before gallo

The Ateneo of Granada, an institution that had been envisioned as a modern, liberal alternative to the Centro Artístico, attracted with its opening in 1926 a group of young men who shared an interest in literature and a passionate and positive vision for the city's cultural life. Two of them, Enrique Gómez Arboleya and Manuel López Banús, became fast friends with Federico García Lorca and some of the members of the Rinconcillo’s tertulia that had been held in the Alameda coffee house since the early 1920s. All of the members agreed that there was a need for a periodical, published in Granada, in which young artists could express their ideas about the most exciting trends of the Spanish art scene and publish their own work.

In March of that year, García Lorca broke the news to Jorge Guillén:
"I want to write an article on your poems in an exquisite journal that will be published in Granada by the talented boys who are emerging now. Granada is great! I will run the journal from a distance. I have given it the subtitle "Journal of joy and literary word-play.”

The journal had several titles before the definitive one. In February 1927, it was known as El Gallo del Defensor and was to be published as a literary supplement to El Defensor de Granada, edited by Constantino Ruiz Carnero, a member of the Rinconcillo’s tertulia.  

In the summer of 1927, Lorca spent several months in Catalonia preparing the premiere of Mariana Pineda, which took place on June 24 at the Teatro Goya in Barcelona. The following day, he presented an exhibition of his drawings in the Dalmau gallery and spent several splendid weeks in Cadaqués with Dalí, who had designed the play’s sets.

During his stay in Catalonia, Lorca met the editors of the journal L'Amic de les Arts, the poet J. V. Foix, and critics Lluís Montanyà and Sebastiá Gasch. The latter became henceforth one of his most regular correspondents. Lorca was worried about the journal’s title and wrote to Gasch in August: "We are very busy because we are struggling with the title, but eventually we'll get it." In September: " The journal is on its way. The title is now Gallo Sultán. Tell me if you like it.” And in January 1928: " The journal Gallo has finally appeared here in Granada. I think these guys have talent.”