Leonard Cohen, Prince of Asturias Award for Letters

[BEATRIZ SALLES]

Leonard Cohen tribute to Lorca
From "La nueva España", an Oviedo newspaper

[Mabeanie1]

From "La nueva España", an Oviedo newspaper

I love this! I spent a lot of time studying Lorca's life and work when I studied Spanish about 20 years ago(no prize for guessing what put this idea in my head. Clue: it was't my Spanish lecturers ....) and I love it whenever my love of Lorca intersects with my love for Leonard's work. This cartoon sums it all up.

Thank you Beatriz and everyone else who has been posting reports and pictures from the events in Oviedo last week. I couldn't follow everything as it occurred but I did catch the end of the award ceremony and I have enjoyed going back to see what I missed.

Wendy

[Roy]

Okay I found one good vertical photo! This looks like the photos from the 2006 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

[lizzytysh]

Oh, thank you, Beatriz, for the footage clips... I want more!!! Such profound importance for Leonard to be so formally and officially recognized in and by the homeland of the man who deeply influenced his life, right down to his own daughter's name. It's the olde world of deep significance. So beautiful and meaningful.

[Roy]

LEONARD COHEN | HALLS OF FAME
The Official Halls of Fame Biographies of Leonard Cohen
http://www.leonardcohenhallsoffame.com

UPDATED!

UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!

[Goldin]

Well done, Roy, as always!

[rike]

After having greatly enjoyed all the photos, videos, and written accounts posted and commented on here by LC Forum members from around the world about LC being awarded the Prince of Asturias Award, I was brought back to reality as we seem to experience it here. See what was needed for the awards to be mentioned in the Huffington Post:

Princess Letizia Wears Sheer Dress To Prince of Asturias Awards (PHOTOS)-----(It appears on today's AOL home page.)

The Huffington Post Ellie Krupnick
First Posted: 10/22/11 11:46 PM ET Updated: 10/23/11 12:35 AM ET
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/2 ... 26901.html

[sturgess66]

Apologies if already posted but I don't see it.

Love the image at the end -

From jamacor4 on YouTube -

Premios Príncipe de Asturias 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AL4Vj28Nrs

22 oct 2011
Una vez más se cumplió la tradición y 8 personalidades del mundo de las artes, la ciencia o las humanidades recibieron este viernes los premios Príncipe de Asturias, en esta ocasión con algunos nombres muy conocidos de la música, como el autor Leonard Cohen, o el director de orquesta Ricardo Muti. También se han premiado los avances en el conocimiento del cerebro para luchar contra enfermedades como el Alzheimer o el Parkinson, o la larga carrera, desde los 9 años, del mejor atleta de fondo de todos los tiempos, el etíope Haile Gebrselassie. Hemos hablado con algunos de ellos, ejemplos de como el esfuerzo personal y el conocimiento hacen avanzar a la sociedad.

Google Translation
Again, the tradition was fulfilled and 8 personalities from the arts, science or the humanities received on Friday the Prince of Asturias prize, this time with some well known names in music, as the author Leonard Cohen, or conductor Ricardo Muti. Have also been awarded the advances in the understanding of the brain to combat diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, or the long run, since age 9, the best distance runners of all time, Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie. We spoke to some of them as examples of personal effort and do advance knowledge society.

[mutti]

Thank you everyone for all the posts and photos!
I especially want to thank Bea for all her photos and telling us about it first hand. How lucky you are to have been there
to experience it in person.
The elegance and grace of this award and the ceremony and all was delightful to watch.
I especially love the photo of Leonard sitting crosslegged with the students.
ah this has been really wonderful.
Thank you all and thank you Leonard for being you!
Leslie

[BEATRIZ SALLES]

This is a video of the Art exhibit inauguration at the University.
The speaker says Cohen lets footprints, on paper, on skin (see the autograph on a young girl's arm), with his paintings....
Listen to the University choir singing "Gaudeamus igitur..." that he started singing too at the beginning.
At the end of the video you will see the Web sisters in the background, and.... you can look for me at min 1:10....
All the little papers sticked around the paintings are messages from the students.

http://www.elcomercio.es/videos/asturia ... linar.html

[BEATRIZ SALLES]

Was the tribute concert filmed? Do you know if there will be anymore videos posted here for us to see from that concert?

Another little video,

Javier Mas, the Web sisters, Dukende, Nacho Vegas, Glen Hansard , Laura García Lorca, the Spanish poet nephew, and Mr Amorós a member of the jury reciting some of his poems and songs with the web sisters singing on the background

http://www.elcomercio.es/videos/asturia ... lanos.html

Here you have the cronicle on a local newspaper:

http://www.elcomercio.es/rc/20111020/ma ... 00312.html

[BEATRIZ SALLES]

From "El comercio" about Cohen's speech:

google translation

On behalf of the winners, spoke the poet, novelist and Canadian singer Leonard Cohen Prize for Literature. He was one of the most applauded by the crowd waiting at the entrance of the Teatro Campoamor. Even the band stopped playing bagpipes for a moment to cheer, to which he responded by removing his inseparable hat with a bow. Made and after the Italian conductor Riccardo Muti, the Arts Award; Cohen improvised his speech, which only has a precedent in the New York filmmaker, Woody Allen, in 2002.
Leonard Cohen was the excitement of many attendees, including Sofia, to tears. He told a story he had ever discussed in public. With his deep, velvety voice, recounted how he was a Spanish boy, whom she met in a park in Montreal, who taught him to play guitar. The boy committed suicide before the end of their classes and Cohen never knew why. "Everything that has been my work comes from that time. Everything is inspired by this land, for Spain," between the emotion of all. Before, he had stressed the importance of Granada poet, Federico Garcia Lorca, in its existence as an artist. Cohen recalled that "when I was young and wanted a voice in me, just found it when I read Lorca. He gave me permission to place my self, always unfinished, even now that I'm old," he explained to a rapt audience for a speech who was able to boot into the faces of those present expressions of deep emotion, from smiling to tears.


Original in Spanish:

Un discurso improvisado
En nombre de los premiados, intervino el poeta, novelista y cantautor canadiense, Leonard Cohen, Premio de las Letras. Fue uno de los más aplaudidos por la multitud que esperaba a la entrada del Teatro Campoamor. Incluso las bandas de gaitas dejaron de tocar por un instante para ovacionarle, a lo que respondió quitándose su inseparable sombrero con una reverencia. Como después hiciera el director de orquesta italiano, Riccardo Muti, Premio de las Artes; Cohen improvisó su discurso, algo que únicamente tiene un precedente en el cineasta neoyorquino, Woody Allen, en el año 2002.
Leonard Cohen llevó la emoción de muchos asistentes, incluida Doña Sofía, hasta las lágrimas. Contó una historia que jamás había explicado en público. Con su voz profunda y aterciopelada, narró cómo fue un joven español, al que conoció en un parque de Montreal, quien le enseñó a tocar la guitarra. El chico se suicidó a antes de finalizar sus clases y Cohen nunca supo porqué. "Todo lo que ha sido mi obra, viene de ese momento. Todo está inspirado por esta tierra, por España", dijo entre la emoción de todos. Antes, ya había recordado la importancia del poeta granadino, Federico García Lorca, en su existencia como artista. Cohen recordó que "cuando era joven y buscaba una voz en mí, sólo la encontré cuando leí a Lorca. Él me dio permiso para ubicar mi yo, siempre inacabado, incluso hoy que ya soy viejo", explicó ante un auditorio embelesado por un discurso que supo arrancar en los rostros de los asistentes expresiones de honda emoción, desde la sonrisa hasta las lágrimas.

[BEATRIZ SALLES]

Again from "El COmercio"
A cronicle of the cultural acts in Asturias around Cohen

http://www.elcomercio.es/v/20111021/cul ... 11021.html

[BEATRIZ SALLES]

ANother one about the act at the University and the students messages for him

http://www.elcomercio.es/20111020/mas-a ... 01436.html

Now I go to bed, back to work tomorrow!!

[B4real]

Thank you so much Bea,

I loved that first video at the art exhibition

.....and buenas noches

......my thanks to everyone else who has contributed to this thread. Much appreciated.