An important prize. The young cantaora María José Pérez has received the Melón de Oro Award. She won the Nacional de Jóvenes Flamencos (National Young Flamenco Artists Festival) of Calasparra –province of Murcia- last July.

The festival was wonderful and the weather was great. The audience started to bet on the different artists but most of them chose her, who finally was the winner of that XXIV Festival Nacional del Cante Flamenco (National Flamenco Festival) in Lo Ferro, province of Murcia. She was María José Pérez, an 18-year-old girl from Almería. This time the audience was not wrong and agreed with the jury; the decision to award her was unanimous. Obviously, not everybody bet on her or was happy about the decision, but it was just a small minority.

However, she was the most surprised of all. She admitted it when she thanked the jury for the award -in such an important competition. When she received had the prize –which is a sculpture created by the sculptor Maite Defruc that symbolizes the most important award of the festival- María José, already dressed in plain clothes, said: I have to sing now; I had already changed my clothes and I am not dressed as a cantaora any more; moreover these trousers are a bit tight but, you know, that is the way young people like to dress. She was so beautifully dressed as a cantaora, with the flamenco style which reminds us of the cantaora La Niña de los Peines when she was young. María José explained that she did not really expect to win. She thought that because of her age, the jury would not award her this time, so she would  participate again next year. Nevertheless, the award presented by the Duchess of Alba was for her.

María José Pérez received the prize from Cayetana Fitz-James, Duchess of Alba. The aristocrat was honoured with the Golden Medal of the Festival, which was presented by the director of the festival.