Joan Manuel Serrat was awarded the 2024 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts. The Spanish singer-songwriter, poet and musician is worthy of recognition after a long and respected career, shortly after he decided to retire from the stage at the age of 80.
The 2024 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts is a compliment to her extensive career and her exceptional contribution to the cultural heritage of the Spanish language. This prestigious award not only underlines his ability to intertwine lyrics with unforgettable melodiesbut also honors his significant influence on popular culture and its role as a bridge between generations of listeners and readers in the Spanish-speaking world.
Serrat was born on December 27, 1943 in Barcelona. Throughout his distinguished career, he has emerged as one of the most emblematic figures of popular music in Spanish and Catalan, pioneering the fusion of poetic genres with contemporary popular music.
Serrat began his musical career in the mid-60s and achieved widespread recognition with his debut album, Ara que tinc vint anys.
He is known for his musical adaptations of poems by renowned poets, such as Antonio Machado and Miguel Hernández, which has contributed to spreading poetry through music to a wider audience.
Serrat retired from the stage in December 2022, with a monumental concert in Barcelona as a farewell to who is in his own right one of the great musicians in the history of this country.
