That year of Expo '92 we shared reflections and studies in the book Manolo from Huelva. 100 years for history (1992) on the occasion of XX National Congress of FlamencoAnd as time went on, Luis Soler conceived of carrying out a project on flamenco families that collects more than 18.000 data points.
He was, in fact, co-author with the person I am speaking to you about, of the study of the complete works of Thomas Pavon, which we published in November 1993 and which would form part of the Sound Documents of the Musical Heritage of Andalusia collection; he participated with other scholars in the book The Lame Man from Malaga (1995); he appeared with various treatise writers in several volumes of the History of Flamenco (Tartessos Editions, 1995 and 1996), and published together with his nephew, Ramon Soler Diaz, the anthology Testimonials Flamencos (Tartessos Editions, 28-09-1995 to 1996), a work of 40 compact discs for which he deserved the Flamenco Grape Award from Cadena Ser (1995), since it rescues from memory voices without whose testimonies we could not complete the singing map of Andalusia.
Let's add their publications in specialized journals such as Candil, Al-Yazirat, Sevilla Flamenca, Andalusian Accent, from Malaga, or Almoraimaand his contributions to newspapers such as The Opinion of Málaga o South Europe (1999), apart from commenting of course how in May 1996 he made his entire archive available to the city of Algeciras for the future art Museum Flamencoan objective that did not come to fruition, even though that year ended with the tribute paid to him by the people of Algeciras. Society of the Cante Grande for his “extraordinary contribution to the world of flamenco”, an event in which we had the honor of collaborating and praising Luis's scientific rigor.
His unyielding honesty applied to both politics and flamenco This led him to become president of the section in early May 2000. flamenco of the Municipal Classroom of Andalusian Culture of Campo de Gibraltar, an institution that, due to lack of interest, was reduced two years later to the exclusive sphere of Algeciras.
"The capacity for action of the tireless Luis Soler is incessant. On May 30, 2001, he created the Forum for the Defense of Art in Jerez with other restless scholars." FlamencoIn September 2001, he offered, together with friends of the Society of Cante A great historical lesson, both for publishing '100 years of flamenco in Algeciras' as much for assuming the responsibility of organizing the XXIX International Congress of Flamenco in Algeciras
This explains why Luis published the work days later. Flamencos of the Campo de Gibraltar (José Luis Cano Foundation, 2000), first dictionary flamenco which is published about the Campo de Gibraltar area, which studies 261 artists and 18 peñaflamenco, and that I had the honor of introducing him at the José Luis Cano Foundation, in Algeciras, on May 5, 2000.
But the capacity for action of the tireless Luis is incessant, since, if on May 30, 2001 he created in Jerez with other restless scholars the Forum for the Defense of Art FlamencoIn September 2001, he offered, together with friends from the Society of Cante Grande – of which she became vice president – a historical lesson, both for publishing 100 years flamenco in Algeciras (2001) as much as assuming the responsibility of organizing the XXIX International Congress of Flamenco in Algeciras.
It was undoubtedly one of the most serious, effective, coherent, courageous, and rigorous congresses one can remember; hence the criticism it received from those who know nothing but how to profit from the sweat of others. Equally revealing is the fact that he was a member of the jury for the most prestigious competitions, such as the Mairena del Alcor or the National... Cantes for Alegrías de Cádiz, or assuming the direction of the in February 2002 Andalusian Cultural Center of Algeciraswhich yielded such extraordinary results among the children and young people of Algeciras, even though in less than five years those results did not mature due to a lack of cultivation and political support.
However, the colossal importance of Luis Soler flourishes with the leading role he shared with his nephew Ramón in the exuberant work Los canteby Antonio Mairena. Comments on his discography (Tartessos), an unparalleled study of its 202 canteregistered and that was presented in the XXXII International Congress of Flamenco, held in Mairena del Alcor in September 2004.
It should therefore come as no surprise that he appears in the book along with other writers. Pencho Cros. Tower of sorrows and songs (La Unión, 2008), that on November 5, 2010, it received recognition from Caja BBK in the cycle of the University of Cádiz, or that on October 10, 2012, we unanimously approved the granting of a Antonio Mairena Foundation Award For Luis, in recognition of his work in defending, researching and disseminating Gypsy art and the work and figure of Antonio Mairena, honors that were reciprocated in May 2013, when our protagonist presented his book in Algeciras Reflections on the flamenco and flamencos, which brings together his articles published in the general or specialized press and conference proceedings. ♦
→ See here the first installment of this series by Manuel Martín Martín.
