Leonard Cohen learned his 'six chords' from a Spanish student in Montreal

(Photo: FPA)

OVIEDO (Agencies) The Príncipe de Asturias Laureates this year included Canadian singer songwriter Leonard Cohen, who was awarded the prize for Literature, and who offered an ad lib speech on behalf of the rest of the Laureates. He revealed that he had learned "the six chords" that is present in all his work, from a Spanish flamenco guitarist in his native Montreal. That was why he is so grateful to Spain and why this award emans so much to him. "Everything you may like in my music comes from that," he said, adding that he had never spoken about it in public because the guitarist committed suicide in the early 1960s. Cohen also said that he owed much of his poetry to Federico García Lorca, through whom he found his "voice". He pointed out that his favourite guitar is made in Spain by Conde over forty years ago and "it is still as fresh as it was on the first day." It is so light, said Cohen, as though it was full of helium. He spoke of how the guitar told him that he has so much to be grateful for, that he wanted to thank "your land." The other Lauretaes are:>>>

• Riccardo Mutti, for the Arts
• The Royal Society, for Communication and the Humanities
• Haile Gebrselasie, for Sport
• Howard Gardner, for Social Sciences
• Arturo Pérez-Buylla, Joseph Altman and Giacomo Rizzolatti, for Technical and Scientific Research
• Bill Drayton, for International Cooperation
• The Heroes of Fukushima, for Concord