Catalan flamenco is once again proving its quality with the new edition of the Festival Internacional del Cante de Las Minas de La Unión. The Catalan vocalist Matías López Expósito, known artistically as ‘El Mati’ and who has performed in Tablao Flamenco Cordobes on several occasions throughout his professional career, has become the new winner of the Lámpara Minera of the aforementioned festival, one of the most important in the world. In addition, El Mati also won the first prize for Mineras and Cantes Bajoandaluces. 

El Mati is one of the young voices with the greatest projection of flamenco. Despite his youth he has worked with great figures of the panorama like Pepe Habichuela, Manolo Marín, Cristina Hoyos, Antonio Canales, Belén Maya, El Junco, Olga Pericet, Rafael Carrasco, Manuel Liñán, Pastora Galván, Rafael Campallo or Israel Galván among many others. El Mati also has a studio work, “Doce de Cuatro”, with which it seeks to pay tribute to Lebrijano, Gaspar de Utrera, Juanito Villar and Pansequito. 

Tablao Flamenco Cordobes has been a home for some of the most important flamenco voices of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Miguel Poveda, who was trained as a cantaor in the historic tablao of Las Ramblas from his debut on its stage at the age of 18 until his leap to fame with overwhelming success at the Festival Internacional de Cante de Las Minas. 

Olga Aznar García, known artistically as Olga Llorente, was also awarded the Desplante Femenino prize for her performance of Caracoles y Tarantos. The Catalan Olga Llorente, choreographer and artist who has also performed in Tablao Flamenco Cordobes in Barcelona on several occasions, has a degree in Spanish Dance from the Barcelona Professional Conservatory and has received training from masters such as Antonio Canales, La Chana, Farruquito, Rafaela Carrasco, Marcos Flores, Carmen Ledesma, El Pipa and Eva Yerbabuena among many others. She has also shared the stage with artists of the stature of Pastora Galván, El Farru, José Maya, Marcos Flores, Manuel Liñán, Belén Maya and Barullo, among others, and has won other awards such as “Vicente Escudero” for her seguiriya dance in 2009 during the VIII Youth Contest or the free dance prize of the Concurso de la Perla de Cádiz in 2013.