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THE SPANISH POST OFFICE TODAY IN PRESENTED IN LA UNIÓN A POSTAGE STAMP DEDICATED TO THE FESTIVAL DEL CANTE DE LAS MINAS

300,000 stamps are to be issued, included within the series World Cultural Heritage

The Subsecretary of Public Works, Mario Garcés Sanagustín, along with the Mayor of La Unión and Executive President of the Cante de las Minas Foundation, Francisco Bernabé, and the President of CORREOS, the Spanish post office, Javier Cuesta Nuin, today presented the stamp CORREOS dedicated to “El flamenco. Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas de La Unión”.  The oficial act was held at 10 in the morning at La Unión’s city hall, and the Governmental Delegate, Joaquín Bascuñana García and General Director of Cultural Industries, Marta López-Briones, were also present.

In recent years flamenco has been the focus of more than fifteen stamps. In 1996, three stamps dedicated to celebrities assiciated with flamenco, such as singers José Monge Cruz  “Camarón de la Isla”, Lola Flores and Carmen Amaya were issued.  Since that time there have also been stamps with the images of other personalites linked to flamenco such as Joaquín Cortés, Sara Baras, Cristina Hoyos, Jose Mercé and Julián Arcas, right up to the recent issue in 2014 dedicated to Paco Lucia, to remember the guitarist after his death.

The stamp presented today was issued last May, along with another stamp dedicated to the fiesta of the Patios de Córdoba.  Both events have recently been included in the category of Intangible World Heritage by UNESCO.

The stamp is printed via intaglio and four-color process, with a circulation of 300,000 sheets, and a face value of 2 €. The design is by Francisco Fidalgo.

For Francisco Bernabé, this decision, which comes after recent recognition of Marca España and the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, the National Government’s commitment to enhance the Festival del Cante de las Minas, has the effect of causing its image and that of La Unión to travel the world as symbols par excellence of flamenco culture.