Els Setze Jutges
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Els Setze Jutges (The Sixteen Judges in Catalan) was a group of singers in the Catalan language founded in 1961 by Miquel Porter i Moix, Remei Margarit, and Josep Maria Espinàs. The name comes from a tongue-twister well known in Catalonia, Valencian Country, and the Balearic Islands: "Setze jutges d'un jutjat mengen fetge d'un penjat."
The mission of the group was to promote the Nova Cançó movement and to normalize the use of Catalan in the world of modern music. They started out singing their own songs and Catalan versions of songs by French singers, especially Georges Brassens. From the original three members, the circle grew to sixteen: Delfí Abella, Francesc Pi de la Serra, Enric Barbat, Xavier Elies, Guillermina Motta, Maria del Carme Girau, Martí Llauradó, Maria Amèlia Pedrerol, Joan Ramon Bonet, Joan Manuel Serrat, Maria del Mar Bonet, Lluís Llach, and Rafael Subirachs. The first members, like Miquel Porter i Moix and Josep Maria Espinàs, decided to retire when professional Catalan-language singers appeared.
Els Setze Jutges began to dissolve at the end of the dictatorship and with the progressive professionalization of some of the group's members.
On April 13, 2007 the group of singers received the Medal of Honor of the Parliament of Catalonia, in recognition of their work in favor of the Catalan culture and language during the dictatorship. However, Maria del Mar Bonet used the occasion to criticize the lack of promotion of the Catalan song and Guillermina Motta objected that the distinction was awarded too late, when two of the sixteen had already died: Miquel Porter in 2004 and Delfí Abella in February of 2007.