– Third year as director, second as programmer, at a festival celebrating its thirtieth anniversarythe. Sient vértigo?
“I don’t know if it’s vertigo, or rather nerves. The same nerves that artists might feel before going on stage. But also a great deal of respect. Thirty editions isn’t just a round number. They represent years of successes, joys, but also adversities, difficult economic times, social, aesthetic, and political changes, and even a pandemic that called everything into question. And the Jerez Festival carried on. I’ve inherited a festival that already had a very strong identity. That, more than vertigo, generates gratitude and a sense of responsibility. The world isn’t the same as it was thirty years ago. Neither are the artists nor the audience. My task isn’t to freeze what was, but to accompany that evolution with honesty. I wouldn’t want the Jerez Festival to become a nostalgic museum of its own successes. I want it to continue being an engine that looks to the future without losing its roots or its memory.”
– The Biennial is presented in Rome or ParisíIt coincides with Jerez. In Utrera, the Tacón Flamenco He dedicates his festival to the Jerez dance. Does he consider them competition?
– Honestly, no. I've never understood it that way, because I don't see competition in matters of culture and art. Rather, we are all complementary and we need each other. We all form a single cultural network. Culture and art flamenco They don't function like a universe where one grows by subtracting from the other. On the contrary. When the Biennial is projected in Rome or Paris, or when Utrera celebrates Jerez dance, what's happening is that the flamenco It gains presence and recognition. And that's good for everyone. We have a very specific identity. The Jerez Festival is much more than just a showcase of shows: it's education, it's the city, and it's community. Here, the artistic experience is shared as a community. Many of our course participants plan their year around February. They come back, they repeat the experience, they forge connections… But so do the press and the fans, of whom there are many. That's Jerez. I believe more in camaraderie and cooperation than in competition. The stronger the flamenco in the world, it will also be better for Jerez, for Seville, Utrera, New York or London.
"The world is not the same as it was thirty years ago. Neither are the artists nor the audience. My task is not to freeze what once was, but to accompany that evolution with honesty. I wouldn't want the Jerez Festival to become a nostalgic museum of its own successes. I want it to continue being an engine that looks to the future without losing its roots or its memory."
– Jerez opens itself to avant-garde and contemporary proposalsáneas. ¿CóHow is the essence preserved?
- At flamencoEssence is not preserved by locking it away. It is preserved by putting it at the service of the present, by making it dialogue with the social realities in which it moves. flamenco It was born as a free, hybrid language, a product of coexistence. If we turn it into something hermetic, place it in a display case like a museum piece, or sacralize it in a shrine before which we bow, I believe we would be betraying its very nature from the outset. This doesn't mean we can't also enjoy it in its historical forms, lyrics, and traditions, because there are universal aspects to it. I understand the same with opera or classical music. Preserving its essence means ensuring rhythm, truth, and roots. From that firm ground, art can explore, take risks, and engage in dialogue with its society and with other artistic disciplines—something that is very much present both in the programming of the performances, which will take place in various venues, and in the parallel activities.
-Havehow to defineíto this year's festivalo?
– As a living project celebrating thirty editions, looking ahead but mindful of its entire journey. In this edition, we celebrate the diversity of flamenco And Spanish dance today is seen as an open and pluralistic space where anyone can recognize themselves, express themselves, or simply be. Established figures coexist with emerging artists, intimate settings with large-scale productions. There is both history and risk. This coexistence is the core of the festival. We didn't want to create a nostalgic commemorative edition. We look back on our journey with gratitude, but we also ask ourselves what we want it to continue to be so that it can thrive with the same vitality for another thirty editions. I like to think of it as an open, vibrant, and diverse festival, where anyone can recognize themselves, feel at home, or simply be moved by the experience. Beyond the numbers or the premieres, what we celebrate is a community that has been built over thirty years and continues to grow with each edition.
-Qué should notíto lose the fan and the neóFito?
– To the seasoned performer, I would say pay special attention to the premieres, because that's where the artist exposes themselves in a particularly vulnerable and authentic way. Performances like those of Manuela Carpio, who opens the festival at the Teatro Villamarta, or those of Estévez and Paños, the Aguilar Brothers, Carmen Herrera, or El Oruco, to name a few. And to the newcomer, I would ask that they come with an open mind and allow themselves to be surprised. But beyond any specific name, I would tell everyone not to miss the whole experience: the nerves of the debut, the audience cheering with a foreign accent in perfect Jerez Spanish, the peña where the artist shares rhythm after the theater… The Jerez Festival is programming, but it is also shared life experiences.
"We are all critics, after all, but I want to recommend that we practice more surprise, that we try to leave prejudices and preconceived ideas at the door and let the artists tell us their stories and convey their message, and then, with respect, appreciate those who step onto a stage with enthusiasm, nerves, and months of hard work. Let us never forget that what artists do when they step onto a stage is an act of love."
-Qué is the máIt's demanding to direct a festival in the cradle of cante?
– It's demanding, but also a privilege. In Jerez, the flamenco It's not preserved. It's lived, breathed, and felt in everyday life. It's a way of understanding and experiencing life. It's part of daily life. This requires programming with respect, knowledge, and sensitivity so that visitors, in addition to enjoying the latest artistic offerings, can experience Jerez's unique way of life. And the challenge is to live up to this living memory without making it a limitation. To understand that tradition is not a hindrance, but the firm ground from which to move forward.
– I suppose I never programmedon beingá Something to everyone's liking. Does one get used to the críethics?
Criticism is inevitable and necessary, but I believe it must be fair above all else. If art doesn't generate debate, it loses relevance, so it's always welcome. Some criticism helps improve specific aspects, while other criticism reflects different sensibilities. That's very healthy. I think the important thing is not to program out of fear, not to turn the festival into a museum of itself. It has to embrace its cultural responsibility and break new ground. We're all critics, after all, but I want to recommend that we cultivate more surprise, that we try to leave prejudices and preconceived ideas at the door and let the artists tell us their stories and share their vision, and then respectfully appreciate those who step onto a stage with enthusiasm, nerves, and months of hard work. Let's never forget that what artists do when they step onto a stage is an act of love.
– Extremadura, Murcia… have they found their niche in Jerez this year?
- flamenco It has a very clear root, but its historical development has been plural and diverse. It has grown from coexistence and exchange. When a proposal connects with that root and offers an honest perspective, it has its place, regardless of its origin. We don't ask anyone for a passport or proof of purity of blood. That is, that they descend from great dynasties. Moreover, the UNESCO declaration of flamenco The designation of Intangible Cultural Heritage is not without reason. It means that the flamenco It doesn't belong to Jerez, or Extremadura, or Murcia or Seville. It belongs to the world, to Humanity, and to every person who feels it as their own, because the flamenco It speaks to him, and through it he finds a means of expression or a mirror in which to see himself. When programming, I value the proposals, their capacity to engage in dialogue with society and with other proposals to enrich them, in this festival that transcends the stage.
“Jerez is much more than just a showcase of shows: it’s education, it’s a city, and it’s community. Here, the artistic experience is shared as a community. (…) I believe more in complicity and cooperation than in competition. The stronger the flamenco "In the world, it will also be better for Jerez, for Seville, Utrera, New York or London."
-Qué he likes itíto make thatún has not been able to carry it out?
– I would like Jerez to be a driving force for creativity, to have a space and an artist residency program that would greatly strengthen the festival and the city. I also want to consolidate alliances that foster long-term exchanges, from international to local institutions. The bid to become European Capital of Culture 2031 is an opportunity to reinforce this cultural cooperation, but understood as ongoing collaboration, not just one-off projects. I think we're on the right track, but there's still room for growth.
– Take atéAfter a festival with so many premieres and spaces, does it make you feel...ás amateur omás escéOptical?
– It makes you more aware of the industry and, above all, more grateful to the artists. When you witness the process of a premiere, you understand the enormous amount of work behind it: hours of rehearsal, doubts, risk, and, above all, passion. There's a point where an artist has to become an entrepreneur, because a premiere is a huge investment, financially included, and our responsibility to the industry is to allow artists to recoup those investments, to ensure their work tours and is seen in as many places as possible. That's why I don't usually count the number of premieres when programming; the team counts it afterward when we need to gather data. But for me, it's not a goal. The credit ultimately belongs to the artists, who are the ones who put themselves out there and sustain themselves for more than two weeks on stage. But it also belongs to the team behind them: technicians, production staff, front-of-house personnel, cleaning staff, communications, and box office staff. There are many people working like clockwork with enormous dedication to make sure every detail works. A festival of this scale isn't built by a single person; it's a collective effort, as is the flamencoA flamenco singer, however good he may be, needs a guitarist and some... palmerosAt the very least. Being able to experience that creative process firsthand, to witness the birth of a work, or to see how an idea transforms into a stage doesn't make you distant. On the contrary, it connects you even more deeply with it. flamenco and its processes and needs. It reminds you why this art is still alive and why it's worth supporting. ♦
