The 24th Latin Grammy Week celebrations continue in Seville, Spain, with a unique tribute to Flamenco in The Plaza España on Monday (Nov. 13). Among the celebrities that assisted the gala were Anitta, Danna Paola, David Bisbal, Juanes, Lola Índigo, Pablo López and more.
“Flamenco Is Universal” was held during the Santalucía Universal Music Week, where more than 130 artists gathered to perform and create an audiovisual work.
Jesús López, the Chairman and CEO of Universal Latin America and Iberian Peninsula, kicked off the evening with a powerful speech that resonated with the audience. He highlighted that Spanish music has traveled far and wide across the globe and stated unequivocally that flamenco, a proud national legacy, is indeed a universal art form.
“Flamenco is a way of living, it is a way of expressing yourself, it is a way of behaving in life, it has many connotations, UNESCO declares it an intangible heritage of humanity. It is a music that is highly discussed because the purists want it to be one way. Still, today, a young generation is fusing flamenco with hip-hop, with reggaeton, with electronic music, and that shows you that flamenco is more alive than ever,” López told Billboard during the red carpet.
At the red carpet event, David Bisbal, Vanessa Martin, Pablo López, and other emerging pop flamenco artists such as Lola Índigo, spoke to Billboard to express how significant it is for them to share their folkloric music traditions with the world and what it means to them.
The evening began with a performance by Rosario, the daughter of the iconic Lola Flores. The artists graced the stage for almost four hours, starting with a beautiful rendition of Granaínas by Doña Carmen Linares, who was awarded the Latin GRAMMY of Honor in 2023.
All the flamenco families were seated in the front row: Camarón’s sons and widow, Paco de Lucía’s daughters and his widow, La Farruca surrounded by her children, and the Morente family. All of them attended with admiration for the tributes to their sagas, brought to the stage by Tomatito, la Macanita, Niño Josele, Rancapino Chico, Pedro El Granaíno or Marina Heredia, among others. Vicente Soto with his daughter Lela took Jerez to the stage; Dorantes played the piano for Alba Molina to pay tribute to her parents; and Lole and Manuel, and the Morente family (Estrella and Kiki), backed by their usual lineup, paid a heartfelt tribute to Enrique, whose voice was heard in his immortal Omega.
At the halfway point of the gala, Sara Baras appeared with her tribute to Carmen Amaya, who left the audience stunned after the cante and toque that characterized the first part of the show. She was followed by Israel Fernández and Diego del Morao, who paid tribute to the Niña de los Peines.
The president of the Junta de la Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, the mayor of Seville, José Luis Sanz, Sebastián Yatra, Juanes, Anitta, David Bisbal, Manuel Carrasco, Danna Paola, Lola Indigo, Pablo López, Joaquina, Greeicy, Vanesa Martín, Pastora Soler, Los Morancos, Nati Abascal, Morat, Antonio Carmona, Timø, Boris Izaguirre and a long eclectic list of personalities of music, acting, journalism and culture enjoyed a special sound: the flamenco.
Held for the first time outside the United States, the annual Latin Grammys will be broadcast from the Conference and Exhibition Centre in Seville, Spain, on Nov. 16 on Univision starting at 8 p.m. ET, UniMás and Galavisión in the U.S., and at 10:30 p.m. CET on Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) in Spain. Danna Paola, Sebastián Yatra, Roselyn Sánchez and Paz Vega will serve as co-hosts.
