{"id":14129,"date":"2019-07-19T20:17:24","date_gmt":"2019-07-19T18:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expoflamenco.com\/archivo\/?p=14129"},"modified":"2019-12-14T10:39:36","modified_gmt":"2019-12-14T09:39:36","slug":"fuji-morofuji-winner-of-japan-flamenco-contest-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expoflamenco.com\/archivo\/en\/actualidad-en\/fuji-morofuji-winner-of-japan-flamenco-contest-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Fuji Morofuji, winner of Japan Flamenco Contest 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
Photo: Tokyo Cervantes Institute<\/strong><\/h6>\n

There is no doubt that Japan is flamenco\u2019s second home. It\u2019s the second country with the most flamenco academies in the world, after Spain, and ahead of Mexico. This is in great part due to the bailaora<\/em> Yoko Komatsubara<\/strong>, who founded the Spanish Dance Academy in Tokyo and in 1969 created the Spanish Ballet Company Yoko Komatsubara, a company which has featured some of the best bailaores<\/em> of this noble art, such as Israel Galv\u00e1n, Joaqu\u00edn Cort\u00e9s, Antonio Canales and Antonio Alonso.<\/p>\n

In 2019 it\u2019s the 50th<\/sup> anniversary of the of the foundation of Komatsubara\u2019s Spanish Ballet Company and Dance Academy. To celebrate this milestone, the Cervantes Institute<\/a> and Yoko Komatsubara herself organized the second edition of the Japan Flamenco Contest <\/strong>. This contest was created by Yoko in 2018 to take flamenco to all kinds of public. \u00a0\u00abFlamenco is ageless. Young and old people can enjoy this art together\u00bb, explained this bailaora<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Fumi Morofuji, winner of <\/strong>Japan Flamenco Contest 2019 <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tokyo, Osaka and Sendai were the cities selected to host this event, which had over thirty-five contestants. The final round featured seventeen Japanese bailaores<\/em>, three men and fourteen women, and the prize was awarded to Fumi Morofuji<\/strong>. The jury \u2014 made up of Spanish and Japanese experts \u2014 included the renowned artist\u2019s agent Maite Pulp\u00f3n<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Fumi Morofuji, as winner of this contest, will travel to Spain to perform in the famous tablao<\/em> Los Gallos<\/a> in Seville, where Yoko Komatsubara herself also performed in the 1970s.<\/p>\n

About Yoko Komatsubara<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Komatsubara was born in a family who loved Japanese traditional music. However, she was hooked on flamenco thanks to a performance by Pilar L\u00f3pez<\/strong>, eventually travelling to Spain in the 1970s to become a bailaora<\/em>, learning from masters such as Victoria Eugenia, Matilde Coral, Paco Fern\u00e1ndez, Pedro Azor\u00edn and Enrique el Cojo.<\/p>\n

During her extensive career, she has been awarded countless of prizes and accolades, such as the el Premio de Oro del Flamenco de C\u00f3rdoba<\/em> (1977), the Encomienda de la Real Orden de Isabel la Cat\u00f3lica<\/em> (2009) and Japan\u2019s Rising Sun Order of Cultural Merit (2004).<\/p>\n

Click here to visit Tokyo Cervantes Institute photo album<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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