A few days ago, my friend Jesus Mendez He updated me on the guitarist's condition. Miguel Salado, with whom I shared a good friendship as well as the admiration I always felt for his Jerez-style way of accompanying the canteThe guitarist, aged 44, has said goodbye from his home in El Puerto de Santa María and being taken to the Jerez Funeral Home, leaving the world flamencoAnd beyond gender, dismayed and saddened. And this has been reflected on social media with messages full of love and affection for someone who always had a smile for everyone.
Although the information he received a few days prior wasn't entirely hopeful, Miguel had overcome difficult times before and returned to the stage. Since 2023, he had been suffering from a disease that is so prevalent these days, yet unfortunately, the research resources this scourge requires are not being adequately allocated. The news arrived like a bucket of cold water from a close relative at 10:50 a.m. on Thursday, June 11th—a call no one ever wants to receive.
Those closest to him say he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, encouraging them to continue enjoying life, setting an example of integrity and hope. He was upright in everything, in his convictions, in his statements… Though somewhat shy, he never hesitated to speak his mind when the time was right. Until the very end, I'm told, he kept his guitar close by, even thinking about the next time he would take the stage.
Miguel was the sound of Jerez through bulerías, with Periquín, Cepero, Parrilla or Moraíto in every single one of its strings. He was convinced that this was the legacy he should maintain and that, from there, he would find his own path, his own style. He demonstrated this in Cai BayThese joys were a prelude to what would become his first album.
"He was always grateful, consistent, and true to his convictions. His devotion to the guitar and his respect for the audience were admirable until his very last moment, accompanying artists like Aurora Vargas even with his faculties failing. But there he was, still fighting, alongside his wife Rocío and the rest of his large family who supported him every step of the way. There is much more to say, all of it good, but there is no greater example of human quality than the one his colleagues have remembered since the news broke."
In October 2021 it became protagonist of the audiovisual interview series which we published in this magazine for several years, and we met with him at his home in Jerez, where he received us in the patio, in the shade of a large lemon tree. In the “conversation” we reviewed his beginnings, along with El Torta, El Nano de Jerez or going back to the first time he played a guitar at the home of a neighbor who lived right across the hall from his, in a building in the neighborhood Princi Jerez“I was born here, neither in Santiago nor in La Plazuela,” he asserted proudly.
He was clear in his reflections. He didn't disrespect anyone, but he was usually straightforward in his view of the situation. "There's a lack of passion," he would say. And just as he affirmed that "there's still suffering now, don't let anyone say otherwise," referring to certain myths that people used to sing better because they suffered more. Thus, we reached the end of the conversation with a defense of theflamenco as the best, above other genres.”
That lemon tree became famous, according to Miguel, who spoke to me days after the publication as a sign of gratitude, joking with “Everyone’s talking to me about the lemon tree, you wouldn’t believe the fuss it’s caused!”He was always grateful, consistent, and true to his convictions. His devotion to the guitar and his respect for the audience were admirable until his last moment, accompanying artists such as Aurora Vargas Even with diminished abilities. But there he remained, fighting, alongside his wife. Dew And the rest of his large family who have supported him every step of the way. There's much more to say, all of it good, but there's no greater example of human kindness than the one his colleagues have remembered since the news broke.
Rest in peace. ♦
