Spanish guitarist Ángela Zarzuela won the first ‘Certamen de guitarra con nombre de mujer’ (Guitar contest with a woman’s name) award. The contest was organized by the Peña El Chumi of El Puerto de Santa María, supported with grants from the Department of Equality of the Cadiz Provincial government (Diputación).
Ten women participated in the contest, arriving from all over Andalusia (southern Spain) and even from Switzerland and Germany.
Local guitarist Ángela Zarzuela won the first prize, endowed with 600 euros. The second prize, endowed with 300 euros, went to Silvia Sofía Brener, from Germany, while Sofía Mozos, from Córdoba, obtained third place.
In flamenco, women have a much lower presence than men, something especially pronounced in the field of guitar. On the positive side, this initiative is aimed at breaking a “glass ceiling” and correct this asymmetry.
Each contestant presented two pieces. Ángela Zarzuela first played her own composition and then interpreted Labarrosa, by Paco de Lucía, with a performance that was deserving of the first prize, according to the jury made up of flamenco guitar teacher Antonio Villar, professional guitarist David Cruz and the artist Nazareth Cala.
The initiative to make female guitarists visible in flamenco, in addition to the contest held this past weekend, includes the screening of the documentary ‘Tocaoras’, by the Cádiz-born actress and director Alicia Cifredo.
The Diputación, through its grants by the Equality Area, aims to promote the involvement of society in the elimination of stereotypes, glass ceilings and gender inequalities. The Peña El Chumi project is one of the 149 projects to promote equity between women and men that have benefited from these grants.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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