Six strings and a wooden box

The Gar­rigues Gui­tar Fes­ti­val “Memo­r­ial Emili Pujol” takes places in towns in Lleida, such as Borges Blan­ques, Cogul, Bel­la­guarda, Granyena de les Gar­rigues, Vinaixa, Tor­rebesses, Ar­beca, Juneda and Pobla de Cérv­oles, among oth­ers. The fes­ti­val began in 2012 to ho­n­our the mem­ory of clas­si­cal gui­tarist and com­poser Emili Pujol, who was at the height of his pow­ers in the 1970s.

The fes­ti­val brings to­gether the best gui­tarists and in­struc­tors of the mo­ment, with such big names in the field as the Scara­mouche Quar­tet, Neus Plana & Maria Cama­hort, Raul Viela, Cales Her­raiz, the Duo Fraseg­gio (pic­tured), Im­mac­u­late Balsells, the Salzburg Gui­tar Trio, Marisa Mar­tins with Jaume Tor­rent, Maria Gib­ert, and Laura Núñez.

Yet the fes­ti­val does far more than show­case the tal­ents of major artists, and also in­cludes a se­ries of work­shops on Pujol’s legacy. It also has a cam­pus for devo­tees to re­fine their abil­i­ties, and a com­pe­ti­tion for up-and-com­ing clas­si­cal gui­tarists, while also pro­mot­ing local her­itage and gas­tron­omy.