Wilma Verrier and the Choir of the University of Guadalajara triumph in the Habaneras competition in Torrevieja

July 28, 2024

Directed by Cuban Wilmia Verrier Quiñones, the Mexican group has won the main prizes of this prestigious festival.

The Chamber Choir of the Music Department of the University of Guadalajara, in Jalisco (Mexico), has triumphed in the 70th edition of the international competition of Habaneras and Polyphony of Torrevieja (Alicante), endowed with 40,000 euros in prizes and where over 700 choristers from America, Europe and Asia participated during one week.

Directed by Wilmia Verrier Quiñones, the Mexican group has won the main prizes of this prestigious festival that brings together some of the world's leading habaneras choirs, including the highest distinction endowed with 12,000 euros.

It has also achieved third prize in the polyphony category, with 2,000 additional euros, as well as a special award of 10,000 euros granted to a single choir by the Provincial Council of Alicante and another for best direction, in favor of Verrier Quiñones.

Following the Mexicans in the absolute category, the second prize went to the choir of Telkom University in Bandung (Indonesia), with a prize of 5,000 euros, and they were followed by the Novo Concertante of Manila (2,500) and the female choir la Raniza Girls Choir of Minsk (Belarus), with 1,000.

In polyphony, the choir of Telkom University of Bandung (Indonesia) won ahead of the Wuzi Riparian Choir of Beijing and the aforementioned University of Guadalajara of Jalisco, according to a jury that highlighted the great artistic and interpretive quality of the participants.

The audience award, of 2,000 euros and a trophy, went to the Encanto choir of Griñón (Madrid).

The mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolón, has congratulated himself on the quality of this edition, which began a week ago with the premiere of a habanera composed and sung by television personality Ruth Lorenzo, and has highlighted that this musical genre is truly "a song of peace".

It represents therefore something that is needed now "more than ever", according to Dolón, who also valued that in Torrevieja fourteen choirs from three continents, Europe, America and Asia participated sharing the same love for this genre above different cultures and languages.

The mayor explained that this international competition coincides with a moment of full tourism in Torrevieja in which he estimates that the city will multiply its population by five, reaching close to half a million people.

After the awarding of the prizes, the more than 700 choristers who participated in the competition took to the stage together to share the mandatory habanera in the competition which, with the title 'A Kiss', is a poem by José Antonio Quesada Hurtado and with music by Aurelio Martínez.

The closing of the edition that now concludes was attended by a full auditorium of the municipal theater and about 1,500 more people watching it directly from the big screen installed by the town council in the Vistalegre promenade, next to the port, as well as viewers from five media outlets that broadcast it live: the regional channel À Punt, Televisión Torrevieja, Telfy, Doce TV and Vega Fibra.

The edition that now concludes started strong last Sunday with the performance of television personality Ruth Lorenzo, who represented Spain at Eurovision in 2014 and who in Torrevieja premiered her first habanera, 'La Almadraba', where a lost fisherman who has become a fish-man is eternally awaited by his beloved on the dock.

Although fourteen choirs from three continents participated, two more were invited who were finally unable to attend: the Libel's Voice Youth of Indonesia, and the Municipal Men's Chapel of Ukraine, the latter made up of men who have recently been called to fight in the war with Russia.

Hosted by Cristina Pampín, the closing gala was attended by the subdelegate of the Government in Alicante, Juan Antonio Nieves, the delegate of the Consell in the province, Agustina Esteve, and the vice president of the Provincial Council, Marina Sáez, as well as the mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolón.

The competition has made Torrevieja the world capital of habaneras, a genre with which it has a close tradition since the back-and-forth travels with the American Antilles of the old sailing ships of the 19th century loaded with salt, journeys where Cuban son, Spanish tanguillo and pasodoble mixed, which resulted in the rhythmic, honeyed beat: the habanera.