Sometimes it is good to review history to know it better, and that is what I am going to do in this space. I am going to deal with one of the competitions of cante most important in the history of flamenco, Giraldillo of the First Seville Biennial, in 1980, which the Mairena native deservedly won Calixto SanchezSpecifically, the refusal of Juan Peña The Lebrijano to take part in the competition, according to him, because there were no gypsies among the members of the jury. Let me say in advance that I am and always have been an unconditional fan of the maestro from Lebrija, whom I miss very much. For me he has been one of the greatest in the history of the cante, but I would like to briefly recount the details of his refusal, which was very controversial at the time.
The Biennial was born as a competition and not as a festival. The idea was to compete with the Cordoba National, a city that was reaching great importance in the flamenco through its competition and that took away the prominence of traditional Seville flamenco. They were the peñas flamencos of Seville are in charge of choosing the participants in the I Giraldillo, and Lebrijano was one of those chosen along with Phosphorite, Menese, Luis de Cordoba, Curro Malena y Jose the one of the Tomasa. Juan Peña He sent a letter to the Organizing Committee of the Biennial and to some media outlets in which he explained his reasons for not participating in the competition, specifically one: that there would not be any gypsy members on the jury. Also, because he believed that the jury would understand that the peñas were going to be along a certain line of cante and singers.
"It's not that Juan el Lebrijano would not have been able to sing twelve palos, but I would never have given the same measure to all of them, something tremendously difficult for a clearly festive singer.
When Lebrijano sent the aforementioned letter of resignation arguing that he would not participate in the contest, he still did not know who the members of the jury would be because they had not yet been chosen. On the other hand, he had said yes, verbally, that he would take part. What happened to make him reconsider? Something very legitimate: he knew that if twelve were required, palos de cante, his chances were few, having to compete with Fosforito, the longest of the 20th century, without in any way detracting from Curro Malena, who was one of the longest of that time. Or Luis de Córdoba himself. Lebrijano, who was already a leading figure in the cante, thought he had little to gain and much to lose and, surely well advised, he decided not to take part in the historic competition.
With his refusal, the son of Maria the dog He gave the opportunity to a singer from Mairena, Calixto Sánchez, who had come in seventh place in the election of the peñas flamencos from Seville. Calixto had already recorded his first LP and had won some important awards in Granada and Montilla, as well as in his own town, but he was by no means a leading figure. Therefore, he accepted because he had a lot to gain and nothing to lose, unlike Lebrijano. He did not care at all whether there were or were not gypsies among the members of the jury and he knew how to take advantage of the great opportunity that life gave him: to take part in a competition that turned him into a leading figure overnight.
I am convinced that without that opportunity, Calixto would not have become the figure he was, no matter how promising he was.
It's not that Juan el Lebrijano would not have been able to sing twelve palos, but I would never have given the same measure to all of them, something tremendously difficult for a clearly festive singer.
