Special mention must be made of the soleá guitar solo by Manolito Herrera. It came to replace the void left by the jury's decision of the previous day's contest, since the winner of the contest usually opens the contest. Antonio Mairena Award al canteThis year was left orphaned, deserted, hence the purity of the trill of Manolito's sonanta jonda, full of classicism and freshness at the same time, filled the auditorium's timbers with flamenco, getting down to business as the people of Mairena deserve.
The night was in homage to Nano from Jerez, but his friend and colleague already speaks with precision and accuracy about his recognition Manuel Martin Martin in this house, just as he did in his extraordinary gloss, as he was the master of ceremonies with the aplomb, joviality, and wisdom that come with experience. That's why he's the dean of flamenco criticism today.
The festival of festivals opened the cage to the moan with the cante de Jose Canela, who squandered the opportunity to crown himself on these sun-drenched stages. He settled into the alegrías, warming up to the beat. The bulería por soleá was at times insipid. He tried to find his footing in the seguiriya, but got completely lost in the bass, lacking restraint and voice. Not in the drive. He stayed always in the corners, a he whose mother died, and finished the seguiriya lament with the my painful one which only requires a third and a half of packaging. Not even the magnificent guitar of Antonio Higuero, who dragged him upwards with his attacks, managed to cover up the flaws of a mediocre performance that ended with bulerías. palmas they were Fernando Canela y Antonio Flores without pain or glory.
They repeated these palmeros improvise with Virginia Gamez, who wrapped himself in the clean and servile guitar of Andres CansinoIn Mairena the shapes of Calixto Sanchez and Virginia was an advanced student of hers. She had fertile ground for taste and offered a silky, long and temperate repertoire of caresses in a town where the fondness for cante that hurts. Despite everything, it raised applause and left this critic in apathy. It rocked through tientos tangos, remembering as often happens Joan of the Stir. Then he went into Triana. He performed with scrupulous perfection the granaína and media granaína that evoked Vallejo, reveling in his own canteIn the cantiñas he traveled from Cadiz to Cordoba and then closed with "a medley of bulerías songs." I am a fair, Commitment, For you, María de las Mercedes, What a bad memory you have!… were chosen to form a recital with a touch of copla, without the twang that most of the Mairena residents and the festival audience have come to expect.
"Cástulo was superb. He was brilliant pellizcoand claimed the cante "Mairena is already the place where people come. María Terremoto has reshaped it. At just twenty-five years old, she's capable of sweeping the city wherever she goes."
Luisa Palicio She rose gracefully and delicately at dawn after the interval. As if the gala began here. Because from her body the drawings of the Sevillian school of dance sprang forth with gusto, now with the shawl for alegrías, now with the bata de cola for the soleá. She combined mastery of dance technique – defined feet, excellent arm movements, well-staged choreography – with elegance in her pose, distinguishing herself and provoking enthusiastic glances. Perhaps many of her figures were measured, although she was dominated by a naturalness integrated into gestures of aesthetic beauty that captivated the audience. Part of the reason for her success was: a top-class guitar, that of Jesus Rodriguez, his partner, and the cante de Miguel Angel Heredia, Manuel de Gines –who sings better and better every time and I like her more– and the molten bronze of the fat throat of The Little BreastDuring the interlude, some tango lyrics were raffled off for the enjoyment of the audience.
Manuel Castulo He presented himself singing straight, full of poise and rotundity. He brought Lebrija in the palmas of the best: Juan Diego and Manuel Valencia. They marked the paths of the rhythm for him. And Manolito Herrera's guitar carried him on his shoulders in a powerful accompaniment that stood out to frame him. The singer surprised with a less hackneyed repertoire than the one we were already convinced of. He broke into a farruca with grace. Then he continued with a serrana, light and with a change of María Borrico, creaking. He carried out some pleasant tangos and when he seemed to have finished daring to Light of Lucena, couplet by bulerías of Manuel Mairena, thundered in the seguiriya of Manuel MolinaThat of Joaquin Lacherna and the male of Juan Junquera, with lyrics of his own authorship in tribute to his father of his soul, may he rest in glory. Cástulo was superb. Endiñó pellizcoand claimed the cante from Mairena and what comes to this square.
Maria Terremoto He re-formed it. At just twenty-five years old, he's capable of sweeping the world. Paquito Vega brings the percussion to the point. Nono Jero In Bajan style it is already the Jerez-style of her throat. And the jingle of the palmas de Cantarote y Juan Diego Valencia rounded out the scene that captivated the festival. María sang the caña with new cadences without breaking a sweat. And she clenched her fists for seguiriyas, digging into her core as she wept for her opaíto. FernandoHe put the lock on the pain with the special days of Santiago and Santa Ana and then he found the lullaby in the tangos, swaying as it should be. He wasted speed in his voice, rhythm and intonation with hints of Pastora, The Repompa of Malaga and even The ticks causing a real scandal when she stepped away from the microphone and became even more flamenco, if possible, dancing with age and grace. She gave away a little fresh alegrías, those from her album. Different and smelling of salt. After the splash of Cadiz foam, she closed the door with bulerías to finish a splendid recital. María has a resounding voice, a whirlwind of virginal airs that tap into the tradition of her surname to paint the stage with color. flamenco of our days. María Terremoto is a prodigious singer.
The round of tonás echoed the festival's theme, with Manuel Cástulo's, a must-have for those who are repelled, and María Terremoto's, concise and direct, standing out. It's a matter of transmitting or not transmitting. And they were the ones who saved the festival.
Credits
LXIV Gala of the Festival of Cante Jondo Antonio Mairena
In tribute to Nano de Jerez
Manuel Mairena Municipal Auditorium, Mairena del Alcor, Seville
6th September 2025
Cante: José Canela, Virginia Gámez, Manuel Cástulo and María Terremoto
Guitar: Antonio Higuero, Andrés Cansino, Manuel Herrera and Nono Jero
Palmas: Fernando Canela and Antonio Flores, Juan Diego and Manuel Valencia, Cantarote and Juan Diego Valencia
Lead guitar: Manuel Herrera
Dance: Luisa Palicio
Cante: Miguel Ángel Heredia, Manuel de Gines and El Pechuguita
Guitar: Jesus Rodriguez
Percussion: Paquito Vega
Presenter: Manuel Martín Martín
