Pablo Heredia from Cádiz wins the XVII Flamenco Guitar Competition for Young Performers

Pablo Heredia, from Puerto Real (Cádiz), has won first prize in the XVII Flamenco Guitar Contest for Young Performers organized by the Peña Flamenca de Jaén and the Provincial Council of Jaén (Diputación de Jaén). Twenty musicians presented themselves to this edition, which has distributed a total of 6,000 euros in prizes. Notably, the highest prize in this contest is endowed with 3,000 euros, the recording of an album and a concert sponsored by the Peña Flamenca de Jaén.

The second prize went to Aarón Jiménez “El Cherry” from Zaragoza, who won second prize and the corresponding 2,000 euros. In the meantime, Pablo Campos from Granada, obtained third prize, endowed with 1,000 euros.

The jury, headed by the president of the Peña Flamenca de Jaén, Alfonso Ibáñez, and made up of guitarists Miguel Ángel Calahorro, Antonio Gómez and Alejandro Hurtado, and by the musicologist Ana Encarnación Pérez de Tudela, valued the performance of the three finalists. The three artists had to play each of these flamenco styles: soleá, bulerías, alegrías, tangos, seguirilla, soleá por bulería, guajira, farruca, serranas, zambras and zapateado, on the one hand; and malagueña, granaína, tarantas , mineras and rondeñas on the other.

The second vice-president of the Provincial Council in office, Pilar Parra, attended the final of this contest, which took place at the headquarters of the Peña Flamenca de Jaén and featured guitarist Paco Cepero as a guest artist. “We have enjoyed a great final as the culmination of a contest that we have recovered after several years with the aim of promoting a love for the guitar and flamenco, especially among the youngest“, pointed out Pilar Parra.

Of the twenty musicians registered for this edition, 10 young performers: Javier Arcos (Manilva/Málaga); Pablo Campos Triguero (Granada); Miguel García “Repollo” (Villacarrillo/Jaén), Antonio Gómez (Córdoba), Pablo Heredia (Puerto Real/Cádiz), Laura Calderón (Córdoba), Aarón Jiménez “El Cherry” (Zaragoza), Juan Llorente (Mula/Murcia), Jonathan Martínez, “Jony Martínez” (Baza/Granada) and Víctor Molina (Orce/Granada), participated in the semifinals held on June 28 and 29 as a prelude to this grand final.

(headline image: Pablo Heredia receiving the first prize)