Els Setze Jutges
| Company type | Musical ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Founder | Miquel Porter i Moix, Remei Margarit, Josep Maria Espinàs |
| Defunct | 1968 |
Area served | Catalonia |
| Products | Catalan-language music |
Els Setze Jutges (translating to "The Sixteen Judges" in English) was a musical ensemble performing in the Catalan language, established in 1961 by Miquel Porter i Moix, Remei Margarit, and Josep Maria Espinàs. Their name is inspired by a Catalan tongue-twister: ("Sixteen judges of a court eat liver off a hangman").
The collective's mission was to advance the Nova Cançó movement and bring Catalan into contemporary music. Beginning with original compositions and Catalan versions of French musicians such as Georges Brassens, the group grew from its initial trio to include sixteen artists. Members included Delfí Abella, Francesc Pi de la Serra, Enric Barbat, Xavier Elies, Guillermina Motta, Maria del Carme Girau, Martí Llauradó, Maria Amèlia Pedrerol, Joan Ramon Bonet, Joan Manuel Serrat, Maria del Mar Bonet, Lluís Llach, and Rafael Subirachs.
By 1968, the ensemble disbanded due to shifts in Spain’s political landscape and the members’ transition into professional careers. Founding figures like Porter i Moix and Espinàs stepped back as a new generation of professional Catalan-language performers emerged. Several members, including Serrat, Llach, Maria del Mar Bonet, Pi de la Serra, Barbat, Motta, and Subirachs, went on to establish successful solo careers.
On 13 April 2007, the group was honored with the Medal of Honor by the Parliament of Catalonia in recognition of their cultural impact during the dictatorship era. Nevertheless, Maria del Mar Bonet expressed criticism over the continued marginalization of Catalan music in media after Spain’s democratic transition. Additionally, Guillermina Motta refused the accolade, arguing it arrived too late—two former members had already passed away: Miquel Porter (2004) and Delfí Abella (February 2007).