Lluís Puig

Lluís Puig
Minister of Culture of Catalonia
In office
5 July 2017 – 28 October 2017
Preceded bySanti Vila
Succeeded byLaura Borràs
(Direct rule until 2 June 2018)
Personal details
BornLluís Puig i Gordi
(1959-10-18) 18 October 1959
CitizenshipSpanish
PartyCatalan European Democratic Party (2016-2020)
Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (2011-2016)
Alma materOpen University of Catalonia
ProfessionArt director

Lluís Puig i Gordi (Terrassa, 18 October 1959) is an art director, dancer, musician, folklorist and Spanish politician from Catalonia. He served as the Minister of Culture of Catalonia, the department responsible for libraries, language and heritage preservation, and historical commemorations. He succeeded Santi Vila on 5 July 2017.[1][2]

Biography

Born in Terrassa in 1959, he studied music, dance, audiovisual production, and humanities from the Open University of Catalonia. Immediately after completing his studies he devoted himself to the study, promotion and practice of Catalan traditions.[3]

He has been a sardanist in the group Minyons d'en Serrat, Asert. He was also a dancer and director of several traditional dancing clubs from different cities: Terrassa, Catalunya Dansa, Igualada, Barcelona, and Rubí. Additionally, he was part of the folk group Ministrils del Raval, and founder of several cultural associations from Terrassa.[4] In recognition of his efforts, the Government of Catalonia granted him the National Dance Award in 1984.[5]

From 1998 to 2000 he served as head of resources at the Center for the Promotion of Popular and Traditional Catalan Culture. From 1999 to 2010 he was director of the Fira Mediterrania in Manresa. In 2001 he was a cofounder of the company VESC (Vèrtex Empresarial de Serveis Culturals, SL) dedicated to popularize Catalan songs, music and dance and other traditional Mediterranean cultures. In 2005 he promoted the project Casa de la Música in Terrassa, Salt, Mataró, l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, and Manresa. This project aimed to encourage the general public to study, create and play all kinds of live music.[1]

Beginning in 2008, Puig served as director of the Mercat de Música Viva de Vic for three editions. During this period, he managed to invite popular groups and artists such as Mishima, Santiago Auserón, Roger Mas, Omar Sosa, La Gossa Sorda, At Versaris and Els Surfing Sirles.[4]

During the first mandate of Artur Mas i Gavarro, Puig joined the political party Convergence and Union and, in 2011, assumed the position of general director of Popular Culture. He remained in that role until he was appointed Minister of Culture of Catalonia on 5 July 2017.[6]

After the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, Spanish authorities brought criminal charges against several members of the Catalan government, including Puig. Along with other prosecuted Catalan politicians, he fled to Belgium at the end of 2017. In August 2020, a court in Brussels ruled that a European Arrest Warrant issued against Puig by Spanish authorities could not be executed.[7][8]

Bibliography

In addition to his career as cultural promoter, he has also written or cowritten several books about traditional culture, especially dance:[1]

  • Puig i Gordi, Lluís; Galí, Marc; Grau, Joan; Mata, Anna (1991). Terregada. Apunts sobre folklore de Terrassa. Tarragona: Edicions El Mèdol. ISBN 9788486542306. Amazon Iberlibro
  • Amades, Joan; Puig i Gordi, Lluís; Grau i Martí, Joan (1998). Danses de la Terra: música i dansa tradicional de les comarques de Barcelona (Biblioteca Joan Amades). Tarragona: El Mèdol. ISBN 8489936137. Dialnet OpenLibrary
  • Puig i Gordi, Lluís (1998). Calendari de danses tradicionals catalanes. Tarragona: Edicions El Mèdol / Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Cultura. ISBN 843934676X. Soinuenea catalog LibraryThing

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Lluís Puig i Gordi". Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana (in Catalan). Enciclopèdia Catalana. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  2. ^ García, Luis B. (4 July 2017). "Lluís Puig i Gordi, nuevo conseller de Cultura en sustitución de Santi Vila" [Lluís Puig i Gordi, new Minister of Culture succeeding Santi Vila]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  3. ^ Redacció, ed. (5 July 2017). "Lluís Puig, nou conseller de Cultura" [Lluís Puig, new Minister of Culture]. Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals (in Catalan). Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b Cervantes, Xavier (5 July 2017). "Lluís Puig, un home de cultura per a la conselleria" [Lluís Puig, a man of culture for the Ministry]. Ara (in Catalan). Barcelona. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  5. ^ Redacció, ed. (4 July 2017). "Lluís Puig serà nou conseller de Cultura" [Lluís Puig will be the new Minister of Culture]. Nació Digital (in Catalan). Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  6. ^ ACN, ed. (5 July 2017). "Lluís Puig: Un dia a dia "ferm i compromès amb el procés"" [Lluís Puig: day after day "firmly compromised with the process"]. El Món (in Catalan). Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  7. ^ Strauss, Marine (7 August 2020). Jones, Gareth (ed.). "Former Catalan minister Puig should not be sent back to Spain, Brussels court says". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  8. ^ Hope, Alan (7 August 2020). "Brussels court throws out arrest warrant for Catalan politician". The Brussels Times. Retrieved 7 August 2020.

Media related to Lluís Puig i Gordi at Wikimedia Commons