Villanueva de los Infantes hosts the I Encuentro GrupOretania de Cantautores Manchegos (1st GrupOretania Meeting of La Mancha Singer-Songwriters)

On Saturday, May 16, the Alhóndiga in Villanueva de los Infantes hosted the First GrupOretania Gathering of Singer-Songwriters from La Mancha, a groundbreaking cultural event that brought together six singer-songwriters from the province of Ciudad Real on the same stage for the first time in a concert dedicated to singer-songwriter music. The event is part of the spring cultural program organized by the Department of Culture, coordinated by Francisco Javier Peinado.

Participating in this first gathering were singer-songwriters Alfredo Sánchez, Ángel Aguas, Víctor (Febo), María de Toro, Sandalio Morales, and Vicente López Sande, who treated the audience to an evening marked by the intimacy, sensitivity, and richness of La Mancha singer-songwriter music.

It was a recital where poetry also had its place, featuring the poets Eloísa Pardo, Juan José Guardia, Luis Romero de Ávila, Presentación Pérez, Teresa Sánchez Laguna, and Marciano Sánchez Cabanillas, coordinated by Luís Díaz-Cacho.

In the morning, as a prelude to the concert, a roundtable discussion was held dedicated to the singer-songwriter Javier Segovia, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of his passing. A native of Ciudad Real and considered one of the great rising stars of singer-songwriting on a national level, Segovia was remembered in an emotional tribute moderated by Vicente Castellanos.

Members of the Javier Segovia Association of Ciudad Real, as well as his brother Alberto, participated in the discussion, reviewing the artistic and personal journey of the singer-songwriter from Ciudad Real. The audience also enjoyed a live performance of several of Javier Segovia’s songs by Umbris, in an event that served to keep the artist’s memory and legacy alive.

With this initiative, Villanueva de los Infantes reinforces its commitment to culture and support for the province’s creators, establishing itself as a hub for music and poetry in Castilla-La Mancha.