The 55th Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas gets underway

Today, August 5th, the pre-opening is being celebrated with the photographic exhibit of Paco Manzano dedicated to Paco de Lucía

Tomorrow, August 6th, the opening keynote speech will be delivered by Estrella Morente, with the gala show of last year's winners.

 

At the Museum of the Cante de las Minas, at 7:00pm, the sculpture by local artist Galo Conesa, a bust of guitarist Antonio Fernández, will be unveiled.  Immediately following, at half past seven, in the hall of the Salón de Actos, a photographic exhibit dedicated to the great flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía, by Madrid photographer Paco Manzano, will also be inaugurated.

This pre-opening day is the «Day of La Unión», with music by the Agrupación Musical de La Unión, and the Coral Argentum who will interpret the La Unión anthem.  Following this, the Rondalla and Coro del Hogar de la Tercera Edad de La Unión will interpret the hymn of the Festival del Cante de las Minas.  And this in turn will pave the way for the performance of the students of the School of Flamenco Art of the Cátedra de Flamencología of the Universidad Católica San Antonio Murcia, and the Festival del Cante de las Minas.

On August 6th, Estrella Morente will officially inaugurate this 55th edition of the Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas with this year's keynote speech.  The Granada singer will appear on the stage of the Old Public Market one day before her Friday performance to offer her speech full of memories of her father, Enrique Morente, and in which she will pay tribute to the mining cante of this area.

After the opening formalities, and with free entrance, last year's winners will perform: David Lagos Aguilar (Lámpara Minera) in singing, Juan Antonio Fernández «Barullo» (Desplante) in dance, José Tomás Jiménez (Bordón) on guitar and Antonio Moreno (Filón) will close out the night with his marimba.

On the Cultural Agenda, Murcia chef Pablo González Conejero is to receive the Castillete de Oro, the Festival's highest institutional award.  Preceding this, in the Salón de Actos of the Town Hall, at 8:00pm, the magazine Calle Elvira will be presented, as well as the book «Universo Morente: Creación y Vida de Enrique Morente».  The magazine Calle Elvira is to be presented by its current director, Rodrigo Gómez.  This is a quarterly publication that since 1971 has featured art, poetry, literature and the cultural heritage of Granada.  The book on Enrique Morente, which will be presented by flamenco specialist José Manuel Gamboa and Estrella Morente, is a compendium of photographs, texts and essays that delve into the singer's life and work, not only as an artist, but also his personal life, in an effort to bring the general public in touch with one of the great artists of flamenco.

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