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As part of an initiative presented by the President of the City Council, Daniela Leon, the city honored Pilar Lopez who at the age of 15 has become the only jota singer born in Argentina that has undertaken this career from a distance of more than 10,000 kilometers from Pamplona.  Pilar is a dantzari at the Navarrese Center in Rosario, where she learned to sing jotas and pasadobles, and is also an online student of the Navarre Jota School.  

Rosario, Argentina.   Last Thursday, June 15th the City Council of Rosario honored Pilar Lopez Virgili at an event presided over by the council’s president, Daniela Leon.  The ceremony took place at the Raul Alfonsin room of the Vasallo Palace, attended by Pilar’s family and friends, including her parents, Hernán López Lo Celso and Carla Paola Virgili; her sisters, Victoria and Valentina; and her sponsor, Sandalio Monreal, former Navarrese Center president.  Also attending the event were representatives of the Navarrese Center in Rosario as well as the Galician Center.

The event began with the president of the council along with Pilar Lopez raising the Argentine flag.  After a talk by Carmita Battle, who spoke about the young artist stressing that “this is a moment of joy, happiness and reflection because it is highly appropriate that the City Council distinguish a girl from Rosario.  We always talk about the bad, but we also have outstanding youth that have to be honored, valued and aided…I am happy that this is so.  I congratulate president, Daniela Leon, author of the initiative, for highlighting these situations.”  She also praised Pilar’s accomplishments, and congratulated Monreal for having discovered and helped her, stressing the privileged place that Navarre gives its folklore.  A video was then shown in Pamplona made by Jose Carlos Jimenez, Pilar’s online professor and director of the Navarre Jota School.

President Leon then called Pilar Lopez forward to present her a decree that included the text of her distinction, along with a Diploma of Honor.  Pilar Lopez read a text in appreciation of the diploma and thanked everyone present. She also spoke about the importance of this cultural bridge between Rosario and Navarre.

The artistic conclusion was left up to Pilar who delighted everyone present with some jotas. “I dreamt that the snow burned”, and “The Nightingale that I wanted to be.” Before the event concluded council authorities confirmed some good news for the jotera that they were committed to help her travel to Navarre in November to participate in various events along with the staff at the Navarre Jota School.

In a conversation with EuskalKultura.com, the young girl was demonstrated how honored and thankful she was: “It is an honor to have received this distinction; furthermore, I don’t think everything that is happening has hit be yet.  I greatly appreciate the support I have received since I so want to sing Jotas.  I will continue to work with respect, love and commitment to do it better each time.  I feel, like my friends in Pamplona call me, like ‘the Ambassador of the Jota in Argentina,’ and I am very proud of that,” Pilar said.