The final phase of this 22nd edition of the Flamenco Guitar Contest is held today. The chosen space is the Teatre Joventut. The finalists will perform and, at the end, the prizes (6,000) will be awarded to the winners.
Guitarra Flamenca Ciutat de L’Hospitalet originated from the Tertulia Flamenca of that Barcelona town. It was the year 1982 when an evening that was dedicated exclusively to the flamenco guitar concert in its gathering had a great success. Juan Manuel Cañizares, Pedro Sierra, Romero de Badajoz and José Luís Cortés played. It was unforgettable.
So they repeated in 1983 already in the form of a contest. Paco Cepero accompanied them and won the first prize Pedro Sierra.
This Flamenco Guitar Contest “Ciutat de L’Hospitalet” was consolidated with annual cadence until the sixth edition of 1987. It was a special year because they took the contest to the national level with the highest amount in the prizes. 18 guitarists from all over the country participated and about a thousand people came to witness the event. The great guitar master Manuel Cano acted as a member of the Jury and as guest artist of honor.
Since then, it is a biennial event that has transcended Spanish borders.
As explained by José Villar, Coordinator of the Contest:
“Our goal is still to protect the flamenco guitar, because we believe it is the instrument that best identifies us. At the same time, we are proud to contribute modestly also to make the name of our city known worldwide thanks to an event that began with no more pretension than to spend an evening enjoying a flamenco guitar concert”.
