Señoras y señores.
Es un placer para mí estar hoy aquí junto a todos ustedes.
I would like to thank the members of the Board of the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute for inviting me on this prestigious occasion.
It is with great pleasure for me to be in Houston to celebrate the Sofía Awards, meaning in Greek Wisdom. Every year these prizes honour outstanding individuals for their personal and professional achievements, and for helping to strengthen the ties among the United States. Spain and Latin America.
This edition marks a special occasion. For the first time we are gathered here in Houston, Texas, one of the most important urban areas of the country, and probably the most diverse, inclusive and international city of the U.S.A. And also a place where English and Spanish languages coexist in the history of this beautiful state.
Today we are honoured to reward four remarkable people, who have made extraordinary contributions in music, fine arts and entrepreneurship. Through decades of dedicated work, the guiding principle behind their decisions has been, in one word, "generosity".
"...Permítanme por último que agradezca y reconozca también en español la labor excelente y generosa de estas cuatro grandes personalidades...Es un inmenso placer hacerlo ante todos ustedes, en esta acogedora ciudad de Houston y en uno de los grandes museos de este país. A todos ellos mis felicitaciones y mis mejores deseos de éxito..."
Generosity is what drives us to give without receiving anything in return, and without any doubt is a crucial element of "excellence".
The winners of this year's edition are:
In the field of Music: our great ambassadors of Latin music, Doña Gloria and Don Emilio Estefan.
In the field of Fine Arts, to Doña Mari Carmen Ramírez, one of the world’s most renowned authorities on modern and contemporary Latin American Art.
Finally, Don Ignacio Torras, leader in various fields of excellence: chemical industry, education, culture and Spanish cookery.
My most sincere congratulations to them all. Thank you for a lifelong and marvellous work.
Permítanme por último que agradezca y reconozca también en español la labor excelente y generosa de estas cuatro grandes personalidades.
Es un inmenso placer hacerlo ante todos ustedes, en esta acogedora ciudad de Houston y en uno de los grandes museos de este país. A todos ellos mis felicitaciones y mis mejores deseos de éxito.
Muchas gracias a todos por su presencia en este acto.