The singer Gregorio Moya (Argamasilla de Alba, Ciudad Real, 1984) devastated this past morning from Saturday to Sunday in obtaining the prestigious mining lamp, endowed with 15,000 euros, and another four awards, specifically the awards for miners, Cartageneras, the framed in the group of songs of Granada and Malaga and that of the rhythmic songs, in this case by a Marian. “I want to defend the prize wherever you go and be up to it,” said the winner, who dedicated his triumph to his father, who died a few years ago.
In this way it exceeds the number of awards no less than A, which in 1993 won three awards, in addition to the mining lamp, and equals the singer and guitarist also Ciudadrealeño, who in 2012 also won the lamp and another four first awards. Precisely Fernández del Moral has been in La Unión supporting and encouraging Moya, as well as the guitarist of the same Manchega population, Argamasilla de Alba, child of the era, which in 2001 won here the first guitar prize.
Gregorio Moya was already among the favorites last year, when he won, but on this occasion his success has been incontestable, with the ovation of the public, which filled the old public market of the Union, which showed its total agreement with the jury’s decision. This year there was no controversy and in general all awards were received with pleasure.
Confessed admirer of the teacher, Moya does not hide at any time that the late Granada singer is his reference. The funny thing is not that he follows Morente in sticks and way of approaching them, but that his voice timbre – something that is not chosen – is very similar to that of Morente. The critic and flamencologist Manuel Bohórquez defends the Manchego singer, who has sometimes been criticized for his total monitoring of Granada. Bohórquez believes that someone is always followed (Mairena, Caracol, Camarón) although without confessing it, the opposite of what Moya does, which already had other awards, but none as prestigious as that of the singing of the mines.
Especially cruel was the fate of José Antonio Romero tonight, The puppygrandson of the remarkable professional singer Paterna’s dog. The puppy rang these days in the pools and in the mentor, even as a possible winner of the mining lamp, while at the end of the night he was the only one of the finalists of all the disciplines that was left without any prize.
Other awarded were the following: Award the Dance, for the Gaditana Salome Ramírez Almagro, who will present his first solo show at the Teatro Real in November. The mining bordón for the best guitarist was deserted, while Barcelona Toñi Abellán obtained the second. Finally, the winner of the El Philón award, the best flamenco instrumentalist, went to the Almeria pianist José Carlos Esteban-Hanza, only 20 years old, Tomatito’s nephew.
Pencho Cros centenary
The festival continues to show its strength, especially in the contest section, where it has no competition for the impact and immediate expectation caused by its winners, even if it is difficult for every year to arise a Miguel Poveda or a Mayte Martín, nor of course a vicente friend or an Israel Galván, all of them winners in their day in this contest.
This year he started on July 29 and had as a preacher the actor Imanol Arias and, as always, he achieved the support of personalities from the world of flamenco and culture in general. It demonstrates its power of attraction the fact that a painter as ceded by the image of one of his works to be the poster announcer this year, a jug with flowers.
The Festival, within its recognition outside the contest, has rewarded on this occasion, among others, two veterans of Flamenco: Pepe de Lucía and Pepe Habichuela. From the latter there was a book, written by José Manuel Gamboa, with photographs of Paco Manzano. The book, recently appeared, also extends to Habichuela’s wife, the former Bags Amparo Bengala, and the son of both, Josemi Carmona, one of the components of the Ketama group.
But without a doubt the great recognition of this edition, and of the whole year, has been to the mythical local singer Pencho Cros, winner of three mining lamps (when this was possible, now it can only be obtained on one occasion), who died in 2007 and who in March this year the centenary of his birth was fulfilled. Cros, ancient miner who never wanted to be a singing professional, is very loved and remembered in La Unión.
From Pencho, creator of a Minera style, to whom Miguel Poveda always recognizes as his great teacher in these songs, was presented last Friday, within the activities of the contest, a double CD in which many winners of the mining lamp of all times have participated, including Poveda or Curro Piñana, in addition to teachers such as Antonio Fernández Díaz, Phosphory.
Among the galas with professional artists, the guitarist Antonio Rey, winner of two Latin Grammy Awards, one of the best current flamenco guitarists. It was a pity that the public did not respond in large numbers. He presented an excellent spectacle in tribute to Paco de Lucía, with full in the old market of the Union, although in my opinion to the artistic creation of Baras, some duration was left over.
on the other hand, he left an exciting follow, for memory. And the flamenco ballet of Andalusia presented a beautiful tour of the Andalusian flamingos styles in the show Blessed Earth, Under the direction of Patricia Guerreo, who won here, in 2007, the Dance Award.
