The 64th Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas, held in La Unión from July 30 to August 9, presents a wide-ranging cultural agenda that connect the past and present of flamenco. Alongside nightly galas, the parallel program features tributes, concerts, exhibitions, and public honors celebrating the genre’s evolution and ongoing influence. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, flamenco finds a dedicated platform in this historic mining town in Murcia.
The full program was unveiled at the Regional Assembly of Murcia. Foundation president Joaquín Zapata emphasized the festival’s commitment to artistic excellence and international relevance. The agenda opens on July 30 with the traditional misa minera (miner mass) at Nuestra Señora del Rosario, featuring Paco Severo and Antonio Muñoz, followed by the lighting of the festival portico and the inauguration of La Unión’s Avenida del Flamenco.
The opening gala on July 31 includes the official proclamation by actor Imanol Arias and a showcase of past competition winners, including the youth desplante category. Subsequent evenings feature renowned performers such as guitarist Antonio Rey, dancer Sara Baras, Jesús Carmona (in a gala co-produced by La Verdad and Flamenco Real), singer Mayte Martín, and the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía. Competition semifinals will be held August 6–8, with the final on August 9.
Throughout the festival, the Fundación Cante de las Minas will confer several distinctions. The Castillete de Oro, awarded for contributions to flamenco’s dissemination, will go to guitarists Yerai Cortés and Pepe Habichuela, singer-producer Pepe de Lucía, journalist Vicente Vallés, and rock band Arde Bogotá. The Medalla de Oro will be awarded to Madrid’s Teatro Real.
Five artists will inaugurate their commemorative plaques on the Avenida del Flamenco: Antonio Rey, Pepe de Lucía, Pepe Habichuela, Jesús Carmona, and the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía.
This year’s Carburo de Oro goes posthumously to Barquerito de Fuengirola, who won the Lámpara Minera in 1974 and passed away in 2024, and to official festival guitarist Antonio Muñoz. Peña El Lucero, organizer of the 50-year-old festival La Cata Flamenca, will receive the Rojo el Alpargatero award.
On August 6, the Pencho Cros awards will honor guitarist Antonio Carrión, promoter Antonio Conde, digital producer Pedro J. Bernal, and singer Juan Pinilla. The following day, the Esteban Bernal Velasco award, commemorating the festival’s founder, will go to the Conservatorio de Música de Cartagena, which will also give a student performance.
The festival’s cultural programming also includes a visual arts component: painter Perla Fuertes will exhibit her work at the Museo Minero beginning July 30. Literary offerings include presentations of three books, Now or Never by Pepe Habichuela (August 3), 100 Años de Flamenco y Radio by Ildefonso Vergara, and Los Colores de la Nieve by Juan Pinilla (August 4).
Additional highlights include a screening of La Guitarra Flamenca de Yerai Cortés (August 1) and the presentation of the album De Flamenco Cantan a Pencho (August 4), both hosted at La Unión’s City Hall.
The trovo tradition, a form of improvised verse tied to flamenco’s regional history, will be spotlighted in the seventh edition of the Certamen Internacional de Trovo Pascual García Mateos on August 9. That day also includes the Trovero Marín award for Alfonso “El Levantino” and an international trovo exchange between Colombia and La Unión on August 3.
Late-night madrugás continue the town’s flamenco tradition in local venues, offering free performances from established and emerging artists. Featured singers include María Belén Alaminos, Bastián, and Isco Heredia, with support from guitarists like Oscar Gallardo and Antonio Muñoz, and dancers such as Lucía Campillo and Marcos Morales. Young artists from the Escuela de Flamenco de Andalucía will also take part.
During the program’s launch, regional tourism and culture minister Carmen Conesa underscored the festival’s dual cultural and economic importance, highlighting its role in shaping La Unión’s identity. The event concluded with a live performance by guitarist Miguel Ángel Solano, singer María Belén Alamillos, and dancer María Elena Corví.
More information at festivalcantedelasminas.org
Author: World Music Central News Room
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