I know the Sevillian town of El Cuervo since the 1975-76 academic year, when I taught at The Heads of San Juan. By then, the flamenco In the Lower Guadalquivir region, this was no small feat, with population centers each having their own identity. And I'll elaborate on this.
They stood out, obviously, Utrera y Lebrija, without leaving behind the land that saw the birth of Ferdinand the Blacksmith, diffuser of the cante by mountain women; the Child of the Heads and the bailaora Pepa Montes –I am referring to Las Cabezas de San Juan–; The Palaces and Villafranca, where the oldest of the was founded in 1951 peñaSevillian flamencos; The Molars, which at the end of 1978 would be developing the Peña The Castle of the Cante; The Coronil, which in 1982 celebrated the XNUMXst Festival under an unforgettable storm Flamenco Las Aguzaderas, so named because it is held in the castle of the same name; and El Cuervo, considered a territory that never crossed the barrier of silence.
And they are wrong, because apart from being associated with Manuel Olmo Luque since the second half of the eighties, The Lame Coripeño –originally from Lebrija and his father from Coripe–, the town lacked fans in the mid-seventies of the last century, but acquired fame after the inauguration of the Peña Flamenca Curro Malena, at the Las Vegas Bar, with the remembered Pepe Pozo, as president, and Braulio, as vice president, who awarded the first gold badge to my friend Francisco Vallecillo Pecino.
The following year, the entity held its Flamenco Night and organized the 1st Flamenco Competition. Cante Juaniquín, who, although originally from Jerez, lived in El Cuervo for a long time. This competition lasted until 1986 with the triumph of The Cabrilero, and the undersigned acted as president of the jury, with the anecdote that we gave him – I refer to Conchas Vargas– a Special Mention to a boy of only 11 years of age, Joselito de Lebrija, today Jose ValenciaI do not forget that that same year the highest distinction was awarded to Curro Malena and his friend, the Chiclana horse and jeweler Agustín Benítez, in addition to the tribute to the great fan Antonio Gómez Reguera, alias The Pyro.
At the dawn of 1987, a tragic car accident ended the life of the admired Pepe Pozo, with Agustín Benítez assuming the presidency of the peña, and remaining vice president Braulio González Zambrano. Of course, spirits were low. However, the 3rd Competition was held in mid-June. Cante of Juaniquín, which went into the hands of Paco Moya, slowing down activity after the awarding of the gold badge to Chano Lobato, back in May 1988.
Despite the weakening also due to the lack of interest due to the lack of fans, the flamenco Guadianea in El Cuervo. I remember that in August 1987 the City Council programmed the Cultural Summer with Diego Marquez and El Cojo Coripeño, in addition to, among others, the academies of Ana Criado y Maria AmarilloAnd from then on, a period of paralysis in the dissemination process coincided with the independence of the municipality of El Cuervo, which, following a popular movement that fought for the segregation of its main nucleus, Lebrija, culminated on October 6, 1992, with the Declaration of Independence, and the constitution of the City Council on December 19 of the same year.
But without straying from what concerns us, let's reconstruct our memory with the birth in 1995 of the First El Cuervo Festival, which was led by El Cojo Coripeño thanks to a municipal initiative that continued into 1997 in the Main Plaza.
"The staff was thrilled and enthusiastic about José Olmo and Reyes Carrasco, which calls into question the aphorism 'From El Cuervo to the bottom lies the garlic,' because, based on the data provided, it's neither up nor down. El Cuervo is where it should be because it has its own identity. All that's left is for them to believe it."
Already in the 2009st century, in XNUMX Rosa Castro and Manuel Andrade closed the renowned Sevilla-Betis Bar After 52 years of working life, and three years later, in 2012, within the commemorative events of the Segregation and Independence of El Cuervo, the City Council awarded El Cojo Coripeño the title of Distinguished Citizen throughout his professional career.
It would be from June 21 to 28, 2013 when the Andalusian Cultural Athenaeum Arbonaida celebrates the 1st Cycle Flamenco The Choza de Juaniquín in the 24th century building of the Casa de Postas, which in its second edition took place from July 1 to August 2014, XNUMX with the addition of the XNUMXst Contest of Cante Juaniquín's Hut and a conference by Manolo Sanlucar. Note in this regard that Juaniquin He lived in a humble shack located in front of the Venta de Santa Inés, on the El Cuervo national highway.
But we continue, because in July 2015 the cycle reached its third edition, also programming the contest, and having continuity in successive years, where in 2018 it had the presence of the singer Jose Olmo, son of El Cojo Coripeño and a local icon. And even when it seemed he was about to expire, it was possible to celebrate in 2019 in honor of Manuel Mellado Moreno, great-grandson of Juaniquín who had recently passed away, the closure corresponding to flamencos like José Olmo, who a couple of years earlier had presented his own album, published thanks to micro-sponsorship led by the Ateneo itself.
But as the expiration date prevails, in 2020 the eighth edition of the cycle could not be held due to Covid, just when Juaniquín's grandson died in Los Palacios on August 2, Casto Moreno Merchán, which was known as the Tito Andrés, or Andrés from the Bar Cine, and son of the “lost son” of Juaniquín, Casto Moreno Vargas, alias El Mojiconero, for the churros he made with his wife.
El flamenco, as has been confirmed, appears and disappears in El Cuervo. It's like a bill with a due date. Let's note, however, that in November 2021, and organized by the City Council, the The Festivals Flamenco Post House, a tribute to Manolo Sanlúcar. And in November 2022 this event paid tribute to Manuel Olmo Luque, El Cojo Coripeño, reaching its fourth edition in November 2024, coinciding with the international day of Flamenco.
What will happen in the future is unpredictable. We can note, however, that last night, August 1st, the El Cuervo City Council successfully closed the story of the flamenco contemporary. And he did it To the sound of the boorishness, a day that included the local representative, José Olmo, who, supported by the guitar of Louis Carrasco and palmas de José y Antonio Carrasco, left his credentials – soleá por bulerías, tientos-tangos, malagueña, fandangos and bulerías – with inexhaustible energy and a broad, powerful and well-polished voice, with a rich center and confident and powerful high notes, leaving a magnificent impression from beginning to end before his fans who praised him.
That level of quality stimulated Kings Carrasco, which is in an extraordinary vocal moment, escorted by the guitar of Nerd Santiago and the cheering of palmas de Richard Gutierrez y Alberto Parraguilla, he intelligently captured the cantiñas, soleá por bulerías, lorqueñas with malagueña, jabera and fandango from the Albaicín, tangos, bulerías and fandangos, sung with deep emotion and great moving force, which allowed him, on the one hand, to win over the audience that packed the auditorium, and on the other, to give the night indelible moments.
The staff was therefore excited and enthusiastic about the crow and the courtesan, which calls into question the aphorism From El Cuervo down there is garlic, since, with the data provided, neither down ni upThe Raven is where he belongs because he has his own identity. He just needs to believe it.
