| HIPHOP RAP POETRYSLAM DANCE FLAMENCO VERSE |
... with the poetry of Miguel Hernández as the common thread.
This original, eccentric yet artistic tribute to one of the absolute cultural icons from the Spanish-speaking world does not come a moment too soon.
In Spain, Miguel Hernández (1910-1942) is now just as timeless and famous as his idol Federico García Lorca. The number of musicians, Flamenco and non-Flamencos, who have put poems from him to music is impressive. The counter stands at 248 interpreters, 168 of his poems were set to music. This resulted in 510 songs and 216 CDs with his poetry (source: the book “Miguel Hernández…y su palabra su hizo música” by Fernando Gonzalez Lucini(2018)).
He served as inspiration for Joan Baéz, Paco Ibañez, Víctor Jara and Joan Manuel Serrat, among others. Some famous Flamencos who devoted work to him are Enrique Morente, Carmen Linares, Miguel Poveda, Niño de Elche, ...
It is therefore high time to highlight him in our language area.
His authoritarian father forced him to stay home from school when he was 14 years old. He became a goatkeeper. But his love and interest in poetry and literature did not let him go and he nevertheless continued. Despite the prohibition of his father and his profession as a shepherd, he nevertheless developed into a renowned poet and playwright.
As a young man he went to Madrid and got into contact with the Nobel Prize winner in literature Vicente Aleixandre and with Pablo Neruda.
During the civil war he fought actively as a republican soldier on the front, against fascism.
!! Young people in Spain who want to react against the imposed “Pacto del Olvidio” (Pact of Oblivion) into a subtle but culturally stylish way, do so by continuing to perform work from Miguel Hernández. He who, during the Franco regime, was not allowed to become a martyr and died silently in the dark quarters of the fascist dungeons.
These young people ensure, that by continuing to perform Miguel Hernández, the poet will never become forgotten!
That is why present this musictheater-production with young people of today, and with their genres (rap, hip hop, poetry slam, dance).
He wrote his world-famous poem NANAS DE LA CEBOLLA (Onion Lullaby) when he was already suffering from tuberculosis.
Picked up by Caudillo's henchmen, he was sent from prison to prison for years, until he became seriously ill.
This lullaby came about after Josefina Manresa, his wife, informed him in a letter that she was suffering from famine in such a way that she only had onions to feed their 2-year-old son.
With his own death in mind, Miguel Hernández then chose to respond with this timeless poem drenched in comfort, hope and fatherly love. So not in anger or despair because of his own hopeless situation.
It is inconceivable that the life and work of Miguel Hernández has not yet been discovered by Hollywood. And it is quite bizarre that he has never been mentioned as a subject by the better European filmmakers.
La Barraca on the other hand ... can count on Herwig Deweerdt as a director.
Also in "Onion Lullaby": a.o. Sam De Waele (hip hop / break dance), ...
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Elvis Peeters
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| photos© Thomas Sweertvaegher |
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