Musical tribute to “Las Guerreras” in Llíria
Spain women’s national handball team’s coach Carlos Viver and the player Shandy Barbosa, Spain’s top scorer in the World Cup in Japan, will never forget what they experienced last Friday in Llíria. They both, on behalf of the whole team “Las Guerreras”, were guests of honour at the concert that the Unió Musical dedicated to women on the occasion of the International Women’s Day. The society wished to join music and sport and pay special tribute to the unioneras (female members of the Unió) and to the current runners-up of the World Championship. These two have undoubtedly something in common: their fighting spirit.
Viver and Barbosa were very pleased to attend the premiere of the piece, and they were further given the scores by the composer himself, the musician of the Unió Víctor Enguídanos Royo, who also conducted the Banda Sinfónica (symphonic orchestra) when it came to interpret the pasodoble. “The moment I knew that Llíria had been appointed as host city of the Handball Pre-Olympic Tournament, and that we would have the ‘Guerreras’ among us, I thought of bringing music and sport together. I immediately informed the Unió and we agreed right away on the project,” stated the composer.
The interpretation was recorded by the Ayuntamiento de Llíria (city council) firstly “in appreciation of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation and the very national team for having chosen Llíria as host city of the Pre-Olymic,” assured mayor Manuel Civera, but also because “it is important for Llíria as Creative City of Music that the Unió Musical, and a musician and composer from this entity, both having a national reach, are able to record for the first time this world premiere. Something that we hope will play to encourage the ‘Guerreras’ during their matches”.
As a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Llíria thus demonstrates once more its commitment to the values of the Agenda 2030, among which gender equality is highlighted. Therefore, the whole society sparing no effort for this significant international female tournament. The “Guerreras” have now one more incentive to fight for their ticket to Tokyo 2020 on 20, 21 and 22 March in the pavilion “Pla de l’Arc” of Llíria.