Lolita Flores declares her love for Joan Manuel Serrat at the Restaurateurs' Guild lunch

BarcelonaThe capacity of the celebration in honour of Saint Eulalia promoted by the Barcelona Restaurant Guild is not matched by many other events in the city. Politicians, businessmen, performers, singers and, in particular, chefs who shape Catalan gastronomy meet at an event that leaves behind the tensions of the present day. In addition, this year the seventh celebration of the co-patron saint of Barcelona had the special prominence of Joan Manuel Serrat as guest of honour, who was introduced in the La Paloma party hall by the singer and fellow professional Lolita Flores.

After the opening speech by the mayor of the city, Jaume Collboni, Lolita Flores went up on stage admitting that she did not know where to start and where to end. "I am very nervous, really," she said as soon as she began what was a speech of homage to Serrat as a singer, a reference, a brother and a poet. "I knew the Mr. Serrat "When I was 13 years old, I went to see him at the Palau de la Música," the singer began by explaining, recalling the influence of her parents, Lola Flores and Antonio González, the Pescaílla, when I met the Chico del Poble-sec. "That day I not only discovered his music and his presence, but also the way he said things and the poet of our century, at least for me," said the one who is now a judge at Your face sounds familiar.

Through the songs of the one who became her reference, the singer of Sarandonga She explained that she was able to learn Catalan and also reflected on the artist's profession. "He taught me the drugs I could touch and the ones I could never touch. With him I learned to make octosyllabic verses," Lolita went on to list, visibly moved as her speech progressed without papers or a guide. "He was also the first one who warned me that I had to take care of my brother, after my mother died, because he warned me that he didn't know if my younger brother would bear the loss, as it ended up being," revealed the singer with tears in her eyes while receiving the accompaniment of the applause of an audience.

Lolita Flores' facet in the world of theatre

Despite the excitement, Lolita has continued on stage and also wanted to put on the table the reason why she no longer wanted to return to the stage: "Because I no longer feel like singing and because my voice is changing because of smoking and because the music industry closed the door in my face." But the door has been opened to the cultural industry of theater and cinema, a personal and professional turn that has had two key figures: "I started doing theater thanks to Joan Manuel Serrat and Diamond Square English: by Mercè Rodoreda".

After an emotional, sincere and raw speech, Serrat stood up to give her a standing ovation. Behind her, the entire audience in the stalls and the side stands joined in. "I'm not impressed by the fact that people stand up, because when I perform, people also stand up. There were various political figures such as José Montilla, Magda Oranich, Elisenda Alamany, Daniel Cirera, the businessman Lluís Sans, representatives from the field of communication such as Antoni Bassas, Samanta Villar, Xavier Grasset and Llucià Ferrer, as well as actors such as Queco Novell, Francesc Orella, Betsy Túrnez, Ag chefs such as Ada Parellada and Carme Ruscalleda. "I'll leave the handkerchiefs on the lectern, just in case," Lolita said to Serrat as he reached the lectern.

Joan Manuel Serrat does not allow himself to be paid tribute to just anyone and since his retirement from the world of music he has rarely been seen. But this Tuesday one of the greatest representatives of the Nova Cançó has gone up to the top of the stage to remember, to pay tribute and even to sing again, however. "There may be different reasons why I am up here today and am being paid tribute by the Gremio de la Restauración," he explained to the authorities, and also questioning Collboni, who had preceded him in the presentation of the event.

"Maybe I'm here today because I once had the audacity to open a restaurant," he began by pointing out his business venture, which he repeated by setting up a second business: a winery. "It was a real disaster. But failures help us understand things and then I understood even more all those businesses that manage to get ahead despite the blows of fortune," he said. The singer, who still has the gift of gab at 81 years of age, was following new reasons to be considered worthy of recognition by the Restaurant Guild. "Maybe because I'm an expert in fried eggs," he said, sharing with tenderness some moments of his humble childhood and also remembering great Catalan chefs who are still active and others who have passed on. Finally, Serrat got to the crux of the matter: "I'm here because I'm a very important part of this sector. I'm a consumer and I do it very well!" he exclaimed, making the more than two hundred attendees at the event burst out laughing.

With the final farewell of "hasta siempre", once again, the public has stood up to applaud the Barcelona icon. To end the day, Miguel Poveda, accompanied by the composer Joan Albert Amargós, has closed the party by performing the songs Father, Those little things and My street, who sang alongside Serrat from the stalls.