Since 2005, the town has celebrated the Festa del Grito, a day to commemorate the independence of Mexico. For Mexicans living in Catalonia, this activity has established itself as one of the best Mexican homeland festivals in the Catalan Countries, partly because it is celebrated in the hometown of Jaume Nunó i Roca, composer of the Mexican national anthem. The party also strengthens the twinning of our town with San Luis Potosí, the town where Francisco González Bocanegra, the author of the lyrics of the anthem, was born.
Held on the Saturday closest to September 16 (the day of the "Grito de Dolores", which triggered Mexican independence), this day includes various activities throughout the day such as a craft fair and Mexican food, conferences, exhibitions, children's workshops, musical performances and traditional dances, mariachis and, of course, "El Grito de Independencia" by the Consul of the Consulate General of Mexico in Barcelona. The intention is that all attendees can savor a mixture of the most representative of traditional Mexican celebrations.
Currently, many men and women from Sant Joan and also Mexicans from all over Catalonia are enjoying a day of brotherhood while celebrating the union of the two towns.The activity is organized by the Sant Joan de les Abadesses City Council, with the collaboration of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Diputació de Girona, the Consulate General of Mexico in Barcelona, Mexcat, Casa América Catalunya and AB-InBev Corona .
Salvador Moreno Manzano, the booster
Salvador Moreno Manzano (Orizaba, Mexico, 1916 - Mexico City, 1999) was a Mexican musician and artist who had a very close relationship with Catalonia -especially with Barcelona and with our town-, where he resided from 1955 and until shortly before he died. He trained in Mexico with Carlos Chávez and, later, with Cristófor Taltabull. His repertoire includes lieder and piano pieces and he is also the author of the opera Severino (1961), with which the tenor Plácido Domingo debuted at the Liceu in 1966. He worked intensively in the promotion of Spanish-Mexican culture, he was part , among others, from the Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi, and held painting exhibitions in Mexico, Barcelona and Sant Joan de les Abadesses.
He was also the promoter of the first events in tribute to Jaume Nunó. In 1968, Moreno said in an interview with El Correo Catalán that it would be necessary to promote the placement of a commemorative plaque in the birthplace of the composer of his national anthem. Little by little, the project became more important and, in addition to the plaque, it was decided to build a fountain dedicated to the composer. But there was a big drawback in this proposal, since diplomatic relations between Mexico and the Spanish State were null at that time, but Salvador Moreno had contacts in the Spain-Mexico Bilateral Committee, chaired by Clemente Serna. In this way, and thanks to the intervention of Moreno, it was possible to carry out the construction of the fountain in Plaça Abadessa Emma, popularly known as Plaça dels Mexicans.
The remains of Salvador Moreno, who died in 1999 in Mexico, rest in the Sant Joan de les Abadesses cemetery at his own request.During the year 2016, on the occasion of the centenary of her birth, several commemorative events were held in Sant Joan de les Abadesses and in Barcelona.
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