Pepe de Lucía received the Castillete de Oro award at La Unión, an essential flamenco hub he knows well. The singer, composer, and producer recalled two milestones tied to the Festival del Cante de las Minas: performing in the ensemble that backed Camarón de la Isla and Potito, and witnessing his brother, Paco de Lucía, make history there when Antonio Mairena introduced him as “the best guitarist in the world.” Notably, Paco inaugurated this same distinction.
At the Casa del Piñón, Pepe called the award “one of the greatest honors” of his life, saying it represents “the soul of flamenco; its roots, effort, and truth.” He evoked his parents, Antonio de Algeciras and Luzía, and his brothers, Ramón and Paco, whose memory he keeps “in every note.” Moreover, he described his bond with flamenco as destiny, more a way of living than an art form, embraced with “devotion, respect, and emotion.”
He praised the festival as a pinnacle of flamenco, long regarded as unique. Furthermore, in a public conversation with journalist Teresa García, he shared anecdotes about Paco and Camarón, whom he called an artist who “broke the golden century of flamenco.” He added that many sing well today, though few will enter history as Camarón did; meanwhile, Caracol and Camarón accompany him nightly, and Paco’s image remains a daily presence.
Pepe remains active, composing for other artists and hoping this honor will inspire further work. He lifted the trophy skyward and admitted a single wish: to die onstage. Finally, Joaquín Zapata, president of the Fundación Cante de las Minas, closed with acknowledging that another De Lucía receiving the Castillete de Oro “makes deep sense,” since neither Paco de Lucía nor Camarón would have sounded the same without Pepe by their side.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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