The sound of Xixón Sound returns with the First we take Milan Project, an initiative taken by the University of Oviedo with the objective that ex-students who are members of some of the most popular Indie bands in the nineties, paid tribute to Leonard Cohen on occasion of his winning the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature.

This project is now launched in a different folder with double digital media- CD and DVD-, brought out by the Vice-Rector's Office for University Extension, Culture and Sports of the University of Oviedo, which contains the live concert the Asturian musicians gave to pay tribute to the Canadian artist at the Great Hall- the most emblematic building of an institution with 400 years of history- on the 20th October 2011, during the week of the 2011 Prince of Asturias Awards.

Each artist carefully chose and modified some of Cohen's greatest hits to offer very personal and unique versions. Nacho Vegas opted in this particular project for The Foreigner and an original version in Asturian, accompanied by Montse Álvarez and Mar Álvarez, from El Partisanu. This journey all along Cohen's greatest hits continues with Mar Álvarez' adaptation of Suzanne and the chance of listening to the voice of Manta Ray's ex-drummer, Xabel Vegas, in Famous blue rain coat. Igor Paskual (Babylon Chat) sifted Hallelujah and Fany Álvarez and Jose Luis García (Elle Belga) revisited together Who by the fire. Montse Álvarez (Nosoträsh) was responsible for the well-known So long Marianne, whereas the theme paraphrasing the title of the project, First we take Milan, is covered by Fernando Marín (Mockin'byrds and La Ruta). Finally, Mar and Alicia Álvarez (Pauline en la playa) revisited, with their particular view, Dance to the end of love.

Apart from the recording of the concert, this special edition includes the documentary First we take Milán, by Chus Neira and José Braña, which deals with the history of El Milán Campus of the University of Oviedo as a starting point in the musical careers of some of the protagonists in the so-called Xixón Sound movement. The documentary opened in the last edition of the Gijon International Film Festival.

First we take Milán meant a display of admiration for the Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen during his stay in Oviedo last October and a chance for some of the most outstanding names of Xixón Sound to meet again after twenty years.

The initiative will be presented on Thursday, 2nd February, at 19.30 p.m, at the Severo Ochoa Classroom of the Cultural Centre Laudeo, at the Historic Building of the University of Oviedo.