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Rosa Diaz
Barcelona (Spain), Dec 26 (EFE).- The Spanish singer-songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat will turn 80 tomorrow and he still has strength for many things because, even though he left the stage a year ago, his agenda is brimming with activity.
Since he put an end to his tours in December 2022 with an emotional concert in Barcelona, his hometown, his presence has multiplied in other arenas, with tributes and awards, such as the Medal of Honor from the General Society of Authors and Editors ( SGAE) or the National Culture of the regional government of Catalonia.
But not only the recognitions and awards have kept him busy, he has also given talks at Harvard University, he has maintained his close relationship with the NGO Open Arms, which operates in the rescue of immigrants in the Mediterranean, and he has made some appearances in friends concerts.
“I have retired from the stage, not from living,” says Joan Manuel Serrat to journalists who usually take advantage of these events to ask him how retirement feels to him.
“I live busier than ever,” admits Serrat, “who hopes that this will slow down a little, because I live faster than in my time on tour.”
He is not the only one who is active, so are the journalists who have followed him since his beginnings, such as Juan Ramón Iborra, who recently published ‘About Joan Manuel Serrat’.
“Serrat has not finished his cycle, he is still going to surprise us,” the author of this magnificent book, halfway between an essay and a biography, tells EFE.
The avalanche of awards he is receiving these days should have arrived a long time ago, according to the journalist, but it is never too late if the happiness is good and these tributes allow the singer-songwriter to continue expressing himself and transmitting thoughts and emotions, as he has always done, but with more words and fewer songs.
“Serrat is not just a musician,” says Iborra, “he is also an ethical reference and, as such, he is not going to disappear. People like him do not retire and dedicate themselves to sunbathing.”
The author of ‘About Serrat’ is convinced that he will continue communicating with his audience in different ways and does not rule out that one of them may be musical.
“Joan Manuel has continued composing and I’m sure he has a drawer full of sheet music,” he warns. “He’s very busy now but, as soon as he has time for it, he’ll probably release a new album.”
What is most unlikely is that he will embark on a tour, because Serrat himself has said several times that it is a formula that is “too demanding” and he prefers to use other forms of expression.
The singer-songwriter has reaffirmed himself many times during this last year in his decision to leave the stage as he has done, “in good health and without any compelling reason to do so.”
Serrat is convinced that it is better to say goodbye “when there is no disaffection among people” and he is “happy to have dedicated his life to making songs”, something he continues to do, “in private”.
But he is also aware that age forces us to set limits and speaks of old age as a difficult stage.
“I don’t really like the path I’m going on,” admits the singer-songwriter, “but since I know I can’t change it, run and get as much good out of it as you can.” EFE
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(Archive resources at www.lafototeca.com at the URL http://bit.ly/1i59cdi)
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