Twelfth ‘Exaltación de la Bulería’

The
program finished on Friday, October 31st with the intervention of Luis
Soler Guevara, respected flamenco investigator and author, along with
his nephew Ramón Soler, of the book «Antonio Mairena en el mundo de la
siguiriya y la soleá». In his speech he defended traditional flamenco
and a respect for the roots with a series of declarations that again and
again triggered applause: «flamenco should be taught in all schools so
it isn't lost», «the small flamenco towns are losing their identities,
they are becoming uncultured», «if yesterday it was fandangos, now it's
bulerías and tangos», «in Jerez too this cheapened form of flamenco is
practiced», «the alteration of the forms is an affront to civilization».
He ended speaking in the name of bulerías itself: «don't sell me out to
the multinationals», «tell them they're commercializing me». The impassioned
speech ended with a sentence we could all identify with: «there are many
of us who feel a bit like we're from Jerez».

To round out the evening we were treated to a group made up of the three
prizewinners of the recent bulerías competition for young singers sponsored
by the Fundación Cristina Heeren. With the guitar of Manuel Carbonero
junior, fiesta singers Tamara de Tañé, Anabel Rosado and El Quini offered
their respective bulerías interpretations.

Bulerías finale with El Quini

Estela Zatania