The Havana was heard at the Headquarters of the European Parliament in Brussels last week, the very first time ever, on the occasion of the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the International Contest of Habanera and Polyphony of Torrevieja

The ceremony took place in front of a large number of Spanish MEPs, Pilar del Castillo, who was a former Spanish Minister of Education, Culture and the Director of the Cervantes Institute in Brussels, María González Encinar

The event went along similar lines to that held at the headquarters of the Instituto Cervantes in Madrid a week earlier where the guests heard a short concert “In times of Havana”, sung, under the direction of conductor and composer, Aurelio Martínez López, by representatives from a number of Torrevieja's choirs.

Oriolana MEP Eva Ortiz, who has been one of the main promoters of this major event, served as host to the salt delegation led by Mayor Eduardo Dolon and Councillor for Culture and deputy Director of Habaneras, Luis María Pizana.

The director of the Cervantes Institute in Brussels, Maria Gonzalez Encinar said at the end of the performance that he had the "very great satisfaction of attendingthe event and that it was now the time to promote the competition worldwide. "

At the conclusion of the performance the mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolon, presented a number of Literary works and musical scores relating to the history of the competition.

He then met several students studying Spanish who showed interest in learning more about the Havana after being impressed by the quality of the production.

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An agreement was signed last week between the city of Torrevieja and the Instituto Cervantes in Madrid on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the International Habaneras Competition which is due to be held in Torrevieja in July.

The occasion was attended by the mayor Eduardo Dolon, together with the Secretary General of the Instituto Cervantes, Rafael Rodriguez Salamanca Plaza, who said that this agreement is recognition by the Instituto Cervantes of the important and historic cultural and musical Habanera competition held in Torrevieja while the mayor remarked that the recognition by the centre in the signing was the very best acknowledgement that the competition could possibly have earned, and it was particularly fitting that it came in the year in which it celebrates its 60th anniversary.

The signing of this historic agreement was initialed in the iconic "Caja de las Letras" in the Cervantes Institute in Madrid.

Plaza said that the Torrevieja habanera is an important means of spreading Spanish culture and traditions abroad. He said that it is a great honour for the the Instituto Cervantes to work with this important, well known and especially prestigious contest which he has had the opportunity of attending in person, and that will allow us to work together in our centers around the world, on five continents with almost 80 locations.

The mayor responded by thanking the Cervantes Institute for their collaboration and involvement in spreading and disseminating the Habanera all over the world, the most important aspect of Torrevieja's cultural and musical identity. He said that the agreement is the very best recognition of the event which this year celebrates its 60th anniversary in which it intends to spread the message of peace worldwide through song.

After signing the agreement there was a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the 11 March terrorist attack on its tenth anniversary.

There then followed a spectacular performance from a group of soloists Torrevejenses representing all choirs in the locality. They were led by Aurelio Martinez.

The Instituto Cervantes is a public institution established by Spain in 1991 for the promotion and teaching of Spanish language and other official languages and for the dissemination of Spanish and Latin American culture. It is represented in 86 cities in 43 countries on five continents. The headquarters is based in Madrid.

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