Laura Almerich Santacreu (3 July 1940 – 14 June 2019) was a classical Spanish guitarist from Barcelona. She is remembered in particular for accompanying the successful Catalan-language singer

Lluís Llach Lluís Llach i Grande (; born 7 May 1948) is a Catalan singer-songwriter, novelist and politician from Spain. He is one of the main representatives of the ''nova cançó'' genre and an outspoken advocate of the right to self-determination of ...

since he embarked on his career in the late 1960s. As a result, she was closely associated with the Catalan

Nova Cançó A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramat ...

movement. Llach dedicated two songs to her: "Laura" (1977) and "Roses blanques" (White Roses, 1994).

Biography

Born on 3 July 1940 in Barcelona, Almerich studied piano at the

Barcelona Conservatory Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

before concentrating on the guitar under

Renata Tarragó Renata Tarragó Fábregas (23 October 1927 – 2 August 2005), a Catalan guitarist and vihuelist, was a teacher and performer, both as a solo artist and an accompanist. She was the first female guitarist to record Joaquín Rodrigo's ''Concierto ...

. She was one of the members of the medieval music group Ars Musicae and a founding member of the . It was Tarragó who introduced her to Nova Cançó as the second guitar on

Maria del Mar Bonet Maria del Mar Bonet i Verdaguer (Balearic Catalan: ; born 1947 in Palma, Majorca) is a Spanish singer from the island of Majorca. Early life and career Bonet studied ceramics in the school of arts, but eventually decided to dedicate herself to ...

's first record in 1967. From 1969, she became the constant companion and confidant of Lluís Llach, accompanying him on the guitar throughout his career. When for political reasons, Llach had to perform outside of Spain, he always used his initial savings to have Almerich come and join him. She did not normally expect to be paid for her services, only for the cost of the trip. At the end of a concert in 1977, he surprised her by dedicating "Laura" to her. It has become one of the Catalans' most beloved songs. The two sang it together during their concert at

Camp Nou Camp Nou (, meaning ''new field'', often referred to in English as the Nou Camp), officially branded as Spotify Camp Nou for sponsorship and financial reasons, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Spain. It has been the home stadium of FC Barcelo ...

in 1985. Almerich was so overcome by emotion that she was unable to complete her solo, breaking down in tears. In 1994, Llach dedicated a second song to her "Roses blanques". Laura Almerich died in Barcelona on 14 June 2019 after a long illness.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Almerich, Laura 1940 births 2019 deaths Musicians from Barcelona Spanish classical guitarists Spanish women guitarists 20th-century women guitarists 21st-century women guitarists Women classical guitarists 20th-century classical musicians 21st-century classical musicians 20th-century Spanish musicians 21st-century Spanish musicians