Madrid’s first flamenco festival, Suma Flamenca, is born.

Manolete, Carmen Linares y Santiago Fisas

Twenty-three shows featuring the best flamenco artists of today, conferences,
projections, cinema…even the Cádiz Carnival. At the Águila
complex, Santiago Fisas, head of the Cultural Department presented the
flamenco festival to the media pointing out the role Madrid has always
played in attracting flamenco’s most important interpreters, and
underling the need for a major festival with continuity to become a reference.

Juan Verdú, the artistic director of the festival invited everyone
present to “enjoy this country’s greatest art form in
which Madrid has been so important” with artists such as Carmen
Linares, Enrique Morente, José Mercé, Güito, Manolete
and others slated to perform at the Teatro Albéniz, “Madrid’s
most flamenco theater”. Scheduled shows include José
Mercé and a presentation called “Amor de Dios: three generations”
which includes Güito, Manolete, Rocío Molina, José
Maya… Another show is called “Jerez” with Luis el Zambo,
Fernando de la Morena and dancer Joaquín Grilo “because
Jerez is flamenco territory” as Verdú said.

Carmen Linares will debut her new show “Falla, Lorca and Cante
Jondo” at the Albénez, and Enrique Morente will be in Alcalá
de Henares at the unusual venue “El Huerto de los Leones”.

Of the complementary activities, noteworthy is an exposition about the
history of flamenco in Madrid from the archives of José Blas Vega.
On June 4th a novel activity will take place in Madrid, a sort of flamenco
flea market at which flamenco fans will have the chance to buy, sell and
exchange clothing, shoes, magazines, LPs, CDs, videos, tapes and most
of all, flamenco memorabilia.

Carmen Linares who participated in the presentation along with Güito
and Manolete emphasized the importance of a festival of this category:
“Madrid has always been our home, and I’ll always say
it, it’s the capital of flamenco, Madrid deserves this festival
and the numerous flamenco fans deserve it”.

Belén López con el cuadro del Corral de la Moreria

Within the festival SUMA FLAMENCA is included the 50th anniversary of
Corral de la Morería, Madrid’s oldest tablao which has seen
all the great artists of flamenco and was inaugurated by Manuel del Rey
in 1956. The flamenco group of Corral de la Morería with dancers
Belén López and Joaquín Mulero, the current featured
stars, closed out the presentation formalities.