El Niño de Elche, artistic name of Francisco 'Paco' Contreras Molina, visited the Faculty of Communication and International Relations Blanquerna-URL (FCRI Blanquerna) last March as a speaker at the XXIX Communication Days that the Faculty organizes every year.
This year's sessions focused on the global challenges of an uncertain world. More than 50 speakers debated the main challenges that threaten our most immediate present and future: what does technology mean in a democracy, the current mental health crisis, the war in Ukraine or music as a political means, were some of the topics discussed.
The flamenco singer gave a conference entitled Music and Politics, accompanied by the music journalist Jordi Turtós. The artist has collaborated with artists of international stature such as Rosalía or C. Tangana, Guitarrica Delafuente or La Húngara.
In the talk, El Niño de Elche stated that "the most revolutionary thing is to listen", because the simple act of listening implies listening to oneself, which often leads to self-criticism.
El Niño de Elche addressed the students explaining that he saw a connection in things that apparently do not have one: "In the same month I can collaborate with C. Tangana and exhibit at the Museo Reina Sofía; and, for me, this has a certain sense."
For the Valencian artist, art is a construction platform through which he can transmit very powerful messages, as in his latest album Flamenco: Mausoleo de celebración, amor y muerte (2022).
When talking about politics, he assured that music offers a powerful speaker to talk about the most current and important issues for society: "The simple fact of being in front of a microphone is already political." At the same time, he defended active listening and small everyday gestures as the best way to seek change.
The music journalist Jordi Turtós brought up the idea of interpreting the flamenco tablao as a "Platonic cave", in reference to the allegory of the cave that the Greek philosopher Plato used to describe the relationship of the human being with knowledge. Laughing, El Niño de Elche replied that, in flamenco, it's important to know how to get away from an idealized world.
Content developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Communication and International Relations Blanquerna
