Artists
Mònica Torra voice and narration
Actress and narrator of stories since 2003, Torra began her activity as a result of a course she did with Venezuelan narrator Ruben Martínez. Since then she has remained close to the world of storytelling, for both children and adults. As a member of the theatre and animation company Deparranda, she has participated in the activities l’Aventura de llegir (the Adventure of Reading), promoted by the Provincial Council of Barcelona, and l’Hora del conte (Storytime), organised by the network of libraries in Catalonia and the Spanish state, and in festivals such as EVA and Fira Mediterrània. Halfway between tradition and innovation, she addresses all audiences with a naturalness and freshness and experiments by fusing songs, such as bolero and couplet, music and storytelling in sessions loaded with emotion, sensuality and fun.
Txema Riera piano
Born in 1981, he studied classical piano up to intermediate level, which was when he became interested in jazz. Initially self-taught in the modern method, he studied instruments with Guillermo Klein, with whom he also learned musical composition techniques. He later graduated from the ESMUC (College of Music of Catalonia), where he worked with Joan Díaz, Joan Monné and Albert Bover, among others, and received classes from Sophia Rossoff, Bruce Barth and Michael Kanan. Later on, he did a Master’s in Interpretation of Early Music at ESMUC, specialising in the historic organ, with organist Javier Artigas.
Program
Narrative concert set to music from the Barcelona of the 30s and 40s which features some of the most famous couplets which would have been heard around El Paral·lel, such as Remena, nena, El vestir d’en Pasqual and Jo vull ser miss… They are brought to you by the voice of Mònica Torra accompanied on the piano by Txema Riera and via historical sound recordings which have been preserved by the Museu de la Música. Take a stroll through the theatre-cafés of the time and enjoy the double entendres, irony and large helpings of humour.
