By The Star Staff
The first semifinal of the 55th National Troubadour Contest 2023 will take place on the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 27 at the Plaza de Recreo in Morovis, the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (ICP by its Spanish initials) announced earlier this week.
“The National Troubadour Contest and the Young Cuatristas Contest are events that keep our traditional expressions of Puerto Rican music alive,” ICP Executive Director Carlos Ruiz said. “We continue working to preserve our traditions and opening spaces for young people to continue participating and enriching our cultural values.”
The second of three semi-finals will be held on Sunday, Oct. 15 in Comerío, and the third will be on Sunday, Nov. 12 in Juana Díaz. All semifinals will start at 3 p.m. and additional entries will be allowed before each event.
In the contest, troubadours must improvise musical cuatro pieces. The winners of the semifinals will compete for the title against champion Humberto Martínez in the final on Nov. 19 in San Germán.
The categories from 11 to 17 years old in the Young Cuatristas Contest also will be evaluated.
“We have seen how in recent years the cuatro has developed hand in hand with young musicians who have integrated it into various musical genres,” said ICP Music Program Director Rubén Amador, highlighting the inclusion this year of pieces of contemporary popular music.
Registration and more information can be found on the ICP website and CulturalPR.com or by writing to jacosta@icp.pr.gov. Additional information is available on ICP social media and CulturalPR.com.