I'm going back again to The Puebla de Cazalla (Seville) with the illusion of reuniting with what jondo, with the art that dwells within FlamencoWith friends of so many years and the same happiness settled in my soul. There are places that seem never to change, but as you approach them, you realize how much you yourself have changed, and therefore, the environment that welcomes you. Nothing is immutable, nothing lives in the eternal gaze. Everything mutates and moves forward without waiting for anyone; that's why it's so necessary to keep pace with the times, to move forward with them without missing a step.
This time I arrived a few days earlier than usual. It's been a few years since... Meeting of Cante Jondo from La Puebla de Cazalla It is a series of interconnected events that combine to form a cultural phenomenon spanning from July 3rd to 11th, in this 57th edition in 2026. This is quite different from the initial idea of 1967 when, with a thousand fears, a group of local enthusiasts decided to take the plunge and launch a unique festival in the Sevillian countryside. The idea arose from Jose Menese seeing other festivals that were taking place nearby, such as the Competition of Cante Jondo From Mairena del Alcor, the Gazpacho from Morón, the Caracolá from Lebrija, or the Potaje from Utrera. To convince Francisco Moreno Galvan Designing a specific format and proposing it to the rest of the group of friends and colleagues was all that was needed. Among them, we must mention Salvador Marín, Miguel Núñez and Martín ValeroBut it is also necessary to name Juan Riveri, José and Rafael Perry, Fernando from Central y Pepe the MuscularAnd to believe, above all to believe with all one's might in a project that would become a great success from its very beginning.
La Puebla de Cazalla is a town of emigrants who have sought their livelihood elsewhere, primarily in Ibiza or Catalonia, undertaking seasonal work away from the town. Thus, the festival was intended to be a gathering of fans of the sport. Flamencolocals and visitors from other lands. A fraternal gathering that culminated in performances by artists that lasted well into the early hours of the morning. An almost liturgical act on those warm, starry nights with a clear moon that unfolded until dawn. From those pioneering organizers of the Meeting of Cante Jondo Few remain among us, much to my regret, because their absence has created a painful situation. Thus, the reunion became just that: a grand celebration, the event of the summer in La Puebla, where friends, neighbors, relatives, and visitors shared a space of camaraderie during the time when emigrants returned to their homes.
Attracted by the intellectual and artistic vision and united by the social and political thought they shared with Francisco Moreno Galván, as well as by the fame that José Menese was building on the stage flamencoThus, Puebla also became a meeting place for the intellectuals of the time. Personalities of the importance of Rafael Alberti, Blas de Otero, Fernando Quiñones, Antonio Gala, Félix Grande, José Lamarca o Ramón Chao They had the Moorish rendezvous on their agendas, which they attended with the solemnity that the event demanded, to share friendship and enjoy the cante jondo which took place in La Puebla de Cazalla with admirable seriousness and rigor. At that time, the pre-festival meetings were held in the Bar Central run by Fernando Guerrero AndradeThe headquarters of Francisco Moreno Galván—and later of Pepe el Cachas—was a silent witness to so many conversations and confidences, sometimes clandestine. I can say without fear of being wrong that few places have housed so many protagonists of our cultural history in such a small physical space.
The 2019 pandemic dealt a severe blow to Bar Central, as its current, nonagenarian owner closed its doors with the promise never to reopen. But just as life doesn't stop for anything or anyone, so too... Flamenco Nor. For decades the festival has been under the direction of the municipal council, through its Department of Culture – the current councilor is Miguel Angel Martin, who replaced Miguel Angel Rivero—and his team of technicians, who decide, design and organize all the programming of the Festival that culminates with the Meetings of Cante JondoFor all of this, they have an advisory committee made up of, in addition to the people appointed by the city council, Pepe Santos, Manuel Catato, Miguel Ángel Rivero and Patricio Hidalgo Morán.
"We miss the presence of Francisco Moreno Galván and his army of followers, but he has left us the legacy of his school, his exquisite elegance, his taste for authenticity, his philosophy for understanding the Flamenco and their aesthetic sensibility in architecture and visual design. Galvanic ethics and aesthetics are imprinted on the hearts of the Moriscos."
Currently, in the requirements for public funding for festivals flamencoIn Andalusia, programs spanning several days are prioritized. La Puebla de Cazalla consistently receives high marks from the Andalusian administration thanks to its diverse program, which ranges from book presentations and conferences to... flamenco inclusive, recitals in the squares, flamenco in prison, flamenco for children, courses for national and foreign students, guided flash mob tours, awards, the Meeting as a big day and a DJ flamenco which closes the leisure space after the artists' performances have finished. To give a few examples, on Tuesday the photography book of José Lamarca –one of the veterans who are still part of the landscape of Puebla– in charge of Elvira López y Patrick Hidalgo; the recitals of Aroa of Bastián y Consuelo Haldon, example of flamenco emerging young talent, or the awarding of the prize as ambassador of La Puebla de Cazalla to the magnificent guitarist Antonio Carrion, whom they will accompany cante Manuel Castulo y Francisco the Dog.
The Bar Central is gone, and the headquarters has moved to different bars around town, a route that has become customary and welcomes everyone who arrives from all walks of life. We miss the presence of Francisco Moreno Galván and his army of followers, but he has left us the legacy of his school, his exquisite elegance, his taste for authenticity, and his philosophy for understanding... Flamenco and of his aesthetic sensibility in architecture and visual design. Galvanian ethics and aesthetics are imprinted on the houses, the homes, the hearts of the Moriscos and many other people who also admire him in all his greatness.
The absences have given way to new visitors, some drawn by their passion for flamenco and others by the curiosity of attending such a large-scale event. Today, different intellectuals and artists come to experience the program of the meetings firsthand. cante jondo Moorish women, seeking those sensations they heard about and long to feel and share. Others keep alive the flame of so many treasured memories accumulated over the years. These are the people who uphold and protect the legacy, the tradition, the celebration of the ritual festival. They are spectators and witnesses to the changing times.
This week the streets of La Puebla de Cazalla are once again filled with culture, art and artists, a mix of expressions and sensibilities, feelings and emotions, joys and celebrations that come together in the warmth of the Meetings of Cante Jondo from Puebla de Cazalla. ♦
