June 1, 2024, Bocas del Toro: 100 Years of “El Poeta”
Today marks the 100th year anniversary of the birth of Bocas del Toro’s most celebrated poet, author and journalist, Guillermo Sánchez Borbón , AKA Tristán Solarte.
Since 2018, his June 1 birthdate has been recognized by the Panamanian government as “Día de la literatura en la provincia de Bocas del Toro”’ in honor of Guillermo Sánchez Borbón’s accomplishments in the field, and those of his brother short story author Jose Maria Sánchez Borbón.
June 1, 2022, Bocas del Toro celebrated the unveiling of “El Mural de Tristán Solarte,” a mural tribute to the Bocatoreño literary legend, created by the artist Madmagos and adorning the back wall of the Gran Hotel Bahia. The mural contains a scannable QR code with a wealth of information about the great Poet and about the mural itself.
The event is being planned and carried out, in coordination with local educators, by a handful of the mural organizers, including:
The poet’s beloved family members Susana Negrin, Dianelsa Barrios, Ivette Sánchez, and Temistocles Sánchez;
La Prensa founder and very close Sánchez Borbón friend Bobby Eisenmann;
Ariel Pérez Price, a Panama City-based attorney, author, biographer, and cultural activist, a lover of and descendant of Bocas, and the author of “Pionero: La Historia de Luis Russell” and “Memorias de Bocas Town”;
and Mr. Josh Whitlock, a part-time Bocas resident, poet, literary translator, film producer, attorney, and entrepreneur who commissioned the Solarte mural, is enamored Sánchez Borbón’s/Solarte’s literary work, and is working closely with the Poet’s family and close friends to translate his poetry for publication in English and honor him in various other ways.
Long live Guillermo Sánchez Borbón! May the power of the pen invigorate the spirit of generations of Bocatoreños for years to come!
And if you are wondering to yourself “Who was Guillermo Sánchez Borbón?” we invite you to take a deeper dive here: https://thebocasbreeze.com/culture/tristan-solarte/
Photography from Alexander Arosemena from Guillermo Sanchez Borbon’s final visit to Bocas del Toro (2017)
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2 Responses
Thank you for this most informative article. Good to have all in one place as I had only heard/knew bits and pieces about this outstanding fellow!
Interesting!