Twenty-eight years after his abrupt death at the best moment of his career, Antonio Flores finally had his great tribute this Friday in the form of a “love offering” from first-class friends and admirers, from Víctor Manuel to Vanesa Martín .
“It was very difficult to lose him so soon, not only for me, but that has taught me that love and the meaning of a life cannot be measured in time. My father’s light will shine in our hearts forever,” his brother highlighted. daughter Alba Flores, host of the event.
Under the name of one of his great songs, ‘Arriba los corazón’, it was the first official tribute concert, supported by his family and in the city where he was born, specifically at the Vistalegre Palace, which hosted a sold-out concert. to about 8,000 people.
The date seems random in any case, as it does not coincide with any round anniversary other than the centenary of the birth of her mother, the immortal Lola Flores. His son would have turned 62 in 2023 if he had not died on May 30, 1995, just two weeks after the blow that the death of his mother from cancer meant for him.
Behind him he left his own artistic legacy with a depth of flamenco airs, piano ballads and rock, whether for himself or for other artists such as his sister Rosario, and in a relatively short time of production, from 1980 to 1995, with a hiatus of 6 years marked by discouragement and heroin before being reborn again vitally and musically with his last album, ‘Cosasmines’ (1994).
With the musical production and artistic direction of Carlos Narea and the musical direction of Fernando Illán, its return to the musical present has finally taken place and it has done so with a charitable purpose for Greenpeace, a very opportune destiny for those who defined themselves more ago of three decades as an environmentalist.
With a considerable delay of almost half an hour, waiting for the entire public to access the facilities, the event started to the rhythm of ‘Arriba los corazón’ performed by a large 8-member orchestra, three choristers and the voice of Alba Flores, the multifaceted and talented daughter of the honoree.
“You don’t know how exciting it is to see this place full of people singing my father’s songs, what it feels like to see that Antonio Flores continues to be so loved and present for so many people,” she proudly proclaimed.
There he made the coordinates clear: “much more than a concert, this was a ritual” to “celebrate the life and work” of the artist at the hands of “friends, family and admirers”: “And I assure you that each version of each song “It is an offering of love for my father,” he concluded.
The first of them has come with Víctor Manuel, who has sung ‘Isla de Palma’ as if it were part of his usual repertoire, and from there there has been the generational leap to another singer-songwriter, Andrés Suárez, with ‘The Indian’, his nickname. by which those close to him often referred to the racial and long-haired Flores.
Other songs that have been played are ‘In my room’ (with Raimundo Amador’s guitar and the voice of Guillermo Furiase, Antonio’s nephew) and ‘Abril’ (with Chonchi Heredia).
“It is a very great honor to be here honoring a teacher. When I want to learn sensitivity I look at him, Enrique Urquijo and Antonio Vega,” said Rozalén after performing ‘I can’t fall in love’ and listing some of his ” teachers” missing.
Between La Mari de Chambao (hers was ‘La gaviota’) and Sole Giménez (who filled ‘Sabor, Sabor’ with swing), for Vanesa Martín there has been one of the jewels of the repertoire, ‘Siete vida’, which the Malaga native has sifted with his unique color of voice and his guitar in an intimate key.
Despite the last minute loss of Los Secretos and Miguel Ríos due to a cold, there have been many more well-known names on stage such as El Kanka and Maui (‘That Kiss’), David Summers (‘Body of a Woman’), Burning (‘Just rock and roll’) or a Melendi that has brought the entire audience to their feet (with ‘Let’s say I’m talking about Madrid’).
The final and most emotional section has been purely family territory with the return of Alba Flores to the stage (who has thanked her mother, Ana Villa, for “always taking care of the legacy” of her father) and with the appearance of her sisters, Rosario and Lolita Flores, who have shared ‘How beautiful’.
Just before, another of the brightest moments came with the “cousins” of the Carmona clan, with Antonio Carmona at the helm, who have reinvigorated ‘Escucha Primo’ and ‘Alba’, while the official recipient of this second song has preferred to recover what was “a balm” for her in the absence of her father, ‘The Star’.
“You know that I’m sick, but I couldn’t miss it. Since the pain is still inside, ‘The Thorn’ goes there as best it can,” Lolita confessed, fighting against tears and her hoarseness.
He has been taken over by the Flores’ youngest, Rosario, who has reserved perhaps the most anticipated of all the songs, that ‘No doubt’ that her brother included in his debut in 1980 as a plea against violence.
And when all the artists had joined them in the final auction, their words still resonated: “Today I kneel here before my brother and all of you, long live the music, the magicians and the poets like Antonio Flores, who will live forever!” !”
