We have no doubt that at around four in the afternoon there were many art lovers jondo that broke to palmas by bulerías a tense silence in Nairobi. The capital of Kenya has joined its name to that of the flamenco for eternity, since it was in this beautiful city where at four in the afternoon of a 1November 6, 2010 The news broke: the flamenco became part of the Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
This decision was made by the Intergovernmental Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. A committee made up of twenty-four members, which granted this recognition to the world flamenco. A mention for which no less than forty-seven candidates from thirty-one countries were eligible.
After a failed attempt in 2005, everything started back in 2009 when it was decided to push as much as possible to make the flamenco was in the place that corresponded to it by history and tradition. In a hot month of August 2009 in Paris the candidacy was registered and it was at the beginning of 2010 when it was launched by the Junta de Andalucía Campaign Flamenco Am.
The idea was to promote the project nationally and internationally, which had as an ally the Government of Spain and had the collaboration of Murcia and Extremadura. More than thirty thousand people from sixty countries voted for the Flemish candidacy through the UNESCO website.
On November 16, "humanity became the heritage of the flamenco", quoted the incomparable Enrique Morente"A hemorrhage of great satisfaction" were the words used by the singer at the time. Jose Merce upon hearing the good news. This recognition by UNESCO multiplied the value that art already had. jondo.
In 2011, the Andalusian Government agreed to declare November 16 as the Day of the Flamenco in the community, coinciding with the anniversary of its inclusion as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. "The declaration also represents a commitment, meaning that the Government must better understand and investigate the flamenco in its different facets," explained the then Minister of Culture, Paulino Plata.
Since then, every year the world in general and Andalusia in particular turn to the flamenco on this very special day. In the first edition of the Day of the Flamenco, the Ministry of Culture of Andalusia, in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes, organized shows flamencos in cities around the world. From Istanbul (Türkiye) to New Delhi (India), via Sydney (Australia) or Brasilia (Brazil), with Andres Marin, Rosario Toledo, Rosario La Tremendita, David Carmona y Archangel protagonists.
On November 16, 2024, the fourteenth edition of the commemoration of the Day of the FlamencoIn this edition, the Andalusian Government has prepared more than a hundred activities spread across the eight provinces of the community.
"This calendar of events, which far exceeds one hundred, is based on alliances, proximity, knowledge and commitment to art. jondo by different sectors of society. In addition, it makes a firm defense of the flamenco in its broadest sense and testifies to its role as a fundamental pillar of Andalusian culture," he explained. Patricia of the Well, Minister of Culture and Sport of the Andalusian Government.
«Work is already underway on the programming of the 15th anniversary of the Declaration of Flamenco as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which will be celebrated next year, while, in parallel, we will develop the Law of the Flamenco Andalusia with the approval of its Strategic Plan," del Pozo continued.
One of the main actions to commemorate the anniversary is the Call to Flamenco, an action that combines culture and heritage and will take place on the afternoon of November 15 in eight heritage sites in the eight Andalusian provinces, coinciding with the exact time of sunset.
