artists. The 61st edition of the International Festival brings sacred figures such as José Mercé and India Martínez, and promises such as Reyes Carrasco and El Yiyo closer to La Unión
The International Festival of Cante de las Minas has a clear goal: to ensure that flamenco is perpetuated over time. And for that it is essential that it reaches a young audience. Therefore, in this new edition, the 61st, the event La Unión decides to merge youth and experience in its programming with a series of galas that fans will enjoy, in which big names and young promises appear.
José Mercé, the Rancapino saga and Farruquito are already known to the followers of the festival and this year they will be present again in the ‘Catedral del Cante’, along with other great flamenco figures recognized worldwide, such as the guitarist Paco Cepero. The promises Reyes Carrasco, daughter of the María José Carrasco Mining Lamp, or the bailaor El Yiyo captivate an increasingly younger audience, ensuring the continuity of the genre. The name India Martínez conquers all kinds of audiences with ‘hits’ played on the main radio stations of the country.
In this way, the festival shows “that it is courageous and innovative to open up to a wider audience”, as the president of the Cante de las Minas Foundation, Pedro López, points out, focusing on a program “in which the youth much to say”, in a festival that is “a story about living, growing and overcoming”. “We have to keep working so that this child continues to grow,” he adds.
The promises of flamenco, beyond the finery, come together in the competition, where generations also merge around this art. From August 3 to 5, what is considered the most important competition of the genre worldwide will reach the Cathedral of Cante, again the site after the pandemic, with three semi-finals that will receive the artists selected from the 15 selection tests that have been these months performed throughout the Spanish geography. The finalists will aim to win the Mine Lamp, the Mine Staff, the male and female Desplante and the Filón on August 6.
On Thursday 28 July there will be time again to enjoy the winners of the previous edition with Amparo Heredia Reyes, ‘La Repompilla’; Lara Wong, Paula Rodríguez Lázaro, Rafael Ramírez Vílchez and Alvaro Perez Alvarez.
In addition to the return to the Cathedral of Cante after an ‘online’ edition and another in which Maquinista de Levante became the main stage, there are several novelties that this edition presents. On a graphic level and adding prestige to the billboard of this festival during its 61 years, filmmaker Carlos Saura was the author of this year’s image, starring Unionense Encarnación Fernández’s cantaora. Incorporating this work into his ‘Photosaurs’ concept, Saura has used his own pictorial technique that combines photography and painting, transforming a printed photograph of the singer using watercolors, temperas, colored pencils and colored pencils to create the double mine lamp. to be captured in 1979 and 1980.
On the other hand, this is the second time in the history of the festival that a mayor of La Unión and president of the Cante de las Minas Foundation has met the president of the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation (RTVE), José Manuel Pérez Tornero, whom He will also charge with giving the proclamation. Pedro López thus follows the legacy of founder Esteban Bernal Velasco, who projected the festival 60 years ago after appearing in the facilities of the institution to strengthen ties and project this flamenco event to more and more people thanks to his dedication to the culture of this public service.
The projection of the festival also continues thanks to the ‘My Opera Player’ platform of the Teatro Real, which started broadcasting some of the matches of recent years on June 23. This is complemented by a ‘Winners’ Gala’ for this edition in the same theater on Flamenco Day, on November 16.
For the first time, Correos has become the festival’s official point of sale. Tickets can be purchased through the website https://entradas.correos.es, but also at any office of the entity, turning them into physical points of sale, in addition to being available at any of the travel agencies affiliated with Correos without geographical distinction .
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
