Celebrating Rocío Jurado's Legacy in Estepona

Estepona residents can explore Spanish cultural history at a book presentation about the iconic Rocío Jurado at the Biblioteca de Culturas Contemporáneas

Estepona residents have an opportunity to delve into Spanish cultural history this week. A new book exploring the life and legacy of Rocío Jurado will be presented in the town.

The literary presentation of the book ‘Rocío Jurado, la voz que nos hizo sentir libres’ (Rocío Jurado, the voice that made us feel free) will take place on Tuesday 6 October. The event is scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM on the sixth floor of the Biblioteca de Culturas Contemporáneas, which is located in the Mirador del Carmen. Admission is free until full capacity is reached.

About the Book and its Subject

The event will feature the editor of the work, Carlos Barea. The book includes contributions from various authors, including Alberto Conejero, Lidia García García, Supremme de Luxe, Laura Fa, Machús Osinaga, Carlos García de la Vega, and Marta Jaenes.

Coordinated by Carlos Barea, the book argues that Rocío Jurado holds a unique and irreplaceable position in the history of Spanish culture. It posits that she represents the final link between classic folclóricas and the first of a revitalising lineage. The work suggests the Chipiona singer became a hinge, uniting two distinct ways of understanding copla, flamenco, and music in general.

Carlos Barea states that Rocío Jurado was "feminist, an ally of the LGTBIQ+ community, a victim of Francoist censorship, and at the same time, a bullfighter's wife, a devoted mother, and a devotee of the Virgen de Regla." He adds that she embodies, like few others, the tensions between tradition and modernity, rupture and continuity, both in her personal life and professional career.

The Authors and Presenters

Carlos Barea, born in Granada in 1987, holds a degree in Advertising and Public Relations from the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. He also has a master's in Creative Writing from the Hotel Kafka school and a master's in LGTBIQ+ Studies from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He has contributed to various media outlets, notably the Televisión Española programme Cine de Barrio, and delivers workshops on diversity in the audiovisual world.

For the publisher Dos Bigotes, he has coordinated several collective works. These include ‘Flores para Lola. Una mirada queer y feminista sobre La Faraona’, ‘Ocaña, el eterno brillo del Sol de Cantillana’, and ‘Eloy de la Iglesia. El placer oculto del cine español’. Additionally, he is one of the authors of ‘Larga vida al trash! El cine de John Waters como nunca te lo habían contado’ and ‘Gloria. La poeta de los amores prohibidos’.

At the presentation, Carlos Barea will engage in a dialogue with philologist Daniel Blesa. Daniel Blesa is also known as ‘Supremme de Luxe’ in his capacity as a drag queen. In 2021, Supremme de Luxe gained significant media presence as the presenter of the television programme Draq Race España. Beyond a notable musical career, Supremme de Luxe is recognised for their carefully curated image, live voice, impressive capacity for improvisation, and a strong connection with audiences.