The first award of Princess of Asturias Awards 2022, that of the Arts, already has owners: the bailaora María Pagés, and cantaora Carmen Linares. Which implies, de facto, the recognition of the universality and genius of Flemishthe artistic expression that distinguishes Spain worldwide.
The decision of the award was made known this morning in Oviedo and the flamenco award has materialized in two of the great standard-bearers of Spanish art who are already legends. “The work of Carmen Linares and María Pagés is part of the genealogy of contemporary flamenco. Both in their disciplines have broadened cante and baile from respect for tradition, betting on broadening its expressive channels, thus promoting the universal character of a extraordinary cultural, popular and sensory heritage”said the jury. “With a desire for permanent exploration, their work provides flamenco with new tools while at the same time amplifying the language of a cultural manifestation that is experiencing a moment of splendor and searching for new horizons. Both creators display experiences in their careers that claim flamenco as one of the most suggestive musical genres of our time and a perennial and unique artistic event”.
Carmen Pacheco Rodríguez, with the stage name Carmen Linares, was born precisely in this town of Jaén in 1951 and is considered one of the most complete singers with the greatest knowledge of flamenco styles.
She is considered a reference teacher and singer for a whole generation of young artists and has in her possession important awards that have recognized her mastery, since the first one she won at the age of 15 on Radio Madrid.
For her part, María Pagés Madrigal, is from Seville, a Spanish flamenco dancer and choreographer, who in 2002 received the National Dance Award in the Creation category,​ and in 2014 the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts in the Dance category,​ both granted by the Ministry of Culture of Spain, and that are only a minimal sample of the recognitions that she has accumulated.
Little more than a day has lasted the deliberation of the prize of the Arts, in which it supposed the return to face-to-face meetings of the juries. There were 43 nominations from 19 nationalities, and it was also the first of the eight international awards that the Princess of Asturias Foundation has convened this year and which is celebrating its XLII edition.
The two winners take over from Marina Abramovic, the creator of the performance, who had won the award last year.
The Princess of Asturias Awards are intended, according to the Foundation’s Statutes, to reward “the scientific, technical, cultural, social and humanitarian work carried out by people, institutions, groups of people or institutions in the international arena”. In accordance with these principles, the Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts will be awarded to “the work of creating, cultivating and perfecting cinematography, theatre, dance, music, photography, painting, sculpture, architecture and other artistic manifestations & rdquor ;.
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Each Princess of Asturias Award is endowed with a sculpture by Joan Miró – representative symbol of the award−, a diploma, a badge and the cash amount of fifty thousand euros.
On this occasion, Ricardo Martí Fluxá (president of the jury and president of the Royal Board of Trustees of the Reina Sofía Art Center), the Marchioness of Valle de Tena, Catalina Luca de Tena, acting as secretary, Claude Bussac (General Director of Exhibitions and Festivals of La Fábrica), José María Cano de Andrés (composer, musician and plastic artists), Dionisio González (plastic artist and professor at the University of Seville), Antonio Lucas Herrero (poet, international poetry prize “Generation of 27”), Joan Matabosch Grifoll (artistic director of the Teatro Real), Carlos Mena Ostériz (countertenor and conductor), Helena Pimenta Hernández (director and playwright), José María Pou Serra (actor, National Theater Award), Sandra Rotondo Urcola (music producer), Benedetta Tagliabue (architect), Carlos Urroz Arancibia (former director of the ARCOmadrid fair and director of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Foundation), and Tadanori Yamag uchi (plastic artist). At the last minute, Maribel López Zambrana, director of ARCOmadrid, was dismissed.