Benidorm develops a musical project with the three local bands and a group of xirimiters

Next week, on July 2 and 3, the audio tracks that will make up a single volume will be recorded, setting poetry to music by Josep Zaragoza Pérez, Pep 'El Carreró', in which the three bands of music from Benidorm –Unión Musical de Benidorm, Societat Musical l'Illa and Societat Musical La Nova- and the group of Xirimiters de la Marina.

The mayor of Benidorm Toni Pérez has highlighted the importance, significance and transcendental of the moment: "we unite the talents that the three bands of the city treasure and we add the identity of the 'colla de xirimiters' in a unique project", pointing out that the objective is " that the musical heritage that we have in the city, which is very broad, varied and remarkable, be registered for its preservation and dissemination”.

The mayor recalled that in 2009, at the initiative of musicians from the Societat Musical l'Illa de Benidorm, five poems from 'El Carreró' were set to music "in the joint work 'De la Cala al Racó', composed by 'El tabalet dels reis 'by Joan Alborch; 'A day in l'almadrava', by Benjamín Francés; 'El llobarro del Mal Pas', by Josep Cano; 'Quin dàtil', by Joan Enric Canet; i ‘Renoms’, by Ximo Cano. On October 9 of that year, the composition premiered with a concert by the SM in homage to the poet.

Pérez has pointed out that "the initiative of 2022 goes further" and the entire Benidorm musical interpretive reference participates in it, "in a joint effort for the culture and identity of the city". The mayor stressed that this initiative represents "a joint collaboration" for a recording that will take place in the Auditori de La Nucía on July 2 and 3.

The poet and rhapsode Josep Zaragoza Pérez, Pep 'El Carreró' was honoured by the Benidorm City Council in November 2020 on the occasion of the centenary of his birth with a musical composition contest, which was won by Rubén Penedés. In 2007, 'El Carreró' received the 'Ciutat de Benidorm' distinction and since 2009 a street in the city has been named after him in recognition of his cultural work as a notary of the popular activities and traditions of Benidorm.