A voice-over is heard and it is clearly recognizable as that of Antonio Canales. The Sevillian dancer reads a text written by the director of ABC de Sevilla, Alberto Garcia Reyes. The Cajasol Flamenco Awards ceremony begins, among the more than 1,500 red carnations that line the corridors and columns of the old Audiencia.
And the voice of Canales names the great creator of these Flamenco Thursdays, Manuel Herreraof sweet memory, along with Paco Cabreraand recites the text of García Reyes that reveals the text of seguiriyas of Pericón de Cádiz: 'The wind has changed, I have changed, where there is no writing there is no obligation', and continues: “What hasn't changed is the way you say ole, because the entire history of Lo Jondo fits into these 25 years.”.
The history of flamenco lives on among the public, alongside the three winners of this first edition, the singer Fosforito, the dancer Merche Esmeralda and the guitarist Tomatitositting in the front row with Antonio Pulido, president of the Cajasol Foundation, the advisors of Education and Tourism and Culture, Patricia del Pozo and Arturo Bernal, and the president of the Provincial Council, Javier Fernández.
And pure art in the stalls where the history of flamenco from several generations comes together with the presence of names like Manuela Carrasco, Cristina Hoyos, Juan Antonio Jiménez, Manolo Marín, Pedro Sierra, La Tobala, Ana María Bueno, Pedro Ricardo Miño, María José Santiago, La Macanita, Aurora Vargas, Lole, Sandra Carrasco, Lucía la Piñona, Choro Molina, Patricia Guerrero, Marina Heredia, Manolo Betanzos, Eduardo Barrios, Joselito Acedo, Eduardo Leal, Niño Pura, Rosario la Tremendita, Pastora Galván, Úrsula López, Diana Navarro…, who responded to the call of the current director of this cycle, singer Manuel Lombo, who was joined by couturier Toni Benítez, director of the Flamenco Biennale, Luis Ybarra, and gallery owner Pepe Cobo. the patroness Cristina Heeren…
The grandson of Juan Habichuela musically opened the presented event Jesus Vigorrawhich is later accompanied by the dance and guitar of Mercedes de Cordoba and Juan Campallothe singing of Argentina accompanied by Bolita, and the tribute to María Jiménez by the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía led by Patricia Guerrero.
«This is a gala to say thanks and recognize the merits of these great flamenco artists. We don't want them to be the first prizes, but rather The momentum of this red carpet will make them the 'Oscar' of Andalusian flamenco», said the president of the Cajasol Foundation, Antonio Pulido. “Fosforito told me that flamenco needs love,” he added, highlighting the merits of the three winners. «They have contributed to the fact that flamenco is not only present in Andalusia, but also crosses borders. Cajasol is an institution dedicated to flamenco,” he noted.
He Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Arturo Bernalemphasized in his speech the existence of the Flamenco Law and praised the work of the Andalusian Flamenco Ballet as a guarantee of the preservation of its heritage.
For each of the winners, a video was presented prior to the award ceremony in which feelings and experiences were discussed. In his Fosforito, Fosforito said: “Singing Jondo is looking inside and making your insides sing,” while Merche assured Esmeralda that dancing is freedom, “it saved me from very delicate moments in my life,” he said, and Tomatito noted that he looked back and he did not believe that he had accompanied Camarón and played with Paco de Lucía, “even today it seems to me that it was a dream”, he said.