[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17983-17984]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   TRIBUTE TO FRANCESC DE PAULA SOLER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 25, 2001

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise to pay 
tribute to Mr. Francesc de Paula Soler, a gifted and prolific musician. 
This world-renowned instrumentalist will grace the Library of Congress 
on October 2, 2001, and fill it with his music. This concert will 
feature music to soothe and lift our spirits during this difficult time 
in the wake of the national tragedy.
  Francesc de Paula Soler was bom in 1949 to a celebrated Catalan 
family of artists. He began studying music at age 6 and was dedicated 
to his guitar by age 11. As a young adult, he became an astute and 
devout student of the great Andres Segovia, known as the father of the 
classical guitar. He also studied under the great Narciso Yepes for a 
number of years. From these musical founders, Soler was taught the 
classical guitar in its pure form. His music has an original, raw 
quality that makes it distinct and loved by many.
  Although the guitar's ancestor probably originated in ancient Egypt, 
the version that we use today came from Spain in the early 16th century 
and became popular throughout Europe later in the century. Soler's 
first mentor, Andres Segovia, is credited with legitimizing and 
revolutionizing the traditionally-regarded ``Instrument of peasants'' 
in the late 1800s. Spanish culture embraced the guitar and, as a 
result, the majority of music throughout Latin America is flavored with 
the instrument. Whether listening to Argentinian chacareras, Ecuadorian 
danzantes, Panamanian murgas, Mexican rancheras, a Cuban mambo, Puerto 
Rican salsa, or Dominican merengue, one can hear the prolific influence 
of the guitar. It is indeed a fundamental element of Spanish and Latin 
culture, which Soler has mastered and re-defined.

[[Page 17984]]

  Mr. Speaker, Francesc de Paula Soler is routinely referred to as 
``The Poet of the Guitar'' throughout the world, based on the way he 
conveys raw emotion and tells complex tales with only his fingers and 
the strings of a guitar. He has mesmerized audiences at the Levine 
School of Music and the Achison Auditorium in the U.S. State 
Department, and has entertained a myriad of cultural societies 
throughout the United States. Thousands have filled the auditoriums of 
colleges and universities from coast to coast to hear Francesc de Paula 
Soler's guitar. Beyond these American performances, Soler has engaged 
audiences around the world.
  In commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month and the ways that 
Hispanic Americans have served our country throughout history, I 
encourage all of my colleagues to attend the concert and enjoy an hour 
of exquisite music.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Francesc de 
Paula Soler for his contributions to the world of music and for 
honoring us with his art.

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