Applause, emotions and laughter filled the air yesterday at the Cante de las Minas Festival. The moment wasn’t during a performance but during a tribute to cantaor Miguel Poveda, recipient of the Gold Medal of La Unión.
For Poveda, speaking about the Festival del Cante is a reflection on victory, home, and memories. On the 30th anniversary of winning the Mine Lamp, the municipality, which had earned the festival’s top honor, decided to honor him with a recognition that expressed gratitude for his deep connection to this land, as explained by City Hall. During an emotionally charged conversation rich with memories from 1993, the year he received the Mine Lamp, he reaffirmed his pride in the land and his ongoing bond with it.
Poveda recalled numerous anecdotes from this edition of the competition, which welcomed attendees at Casa del Piñón. After advancing to the finals, nerves gave way to the thrill of hearing his name repeatedly as he collected multiple awards for different songs, and especially when he heard that he deserved the Lámpara Minera.
The organization has announced that it will be responsible for announcing the next edition of the Cante festival.
“Then it all happened, it all felt like a dream until I realized it was real,” said the cantaor, who later understood that diverse artistic disciplines and different musical expressions could contribute to the festival’s growth. He emphasized the need to start by keeping Flemish traditions in a good place, as they have done so far.
Since arriving at the cante competition with his family, he has felt a lasting bond with La Unión. “The love people showed us filled our hearts with compassion,” he explained, a sentiment he carried even before he won the festival. The acknowledgment also gave thanks to Francisco Bernabé, who was mayor of La Unión at the time. “He helped my father choose the best gift,” he said in a breathless voice, applauding an emotional singer.
Poveda urged institutions to give greater importance to the arts and to keep their social commitment to culture alive. “The festival exists for music; if it disappears, the land becomes poorer,” he noted, thanking the bet that the Mine Lamp will continue to shine for years to come. The Medal of the City was added to the Castillete de Oro he received in 2008, along with a street named after him and a plaque on Avenida del Flamenco.
Luis big day ahead
Miguel Poveda passed through La Unión the day before the grand finale at Cante Cathedral, following the semi-final performances across the three galas that concluded yesterday. The moment marked a turning point as the festival moves toward its next chapter, celebrated by fans and supporters who value the enduring legacy of flamenco in this community.
Notes from the festival highlight the ongoing collaboration between artists, organizers, and residents who keep the flame alive. The event stands as a testament to cultural resilience and the shared pride of a town that cherishes its musical roots and the artists who bring them to life. The civic recognition, the heartfelt speeches, and the chorus of applause collectively underscore the festival’s role in enriching the local arts scene and sustaining a vibrant cultural identity.
In this spirit, the festival continues to look forward, inviting new generations to honor the cantos and to contribute to a living tradition that unites performers, families, and communities around the universal language of music. The coming edition promises more performances, more stories, and a renewed commitment to preserving the soul of flamenco within the city and beyond. This is where history, music, and community converge to celebrate a shared heritage, one note at a time.