In the world of flamenco, sometimes a bit exalted, the voice of Miguel Betegón It sounds like a spring of serenity on the phone and says a lot about this fan who set a dream in motion. flamenco two decades ago in Esch (Luxembourg) and keeps him alive along with other accomplices.peña in underlining this fact: "Please note that I am not a director; we are a voluntary, altruistic group of six people with no hierarchy or defined organizational chart. Some of us have already retired, like Paca Rimbau and myself, but we are still active." In any case, he is willing to act as a spokesperson for expoflamenco, and help spread the word about the work they do in a country that is, in itself, largely unknown.
To begin with, could you tell us how you came to Luxembourg?
I arrived in January 88 to work as a civil servant, shortly after Spain joined the European Union. There, I discovered a Spanish circle named after Antonio Machado that met and promoted activities. A group of us joined the circle and also began to collaborate altruistically to spread Spanish culture in that small country bordering France, Germany, and Belgium.
Was that circle the seed of the festival?
Yes, the flamenco It was very well received, and from 97 onwards we started to do activities related to it. I remember a recital by Enrique Morente that same year, another by Carmen Linares the following year, and later a show by Eva Yerbabuena… So, in 2004 we established a relationship with the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, with which we managed to arrange a couple of flamenco nights a year. We started with the Rinconete and Cortadillo Javier Latorre, and we've continued with Sara Baras, Israel Galván, Rocío Molina... On the other hand, in 2006 the Círculo Antonio Machado began collaborating with the Kulturfabrik in Esch, Luxembourg's second largest city. It's a former slaughterhouse, the typical interwar building made of exposed brick, like the Matadero in Madrid, which was almost demolished but, thanks to a professor, was converted into a very interesting and beautiful cultural center. We started doing things, and since it seemed to be working well, we thought of a festival. flamenco. In addition to the Kulturfabrik, we have collaborated with some shows at the Esch Municipal Theatre and at the Music Conservatory in the same town, as well as at the Luxembourg Cinematheque, with a film series around the flamenco.
«Perhaps other festivals do not have to pay attention to the pedagogical value of flamenco, but we do. We have even had courses in cante flamenco with an interpreter, for example, with Jeromo Segura. We know of people who have discovered the flamenco here, and then he went on holiday to go to the Seville Biennial or the Jerez Festival.
The same one that has been operating for two decades now…
Yes, with 18 years, since the 2020 edition was canceled due to the pandemic, and in 2022 we had a lighter edition, as the city is the European Capital of Culture and the programming is more focused on local culture.
Is there enough time to define a more or less specific festival-goer profile?
We have a fairly loyal following. Some are Spanish, others are Luxembourgers or from neighboring countries. We get quite a few people from France and Germany—as well as Portuguese, who make up the largest migrant community—often attracted by the courses we organize. cante, dance, guitar and in some years even percussion. One of the attractions of the festival, in fact, is that schools of flamenco precisely since its founding. Perhaps other festivals do not have to attend to the pedagogical value of flamenco, but we do. We have even had courses in cante flamenco with an interpreter, for example, with Jeromo Segura, because the students didn't even know the language! We know of people who have discovered the flamenco here, and then went on vacation to go to the Seville Biennial or the Jerez Festival. And thanks to all that, we already hear well-founded and serious criticisms as we leave the shows.
Is the day closer when we see some figure emerge from the flamenco from Luxembourg?
It's still early for that, but little by little, new people have been emerging. Above all, the festival has served to foster a following, and there are cases like that of Jil Kelhetter, who has her own school and it works very well. I'm also thinking of Myriam Vaquero, a Spaniard and former resident of Luxembourg, and Mathilde Medeau, a Frenchwoman who, since she was a child, traveled to our festival every year with her parents from her village in France. Both currently live in Seville and are excellent dancers. To see great figures emerge... Well, we have the handicap of the size of the country: the city has only 40.000 inhabitants, the country around half a million. Statistically, it's difficult, but we consider it a success to have around 2.000 people per edition. When there's not too much activity, people look forward to the festival, and almost everything is liked. But this is also because we offer a lot of quality; it's the only way to build rapport with the public. That and the very special coexistence that exists between artists and spectators.
"I remember a performance by David Lagos that impressed me. And another by Rocío Márquez, impressive. Last year we had two world premieres, both fruits of our collaboration with the Torrox residency: one with Sara Jiménez and another with Iván Orellana and Alberto Sellés."
Is there anything that never fails with the Luxembourg audience, and anything that, at least a priori, has no place?
Dancing is a must. Traditionally, the hardest thing to digest has been the cante and the guitar, but at the same time we're surprised by how well it's working. For years now, we've divided the evening into two parts: first, a guitar recital, sometimes accompanied by cante, then a break, and finally a dance performance. Due to budgetary issues, for the first part we sometimes have to use artists from the day's company, or the one performing the following day... But the growing interest is a fact.
What glorious moments do you remember from these years at the Festival?
Many. I remember, for example, a performance by David Lagos that impressed me. And another by Rocío Márquez, impressive. On the other hand, I'm very proud that last year we had two world premieres, both fruits of our collaboration with the Torrox residency: one with Sara Jiménez and another with Iván Orellana and Alberto Sellés, which were remarkably impressive. I also remember the show. Burdina/Iron by Adriana Bilbao, about the steel industry, which moved the audience, because Esch is also a steel-making region. And how could we forget, at the Grand Théâtre du Luxembourg, Israel Galván with two shows, Sand y The Golden Age, with Miguel Poveda and Terremoto.
And bad moments, do you have any in mind?
Well, it's hard for me to remember them, maybe because I've enjoyed it so much that everything tastes wonderful. I remember some mistakes, like a certain version of Carmen which opened our eyes to understand that, from now on, we had to be more careful with what we programmed.
What institutional support do they have?
Very limited. The embassy helps with small amounts, but we've always lived off the association's dues. When I retired in 2010 and came to Madrid, I wanted to raise awareness about the festival. I went to the Regional Government of Andalusia and received a very positive response from Mari Ángeles Carrasco and David Peral. We even managed to officially present the festival in Seville, which is very important for us. We then received support from Extenda, and currently we don't receive anything from anyone. It's true that we're a somewhat complicated entity; we don't have our own legal entity, but we're here.
"We have the handicap of the country's size: the city has only 40.000 inhabitants, the country has around half a million. Statistically, it's difficult, but we consider it a success to have around 2.000 people per edition. When there's not too much activity, people look forward to the festival, and almost everything is enjoyable."
Does this also influence when booking shows?
Yes, because we don't negotiate, it's not about that: we say what we can pay. And I must admit that the artists who know us adapt to the festival's demands. We'd like to bring in artists who are beyond our reach, but the truth is, we don't even think about it. The Gran Teatro is a different matter, as it's used to large productions, including operas, but that's a program outside the festival's scope.
If you could resurrect any figure and bring them to the festival, who would it be?
I must confess that I am a fan of flamenco But not for life. My interest has grown with the festival, and now I do nothing but listen. flamencoBut considering I'm no expert, I'd definitely like to bring Enrique Morente back from the beyond.
Finally, how would you encourage readers of expoflamenco to visit the Luxembourg Festival?
This is a small but beautiful country, with gorgeous nature and tremendous cultural activity. You're all more than welcome to the next edition, which will be in May 2026, and you'll be more than happy, because it can also be combined with visits to Strasbourg, France, or Belgium, as Brussels is just two hours away. The atmosphere is very flamenco and very international. ♦
