Welcome to the 135th edition of the Forum Song Contest, hosted in May 2020 in Girona Spain!
The theme for this edition is A new Dawn, as it is springtime in the Northern hemisphere, and the rebirth of nature can be seen all around.
Leaves are sprouting, flowers are in bloom, everything is green and colorful as life rebounds after the cold and darkness of winter.
But also, the theme has a deeper meaning:
This time can also be a remarkable chance for humanity to be reborn and to reinvent itself, following this worrisome and tragic period of the Covid-19 pandemic.
May we all emerge after this winter with newfound love for our earth, and for all life including our fellow humans,
that we will re-awaken, bursting with creative energy, to invent a better way of existence.
There is hope, for as nature gets reborn every year after a winter of rest and rejuvenation, so we will also emerge re-energised and inspired.
We bid you all welcome to our host city for FSC #135, the city of Girona, located in the northeast corner of Spain, in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia.
Founded by the Romans around 80 B.C.during the Sertorian War under the name of Gerunda it is 2.100 years old. When the Roman empire fell, it was ruled by the Visigoths. Later it was occupied by the Moors until Carolingians conquered the north of Catalonia. They divided the territory in counties, but over time the county of Barcelona absorbed most of them. By marriage, the county of Barcelona and the Kingdom of Aragon fused in the 12th century, creating the Crown of Aragon.
By marriage again, the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Castile were ruled by the same king. The dinastic union became a political union after a war in the 18th century, when Spain was truly born.
The Jewish Quarter the Jewish Quarter or Call is one of the city's most emblematic areas. It consists of a labyrinth of narrow streets and patios that have maintained their medieval atmosphere. It is one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in the world and clear evidence of the importance of the Jewish culture in Girona.
One of the highlights of a visit to Girona is a visit to the Girona Cathedral, which dominates the skyline of the city. Perched on top of a hill (occupying the space of the previous Roman temple, as archaeologists could confirm in some excavations), the only way into the cathedral is to climb the long staircase to the entrance. It’s a scenic spot and a popular gathering point for visitors to the city. It was the film set of one of the most famous scenes of GoT.
The Arab Baths. A singular Romanesque construction (12th century) inspired by Roman baths, its most outstanding elements include the entrance, which was used as a changing room and relaxation area and is covered with a barrel vault, and the cupola covering the central pool, which is supported by slim columns with ornately decorated capitals.
The Flower Festival Girona, Temps de Flors is an ex-hibition held in May, with spring in full swing. For a few days, the colours and aromas of flowers fill the squares and streets of the city of Girona. Since it was first held in 1954, the ex-hibition has moved around some of the city's best-known landmarks.
In 1993, Girona, Temps de Flors became an official route that enables visitors to enter courtyards and gardens of dwellings and buildings of great cultural interest that are not open to the general public during the rest of the year.
There are also plenty of green ares: Girona has the biggest urban park in Catalonia, with an extension of 40ha, which holds the street market every Tuesday and Saturday. People in Girona also love the park to go running or take a relaxing walk. Apart from this, in the old quarter the ruins mix with nature in several gardens.
Celler de Can Roca. The history and culture of Girona go hand-in-hand with internationally renowned first-rate cuisine. One of the best known restaurants in the city is El Celler de Can Roca, a serial collector of Michelin stars. Their booking list is always full, so reservations are made months beforehand.
The surroundings. Girona is the capital city of its province, with the same name. The region is well-known for its coastal side, Costa Brava, for its medieval towns and for being Salvador Dalí’s home region.
Girona is a beautiful and lively city, with its roots steeped in ancient history. It is a gorgeous place to visit, and provides many sights and activities to interest each and every visitor.
We will be enjoying the show from our host venue, the city's auditorium called Auditori i Palau de Congressos de Girona.
The Girona Conference Centre is perfectly connected with the city. It is just 10 minutes' walk from the Historic Quarter and the train station (high-speed line), it boasts an unbeatable location in the city that makes it easy for attendees to reach the centre. The building is situated in Devesa Park, the city's green lung and a protected area with over 2,000 hundred-year-old trees.
Inaugurated in 2006, the most important venue of its kind in the province of Girona belongs to the new generation of 21st-century conference centres. Designed by a renowned team of architects, the building is perfect for holding all types of conferences, congresses, conventions, eXhibitions, fairs and meetings. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, its event rooms boast natural light and are finished in wood.
Inside the building there are three auditoriums with maximum capacity for 1,236 people, and 13 parallel rooms equipped with the very latest technology. The centre also has a main hall, eXhibition room and terrace, all of them suitable for commercial eXhibits and catering. In addition, it adjoins the Fira de Girona trade fair centre. The two buildings are connected by an overhead passageway that enables both spaces to be used simultaneously, providing a total area of more than 9,000 m².
Time now to meet our hosts for these events: They are the attractive and ever popular pair of Adriana Ugarte and Andrés Velencoso.
Adriana Sofía Ugarte Pardal was born on 17 January 1985 in Madrid Spain and is a Spanish actress. She is the granddaughter of writer and set-designer Eduardo Ugarte, and the great-granddaughter of the Alicante writer Carlos Arniches. She studied at Nuestra Señora del Pilar school in Madrid. Ugarte debuted in the short film Mala Espina, and won one of the prizes at the Alcalá de Henares Festival of Short Films. Combining her performance classes with dance and her Philosophy career, she has been in series like Policias, en el corazón de la calle (Antena 3) and Hospital Central (Telecinco). In 2006 she was nominated for the Goya Award for Best New Actress in her role as Consuelo in the film Cabeza de Perro. It was two years later, in 2008, when the series La Señora (La 1) premiered, that Ugarte, who played the main character (Victoria Márquez), won big popularity. This same year, she was also in the film El juego del ahorcado. Afterwards came Castillos de carton (2010), and Lo contrario al amor. She was also in the miniseries Niños robados (Telecinco), in which she plays Susana. In 2013, two years after shooting was finalized, El tiempo entre costuras (Antenna 3) premiered, the series based on the novel of the same name by writer María Dueñas, that starred Ugarte as Sira Quiroga/Arish Agoriuq, achieving large viewing figures.
Andrés Velencoso Segura was born on 11 March 1978 in Tossa de Mar, Girona, Spain, and is a Spanish model and actor. He is best known for ad campaigns such as Chanel Allure Homme, Sport fragrance and Louis Vuitton campaign with Jennifer Lopez in 2003. Velencoso has been on the covers of many top fashion magazines including L'Officiel Hommes, Hercules, Arena Homme +, and international editions of Elle, Vanity Fair and L'Officiel Hommes. He is signed with IMG Models in New York City, MGM in Paris, 2pm Model Management in Copenhagen, I LOVE Models in Milan and Donna Models in Tokyo. He was featured in Kylie Minogue's new fragrance 'Inverse' in the official print campaign and TV ad. Velencoso received the 'Tossenc D'Honor' award in his home town Tossa de Mar on 14 May 2010. Alongside his modelling work, Velencoso is also an actor, having appeared in films including Summer Camp and appeared as Rubén Barahona in the Spanish television series B&b, de boca en boca. In 2017, it was announced that he would be starring in Edha, the first Netflix Original drama to be produced in Argentina.
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Many people do visit the city when it's raining at the beach though 
