Cats on IBIZA 4

by
Elia Taniguchi

Table of Contents in this issue

Story 17：Tora and Roberto
Story 18：Rock and Mark
Story 19：Wolf and Caracas
Story 20：Tora and Alfonso
Story 21：Solita and Jorge

Story 17
Tora and Roberto

Believe it or not, there is a cat named “Tora” on Ibiza, that is fed by a painter named Esteban everyday, while he continues to be a stray cat. Roberto Otero, a photographer who occasionally comes to Esteban’s house, enjoys teasing Tora while taking many pictures of him. After that, the cat is at last allowed back on to the street.

Roberto is an old friend of Esteban. He was born in Argentina, but lives on Mallorca Island, the largest of the Balearic Islands located next to the isle of Ibiza. Based on this island, he flies all over the world. The reason why he chose Mallorca is mainly because it is rich in natural beauty, and has a tranquil atmosphere. There is also an international airport close to the town Palma de Mallorca, where Roberto is living, so he can connect to almost any place in the world using a direct flight.

Actually, the most important reason he likes this place is that he loves yacht sailing very much. His yacht “Amaris” with its iron hull is a classic. Unlike recently made yachts, which are mostly made of plastic, his is artfully constructed of woods that cannot be easily obtained now. Inside and on deck, this creates a quiet and solid atmosphere.

Mallorca Island is perfect for yachters. They can be seen sailing out of the yacht harbor in the morning for a day of enjoyable sailing. There are many quiet and beautiful inlets perfect for anchoring the yacht and enjoying lunch. Also, there is a clubhouse for yachters with a long history that serves delicious food. People, who love the sea, gather together in this clubhouse and share stories of how far they’ve sailed, even as far as Ibiza from the marina. However, it takes a long time. On long voyages, an experienced crew and lots of supplies are required. However, it is tiresome to sail for so long, so Roberto basically goes to Ibiza by air, which takes only about 20 minutes. Because there is a large parking lot close to the entrance of the Palma airport, it takes less than one hour from his house to Ibiza or Barcelona. The staff members of the airport are mostly his acquaintances, so for him they are like porteros (gatekeepers) of his house.

He came to love yachting in Buenos Aires in Argentina. There, he got on well with Rafael Alberti, a poet from Puerto de Santa Maria, a beautiful port town in Andalusia, Spain. Alberti is a legendary poet about 30 years older than Roberto, and was a leader in the Spanish Civil War. He was one of the core members of the “Popular Front” Administration. However, when the dictator, Franco, took the reins of government, Alberti had to flee Spain and went to Argentina.

Roberto established a publishing company at a young age, and worked as the editor in chief and photographer. He became friends with Alberti while interviewing him for a book. After that, Roberto produced and supported most of Alberti’s activities. He also married Alberti’s daughter, but unfortunately this ended up in divorce, and she left for Cuba. Both Roberto and Alberti found themselves back in Madrid after the end of the Franco Administration, where they continued to be the best and most trusted comrades and friends.

During the short period when the Popular Front was in power, Alberti was appointed as the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, and he appointed Picasso as the director of the Museo Nacional del Prado. However, the Franco administration took over before Picasso was able to take up the post. Picasso drew the famous wall painting “Guernica” for the Spanish Pavilion in the Paris Exposition held at that time. It was during this period that Alberti became the best friend with Picasso. Roberto later became a good friend of Picasso through Alberti and in his later days, his family and Picasso’s got along well.

Roberto himself shot films and photographs as an artist. In addition, he advanced many cultural projects to preserve the legacy of the achievements of his great friends for the next generation. After Picasso died, he successfully persuaded Jacqueline, Picasso’s wife, to donate his ceramic works collection to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. He also made his best efforts to establish the Alberti Museum in Puerto de Santa Maria.

Later, in the Picasso Museum in Malaga, Picasso’s birthplace, Roberto’s collection of photographs showing Picasso’s daily life and activities was housed.

Roberto has many friends that are artists, many of them worldwide very successful, and many young artists who adore Roberto. His friends create art in many different genres, including painting, music, philosophy, and in particular the Flamenco dancer, Antonio Gades. When Roberto was young, Tristan Tzara, a poet who wrote the draft of André Breton’s Dadaism Declaration, favored him.

Tristan Tzara came to love Ibiza very much in his later years. He frequently came to Ibiza with his young girlfriend. At that time, Roberto often had to play the role of “peacemaker” between Tzara and his girlfriend, who regularly had quarrels over even trivial things.

Roberto was also good friends with Miró and Antonio Tapies. Perhaps, Roberto really liked that peculiar type of character that creates beauty with their own hands, more than their actual works. Interestingly, Roberto was also a childhood friend of the revolutionary Che Guevarra, and they studied in the same Buenos Aires University.