The Mayor of Jerez, Maria Jose Garcia-Pelayo, chaired the awards ceremony for the most outstanding artists of the last edition of the Jerez Festival The event featured flamenco dancers Manuel Liñán, Marco Flores, and Estela Alonso, singer Juan de la María, and guitarists Rafael Rodríguez and Jesús Torres. The Deputy Mayors were also in attendance. Agustín Muñoz y Jaime Espinar, the delegate for Culture, Francisco zurita, and Carlos Granados, director of the event. These awards, in their different categories, have been granted on the initiative of the collaborating entities of the show and private companies of the city.
“You are the soul of the festival. This is a festival with a soul, and you are that soul,” the mayor remarked, congratulating the award-winning artists. “Jerez is another planet, to paraphrase…” Lola FloresAnd the festival is too.” In his opinion, the Jerez festival “has become established and continues to grow, innovate, open doors,” and emphasize “certain values.” In this regard, he pointed out that culture is an engine of “societal transformation” in a city that lives and breathes it.
García-Pelayo described the competition, in this thirtieth edition which began on Friday with Manuela Carpio at the Villamarta Theatre and will end on Saturday, March 7, it is “integrative, inclusive and participatory”. As an example of this participatory nature, he mentioned the inclusion of the La Gotera de Lazotea Theatre, the venue for the awards ceremony and where two performances of the cycle are scheduled for the first time Piano Flamenco in this cultural facility in the San Miguel neighborhood. This event is part of the municipal initiative to extend flamenco activity to other areas of the city. According to the mayor, “the flamenco It's an opportunity for the future."
El cante by Juan de la María
The awards ceremony – held at the La Gotera Theatre in Lazotea and presented by the journalist and critic of flamenco Juan Garrido– began with the delivery of Best Award Cante Accompaniment –granted by the Local Federation of Peñas Flamencos that presides Jesús López– to the flamenco singer John of the Maria for his outstanding performance in the montage Dead of love, de Manuel LinanThe Jerez-born flamenco singer had previously offered a glimpse of his artistic talents by singing martinete and bulerías accompanied by the guitar of Fernando del Morao and palmas de Israel Lopez y Lua.
"Especially moving were the speeches of those who are usually in the background as part of a larger artistic team. The Festival's awards represent, in some cases, the launch of a promising artistic career and, in others, the consolidation and recognition of the work developed in recent years."
The list of award winners for their outstanding performance at the last edition of the Jerez Festival also includes the peculiar touch of Rafael Rodriguez, Guitar with Soul Award given by the José Ignacio Franco Flamenco Guitar AcademyCritics highlighted her participation in the show The Golden Age. 20th Anniversary. de Israel Galvanwhich was staged at the Villamarta Theatre. However, the award for Best Musical Composition, which this year is given by the Jerez Festival, went to the guitarist Jesus Torres, who was part of the artistic team of CreaVIVA, de Raphael CarrascoThe award, presented by Carlos Granados, was picked up by Isabel Bayón, given the impossibility of Jesús Torres being present due to his artistic commitments.
The dancer Irene Olivares She won the Revelation Award – also given by the federation that brings together flamenco entities – for her performance in the Don Antonio Chacón Cultural Center, within the cycle De Peñas. The Breakthrough Artist Award, granted by González-Byass Wineries After a vote by specialized critics, it went to the flamenco dancer stela alonso by My way 2.0, which could be seen in Sala Compañía.
For their show Wild, Flowers Frame has received the Critics' Prize, organized by the Chair of FlamencoThe award – a Silver Wine Taster and the corresponding certificate – was presented by the city's Department of Folklore and Architecture and the Wine Regulatory Council. Juan Zarzuela, member of the board of directors of the Chair of Flamencology of Jerez, and Cesar Saldana, president of the Wine Regulatory Council.
Finally, Manuel Linan He received the Diario de Jerez Audience Award, given by audience vote, for his show Dead of love, which could be seen at the Villamarta Theatre. This award was presented by Miguel Berraquero, manager of the aforementioned newspaper, and the mayor María José García-Pelayo.
All the award-winning artists expressed their gratitude for the recognition of their work, the fruit of a continuous effort in learning and refinement. Particularly moving were the speeches of those who usually remain in the background as part of a larger artistic team. The Festival's awards represent, in some cases, the launch of a promising artistic career and, in others, the consolidation and recognition of the work developed in recent years.
