Don Segundo Sombra, Municipalidad de San Nicolas, Argentina.
On the occasion of the Bicentennial of the Independence, the Embassy of Argentine together with the Hispanic Society of The Hague (ASOHA) organized a lecture covering 200 years of Argentine Literature focussing on the Gaucho figure.
90 years after the publication of ‘Don Segundo Sombra’ by Ricardo Güiraldes in 1926. The Dutch poet and naval doctor, Jan Jakob Slauerhoff, became fascinated by the Gaucho figure on his visits to Argentina and translated the work into Dutch in 1930.
This was the first translation ever. Now, 80 years after his death Alejandra Szir -holding a Degree in Dutch Studies from Leiden University- explained the importance of ‘Don Segundo Sombra’ and of Slauerhoff’s translation.
Slauerhoff was also impressed by folklore music of the Argentine and in order to underline this, the Embassy invited Gustavo Hernández to play several pieces on the piano while Mariana Montaldo delighted the audience with some dances.
Among the audience there were several Ambassadors -from Chile and Cuba- as well as representatives of other Latin-American countries and members of the Hispanic Society.
