In São Paulo came the final push of Francesc Domingo who, a year before his death, and a few months before
my departure, I had the privilege and the great joy of knowing personally in his bright atelier of Bela Vista,
Santo Amaro, led by a former student of painting that visited him often.
Knowing of my travel plans and as if we were lifelong friends, the nice Catalan master, 81, gave me a whole
evening of pleasant conversation about Compostela, Spain and his Catalan land, his friendships with Picasso,
Dali and Casals, among many others, about the civil war and Franco horror, about his painful decision
to emigrate, finally landing in Santos where tropical light left him completely baffled.
He talked about his relationships with artists, poets and musicians, and insisted on the disgust he had with
Casals who never answered his posts, a fellow countryman of much genius and quite rude with friends.
After a stimulating artistic conversation, tasting Doña Rita’s coffee and
delicious scones, he gave me an own hand note of recommendation for
a friend in Barcelona, the prestigious Conchita Badía, at that time one of the legendary names still linked to the famous Summer Courses “Music in Compostela”. Unfortunately I could not meet her, because she also came to die very soon.
It was quite bitter for me not being able to personally meet the extraordinary Catalan singer who, have lived in Rio, fleeing as Professor Francesc the Franco terror, performed, among many Spanish composers of her time, countless works of our countryman, Villa-Lobos, who dedicated to her the song Dinga-Donga, dated from 10/05/49, commissioned by Conchita and composed at her home in Barcelona.
I set foot for the first time on Compostela soil not long ago, after so many years, accompanying the soprano Carmen Durán in rehearsals and concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Galicia.
Now Santiago is almost intimate, so many times we were there, working, rambling, visiting friends and enjoying the magical atmosphere of this international center of interest, gathering point of tourists and pilgrims from the whole world.
Conxita Badia - drawing by Francesc Domingo. 1935-1936 - See “Original”: https://conxitabadia.wordpress.com/media/fotografies/14-dibuix-domingo-1935-6/