It opens its doors one more year Santa Cruz Estate to delight us with the 42nd edition of the festival of Cante Flamenco The BúcaroEverything is perfectly arranged as a result of the great guitarist's efforts. Antonio Carrion, tireless director and organizer of this event that makes him so proud. How you can tell when someone who loves and dedicates his life to flamenco He organizes things, every detail is taken care of, and those that aren't perfect are already noted so they don't happen next year. There are many people telling us what needs to be done, and that makes the management's work of designing and deciding more complicated. But in the public eye, everything is in its place. Even the night is warm and pleasant, just like this tireless summer that has settled in Andalusia.
One of the most pleasant sensations that the flamenco It's about meeting so many familiar people and remembering the mutual affection. That's how we arrived at the snack bar, strategically located away from the stage, greeting everyone. We fans like to follow that unwritten ritual that comes with meeting people at a festival or any other event. There are many good fans among the audience that attends the Búcaro, and that gives the event class and prestige.
Break the quicksilver of the night Salvador Milla, a regular presenter at this festival, with the welcome of the institutions that sponsor the event: the president of the Provincial Council of Seville and mayor of San José de la Rinconada, the first deputy mayor, as well as godmother of the Peña El Búcaro, the president of the peña and members of the board, without forgetting the local private sponsors who, although not pictured, also collaborate.
Tonight we have a line-up of good leading figures of the canteI have to remember those posters of yesteryear that featured the most successful names from those glorious times. It must be that the organization seeks to showcase casts that will remain in the public's memory with their memorable performances. Nostalgia often teaches us good lessons that are worth putting into practice.
Without further ado, the first performance is left in the hands of two local fans, because it is important that the fans also participate in the show and show their flamenco intentions, as they did. Fernando El Goyo, cante, and Juan Quiros, on the guitar. Goyo gave the audience some perfect bulerías por soleá, the milonga dedicated to his grandfather, which moved the audience, and he finished with fandangos, bringing all his devotion to singing to the stage. If there is one thing about Goyo, it is his sincerity in the cante, who sailed on the harmonious and complicit touch of Juan Quirós.
«The clear and resounding voice of Manuel Cástulo rises above the walls of the Hacienda Santa Cruz to firmly reach the highest heavens. This is one of those singers who loves the flamenco in such a passionate way that when he sings it seems as if his heart is coming out of his mouth"
The main course of the first half was served by Archangel on a golden platter, escorted by the guitar of Benito Bernal and flanked by The Huelva Twins, which seasoned the cante from the Alosnero with percussion, palmas and choirs. No one can open seeds in the heart of the dream, sgood The legend of Time A shrimp-like experience in Arcángel's sweet, refined, and melisma-filled voice, which soars in tientos and tangos with an exquisite selection of lyrics. A continuous half hour, without stops, without a break, took us from tangos to caña, with pregón thirds playing, he wrapped himself in soleá with an unbeatable selection, and for dessert, with apolá. Call her by soleá. He intertwined two beautifully executed tarantas. Arcángel confesses that “singing continuously helps him concentrate.” And the audience remained enthralled, without interruption, listening to that spring of music that flows from Arcángel's throat. A few words of affection for Manuel Sierra (School of cante from Paymogo), a former competition partner and good friend. The chords of alegrías, which sound more like cantiñas due to their calm and temperament, sound on the guitar, dedicated to The Flea, who's in the audience. The singer shines on stage, calm, confident, knowing what he's carrying. He no longer needs to sell anything. Whoever wants to buy it. But he can't leave without throwing himself at Alosno, and the audience, standing, demands it. All the artists on stage are from Huelva, with great pride. A good ending with fandangos, with the waves of our hearts calm.
To conclude the first part, dance provides color and movement. The local dancer Macarena López is accompanied by Cristina Tovar y John of Mairena al cante, Francis Gomez on the guitar, Lito Manes to percussion. The rose continues to cry under the moonlight in memory of El Caracol so that Macarena can take over the stage dressed in black. The tientos are played and the tangos are followed. The dancer's body is a canvas on which the feelings of the cante, with subtlety, yet with strength and confidence, with a steady rhythm that earns her her first standing ovation. She connects with some sevillanas full of emotion –You will remember the kisses I gave you– Macarena dances for Juan de Mairena, wrapped in a shawl that flies in the air like a fringed hug. Cristina Tovar and Juan de Mairena transition to the next dance with a duel in malagueñas –For searching for the flower he loved, Manuel Torres, and They are going to put up barriers, in the style of CanaryAnd Macarena López concludes with a dance of alegrías that delighted her audience, to whom she gave herself with passion and pride for dancing in her hometown.
A few minutes later, Salvador Milla announces the second part of the festival. There is great excitement among the audience. The first part has satisfied the audience's wishes, and now the depths sink even deeper into the voices of the two singers who have yet to take the stage.
The solemn playing of Antonio Carrión opens with a soleá. The sublime mastery of the guitarist from Los Alcores, an adopted son of San José de la Rinconada, moves the hearts of the audience, who offer their spoons in cheers and applause. The time comes to receive the cante grazed and wise of Pedro the Granaíno, who tonight shows off a syrupy voice to give the flavor and smell to the palos more gypsies from the tree of the flamencoWe listen to him, in the silence of those who know I distinguished, take a journey from memory to his father to the bridge that joined the Genil with the Guadalquivir, a heart between two rivers. With a warm greeting to Juan Camas (Bar Ocho) preluded the black seguirillas that he sang next, Pa hook that I wear tied around my neck. And so he usually appears on stage, with a polka-dotted scarf, with that image of a gypsy prince, his head high and confident, his heart collected to then give it to the audience. Pedro took the audience to the deepest depths of pain and agony, to take us back in memory to the marked days of Santiago and Santana. Pedro el Granaíno is a singer of roots, tradition and history, his canteThey are undoubtedly true and he continues to cover bulerías to hear that cigarette that went out along the way, the well-known song Carmen, of Paquiro and the denial of Tomás, that's nothing. And to finish, a round of fandangos, like the de Chocolate My heart tells me. Two luxuries in a single moment, because if listening to Pedro el Granaíno is an ecstasy, it becomes immeasurable with the accompanying guitar, where all the chords and the same Andalusian cadence are hidden, in the hands of Antonio Carrión.
The icing on the cake fell to the lot of Manuel Castulo, son of the Cástulos singing house of Mairena del Alcor, accompanied on the guitar by a master of the six strings who has the magic of art flamenco in his hands, Manuel Herrera, another son of San José de la Rinconada, who performed with all humility and nobility in his town. Manuel Cástulo came with enthusiasm and a different repertoire to vindicate palos beautiful trees flamenco Uncommon at festivals. He began with the farruca accompanied by beautiful falsetas from his guitarist. New lyrics were heard in Manuel Cástulo's repertoire, which also enhanced his performance. He continued with serrana and siviana, If you go to Andalusia, may God protect you. The clear and resounding voice of Manuel Cástulo rises above the walls of the Hacienda Santa Cruz to firmly reach the highest heavens. He is one of those singers who loves the flamenco with such passion that when he sings, it seems as if his heart is leaping out of his mouth. Because he believes in what he does and gives it his all, rightfully so. Manuel Herrera, at his side, masterfully embodies drones, tremolos, arpeggios, and everything else that can be done on the instrument on which this great singer from the Sevillian countryside navigates. The tangos brighten the night before the audience asks for seguiriyas, and this is where the heavens tear in two like shirts tear. That seguiriyazo he dedicates to the death of his father thrills the audience beyond repair and leaves us with that finishing touch in our souls.
This 42nd edition made me enjoy myself like a little girl with new dancing shoes., but I have to say, with the most sincere intention of contributing rather than criticizing, that I missed a female voice on par with the artists featured, which, in my humble opinion, would make it even more perfect. I couldn't help but recall names engraved on those posters of yesteryear: The Pearl of Cadiz, the Paquera, the Fernanda, the Sayago, among others… ♦
Credits
XLII Festival of Cante Flamenco The Búcaro
Hacienda Santa Cruz, San José de la Rinconada (Seville)
19th September 2025
Al cante: Archangel, Peter the Granaíno, Manuel Cástulo, Fernando the Goyo
To the dance: Macarena López and her company
On the touch: Benito Bernal, Antonio Carrión, Manuel Herrera, Juan Quirós
Percussion, palmas and compass: Los Mellis, Concha Carrión, Ángel Peña
Presented by: Salvador Milla
