Álbum De Habaneras

In 1988, Fundació Ernest Morató together with the collaboration of the publishing company Omega, reedited Álbum de Habaneras, presented on 22 April in the Museu Maritim of Barcelona and on 27 June in Calella de Palafrugell on the occasion of its 50th anniversaty. Álbum de Habaneras published in 1948 by the difunct company Editorial Barcelona SA from Albert Puig i Palau, is one of the first compilations of “habaneras” edited in Catalonia. The book collects about twenty popular “habaneras” which were usually sung in Calella de Palafrugell and in other places of the coast during the 1940s and 19450s. The song selection was carried out by the composer Mr. Xavier Montsalvatge who, around the mid 40s, was invited by his friend Josep Pla to go to Llofriu to listen to a “Cantada” of “habaneras” performed by a group of singers. Montsalvatge transcribed them into stave and compiled them in a book in order to prevent them from disappearing. The artist painter Josep Mª Prim was the author of the drawings and the journalist Néstor Luján was the one whote the prologue.

The fact that the 1948 edition, of 480 copies, quickly ran out, helped it to become a very appreciated piece for book lovers. “Álbum de habaneras” had a former partial edition with the publication of “Habaneras de la Costa Brava” in 1964. From these first compilation, other song books have been published, the classic “Calella de Palafrugell i les havaneres” of Ernest Morató, Frederic Sirés and Joan Pericot, “Las más bellas habaneras” of Ricard Balil and Bettina Lozolla and Isabel Rocha and “Recull d´Havaneres” of Josep Bastons, Lluís Racionero, Ricard Viladesau and drawings of Josep Mrtinell, among many others.