Keep this name because yesterday a new star was born in La Unión (Murcia) in the universe of flamenco singing. Rocío Luna from Cordoba won the most precious award at the International Cante de las Minas festival, the Lámpara Minera, an award endowed with 15,000 euros that elevates her to the best of flamenco. The cantaora also won the prizes for mineras and for cartagenera, siguiriya, granaína and media granaína.
The Cordoba woman had everything in her favor in the grand final on Saturday, she was the only classified finalist who could opt for the highest award, she had no rival with other contestants, since she had won over the jury. The cantaora overcame her nerves and swept away with her interpretation por mineras, cartagena, siguiriya, granaína and media granaína, managing to win over an audience that supported her with her applause. A whole night of emotion in which Rocío Luna received the award given by the most important flamenco festival in the world from the hands of the singer Miguel Poveda, who remembered that night 30 years ago of his success in La Unión. The cantaor was accompanied by the mayor and president of the Cante de las Minas Foundation, Joaquín Zapata, who was “exultant”.
Very moved by the award, Rocío Crespillo Luna, known as Rocío Luna, a native of the Cordoba town of Cañada del Rabadán, confessed her struggle to “achieve this dream. I've been working for it since I was little, I'm proud to sing here and it's a luxury to get an award for which I've put all my heart”.
The La Unión International Mining Festival, which this year has celebrated its 62nd edition, has recovered all the splendor it lost in recent years. The Murcian town has lived 10 intense days in which the most renowned flamenco artists have passed through there, such as the singer Miguel Poveda, who will be the preacher of the 63rd edition. The spectators also enjoyed the presence of the cantaora Estrella Morente, who left an exciting night, the spectacular performance of Los Vicancos and the presence of the deepest cante in the voice of Carmen Linares.
But there were other winners. The winners of the highest dance trophies: El Filón and El Desplante were achieved by Yoel Ferré Vargas, from Tarragona, in the male category and Rocío Garrido, from Almería, in the female category. Raúl Pérez Fernández from Cartagena won the El Filón trophy for his interpretation of taranta on the piano. Juan Luis Campos "El Poti" obtained the Mining Staff.
As regards group III of low-Andalusian cantes, María Ángeles Cruzado, from Huelva, won the prize for farruca and Sergio Gómez Delgado, from Granada, for soleá. Antonio José Nieto Fernández, from Córdoba, took the prize for taranta.
The jury was chaired by the Spanish bailaora and dance choreographer Blanca del Rey, who shared responsibility with the expert in mining songs Paco Paredes; the singer from Union Francisco Severo; the flamenco journalist, writer and producer José Manuel Gamboa, as well as the flamenco writer and critic Manuel Bohórquez, with Salvador Alcaraz as secretary.
