The Puerto Rico Institute of Culture (ICP) announced that the next semifinals of the 58th National Trova Contest will be held on November 22 in San Sebastián and on November 29 in Juana Díaz, ahead of the final scheduled for January 2027. ICP executive director Melissa Santana said in written remarks that the contest is a space of cultural enrichment where the public can enjoy participants’ improvisation skills and creativity, and urged continued support for the genre for present and future generations.
The second semifinal begins at 1:00 PM on Sunday, November 22, at the Plaza Pública Ángel G. Mislán Huertas in San Sebastián. The third and last semifinal takes place at 3:00 PM on Sunday, November 29, at the Placita Luis A. Ferré in Juana Díaz. During the Juana Díaz event, the ICP and the municipality will pay a posthumous tribute to trovador Marcos Collazo Texeira, known as the Zorzal Sureño, for his career in improvisation and mastery of the décima espinela.
The final is set for 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 23, 2027, at ICP headquarters as part of the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián. Semifinalists will face incumbent champion Guersom Josué Báez Fonseca for prizes ranging from $300 to $1,200, sponsored by municipal administrations and legislatures. The contest is open to trovadores and improvisers of legal age.
Registration opens one hour before each semifinal, and participants must improvise two décimas espinelas from a set phrase supplied by organizers. A qualified jury will evaluate the performances to determine who advances to the final.