We begin 2026 with significant events that no one can ignore due to their proximity to Andalusia, such as the Jerez Festival, summer festivals or the Seville BiennaleAmong many others, but also historical events that allow us to explore characters who starred in events that, in the end, would change the course of flamenco.
Of the many, I anticipate the festivities that this year we owe to the great Manuel Vallejo (Seville, 1891 – 1960), an unavoidable reference point given that on October 5, 1926, he received in Madrid the II Golden Key of Cante, an award that some, in a self-serving and lax manner, tried to diminish by claiming that it was in redress for the awarding of the II Pavón Cup to Manuel Ryeso that Vallejo, who had already won it in 1925, would not be awarded the prize again.
The argument is so flimsy that it collapses at the mere glance at the work of the Sevillian from the old village of Padilla. But without getting into nonsense, the purpose of this article is, I insist, to remind us that in 2026 we celebrate the centenary of such an important recognition of one of the most complete flamenco singers in history, and, conversely, one of the least known to the public and least appreciated by analysts.
Such a contradiction may perhaps be due to the fact that, despite the honors bestowed upon him Antonio Mairena in 1982 and the tribute he paid to her Manuel Centeno Fernández on the centenary of his birth, back in 1991 in Seville Peña Flamenca Torres MacarenaHis bastard supporters hid behind ghosts and launched a cruel battle against supposed enemies, instead of studying and disseminating his work.
And that's how we explained it in Seville, together with the sound recording collector. Antonio Hita Maldonado in the First Day Flamenco and University (2006), to which I add the dedication that the Provincial Federation of Seville of Flamenco Entities He did it to him in the VI Circuit Between Orange and Olive Trees (2010), a collective that in 2012 released a pack of 13 CDs with the 213 canteIt houses his complete works, consisting of 106 shellac records, plus one shared with The Lame Man from Malaga, and registered between 1923 and 1950.
"In 2026 we celebrate the centenary year of the Golden Key of Cante to one of the most complete flamenco singers in history, and, conversely, one of the least known by the fans and least appreciated by analysts."
It is the endorsement of a moving work and an inexhaustible source of inspiration by Manuel Vallejo, named after his father's second surname, as he was the son of a day laborer. Manuel Jiménez Vallejo and Manuela Martínez de Pinillo y VarasOn the contrary, he revealed his shyness and innocence at an early age, ever since he ran around the Plaza de la Encarnación, in whose food market the family ran a fish stall.
Despite this, he broke the silence when he appeared with the nickname of Vallejillo at the age of 15 (1906), in the Pinto Kiosk, or when he made his serious debut in 1910 in the Water Station, also in the Alameda de Hércules, under the pseudonym of The Colorao II.
This presentation, sponsored by the Child of the Marianas, opened the doors of the taverns of the Alameda de Hércules and the inns on the outskirts, as well as that of the Salón Variedades, where he appeared in the year 1919 in the tribute paid to Antonio the Portuguese, in addition to other Sevillian café cantantes, thus achieving the best credentials to make the leap to Madrid and debut in the Eden Concert, from Aduana Street.
In this first Madrid engagement, the weather caused Vallejo to fail due to a lack of voice that kept him from singing for four years. However, he reappeared on September 22, 1922, at the Café Ideal Concert, from Seville, and days later, on October 5, in the Lara Theater from Malaga, where he performed for ten days at a rate of 100 pesetas per day.
From there, he was located in Barcelona, where he recorded his first records and established his dominance until early 1925, a year marked by his return to Madrid, with the fans of the capital dubbing him "the leading figure of cante flamenco"for his great successes, the most notable of which was achieved on August 24, 1925, the 1st Pavón Cup at the Pavón Theater, on Embajadores Street, competing with Manuel Escacena, Angelillo, Pepe MarchenaThe Cripple of Malaga and The Little Owl, among others.
Vallejo received the trophy from the hands of Mr. Antonio Chacon, who presided over the jury, who fifteen days later would tell him at a party held in Villa Rosa On the occasion of the award: "I gave you the cup because you deserve it, but the Old Woman – referring to Marchena – will earn more money than you."
Despite this omen, Vallejo once again proved his mastery in Madrid, where on August 29th he sang in the Olympia Theater in tribute to The Coquinera, as well as two months later at the Romea, alongside Manuel RyeBut also in Barcelona, where he stayed until September 1926 when he returned to the capital to participate again in the Copa Pavón competition, with his countryman Manuel Centeno winning this second edition, thanks to both a superb arrow and business interests.
"Manuel Vallejo was characterized not by pushing the boundaries of bel canto, but by a voice destined to create beauty, by his way of modulating, his surprising rhythm and ability to play with musical time, and by his capacity to transmit and move."
Such was the debate it provoked that the controversial decision was revoked on October 5, 1926, when Vallejo, by unanimous agreement of all his fellow artists, received from the hands of Manuel Torre the Golden Key of Cante, an award that at the time lacked any significance, but with which the Sevillian maestro continued to leave examples of his singing skill in troops, until he formed his own company, with which he traveled throughout Spain and Morocco.
Vallejo thus stands as a symbol of an entire era, Flamenco Opera, and is prominent throughout the region both for his cante as well as for her bulerías dancing, a style she maintained until after the civil war.
However, we are dealing with a historic flamenco singer with extraordinary breath control and impressive vocal qualities, as he stood out for his powerful, spacious voice, generous range and very special flexibility, as well as a half-voice available at any pitch and a beautiful expressive color that did not suffer any loss at the extremes of the register, which explains why he reconciled, like few others, tenderness taken to the highest expression with regularity in concentration.
As we celebrate this year the centenary of the Golden Key of Cante Therefore, we celebrate Manuel Vallejo, one of the most complete flamenco singers of all time, characterized not by pushing the boundaries of bel canto, but by a voice destined to create beauty, by his modulation, his surprising rhythm and ability to play with musical timing, and by his capacity to transmit and move; hence, for For those who cannot find joy in the flamenco singers of today, the best advisable combination is to leave a concert and listen to Manuel Vallejo..
Listen and enjoy, but light the candles for 2026 so you can blow them out on October 5th. We have, therefore, ten months ahead of us to describe the soundscapes of the great Manuel Vallejo, which, to this day, remain history; to examine them, to explain them in depth, and to reveal their consequences, which undoubtedly involve... narrate key moments in the history of the best cante of all times and therefore linked to Spain's cultural identity. ♦
