The Cervantes Institute will celebrate, today Saturday, the Spanish Language Day, or “E-Day”, in all its 22 centers across 17 countries worldwide. The event acknowledges the powerful presence of the world’s second most spoken language_ with 472 million speakers_ after Chinese Mandarin.

Now in its 8th edition, it will include activities for all ages in its centers located in Beirut, Belo Horizonte, Bremen, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Bordeaux, Chicago, Krakow, Manchester, Marrakech, Milan, Moscow, Naples, Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, São Paulo, Seoul, Tel Aviv, Tokyo and Warsaw.

In 2016, the number of Spanish speakers increased by two million to a total of 472 million native speakers worldwide. This figure is as high as 567 million (up from 559 M in 2015) if we include those with a basic knowledge of the language and its current students (21 M.)

An Epic Rap Battle Featuring Cervantes

Later this year, three Mexican rappers will represent their country in a competition where participants adapt literary works from Miguel de Cervantes into rap.

The “Cervantes in Rap” competition, part of the Almagro International Festival of Classical Theater Foundation in Spain and the International Cervantes Festival in Mexico, marks the four hundredth anniversary of the author’s death and puts to test the competitors creativity and knowledge of the Spanish writer’s work.

Competition organizer and program director for the International Cervantes Festival, Marcela Diez, told Efe, “The idea is to bring a younger audience closer to the writer.”

“He’s the real character here, the father of Spanish literature,” she added.

The tournament classifying rounds brought together over 80 rappers of all ages from across Mexico who sent a minute-long video clip of their creations.

Eight finalists were selected in all, seven by a panel of three judges, two specialized in rap and the other a scholar of Cervantes’ literature. The eighth contender was chosen by popular vote.

The eight competitors participated, last Friday, in the following round in Spain’s Center of Culture, where they evoked scenes and characters from Cervantes’ work.

“My Mom named me Alfredo Martinez and Hip-Hop re-baptized me as Danger, now everyone knows me as Danger, apart from my Mom” the winner of first place in Friday’s round told Efe.

“When I saw that we were going to rap in a homage to Cervantes, I found it really interesting. I think it’s a way to bring rap to other parts of society,” he added.

Eduardo Montoya, alias Montiverso or Dr. MNT finished in third place and told Efe that the competition’s dynamics seemed great because rapping about literature in such a way was unprecedented.

Jesus Camacho won the second place.

The winners of the top three slots will represent Mexico in the Almagro Festival in July and at the Cervantes festival next October.

Madrid, Jul 2 (EFE)