the Nova Cançó called themselves " Els Set Jutges ". This even for Catalan-speaking difficult and non - Catalans almost impossible to pronounce name was deliberately chosen as a provocation against the official culture of Francoism. The artistic program was to promote the use of the Catalan language in modern music. In addition to his own compositions, they were the main songs of French cabaret singer before, notably by Georges Brassens. In addition to the three founders of the group occurred in the subsequent period until its completion on 16 judge other artists in the following order to:

Also, the Valencian songwriter Raimon was connected to the beginning of his career with the Set Jutges.

In the same dimensions as the dictatorship lost through aging of the dictator in power, the movement of the Nova Cançó professionalized. The progressive spirit of the early years had gradually and those members of the Set Jutges who harbored no professional ambitions, leaving little by little the group until they finally broke up.

Of the sixteen Jutges only Francesc Pi de la Serra, Guillermina Motta, Joan Manuel Serrat, Maria del Mar Bonet, Lluís Llach and Rafael Subirachs have embarked on a professional career in music.

On 13 April 2007, the artist group received the Medal of Honour of the Parliament of Catalonia for their services for the Catalan language and culture during the dictatorship. In awarding the honor Maria del Mar Bonet criticized the late recognition because now with Miquel Porter and Delfí Abella two of the sixteen members had died.

• Culture ( Catalonia )
• Nova Cançó