The Councilor for Culture of the City Council of Talavera de la Reina (Toledo), Enrique Etayo, reported this Wednesday the return of the Music and Performing Arts Award “Ciudad de Talavera”‘, which reaches its XXV edition and is organized by the Association of Cultural Musicians Always Elvis. They will be delivered on September 8 from 7:30 p.m. at the Palenque Theater in Talavera, coinciding with the day of the city’s patron saint, the Virgen del Prado.
Specifically, the winners of this XXV edition are the Cum Laude Academy, the Music Prize; the Dance Prize for Lucía Quintas (Adae Alma); the Theater Prize for Julián Hormigos; the Cinema Prize for Gon Ramos; the Photography Prize for Fotos Rojo and the Young Artists Prize for Antonio Cebrián and Cristina Cebrián.
These awards have the intention and desire to honor and pay tribute to all persons, entities, associations that have promoted or encouraged these arts in the City of Ceramics.
This was announced at a press conference by the Councilor for Culture of the City of Ceramics, accompanied by the President of the Always Elvis Association, Benedicto Tapetado, where he highlighted “the great personal and artistic quality of all the winners.” They contributed a lot to the Talavera culture over the past 25 years.
From the Always Elvis association, they stressed that “music, dance, theater, cinema and photography, They are a manifesto of sensations and feelingswho show us states of mind and emotions, accompany us at all times of our life, that is why our gratitude goes to those people who, with their daily work, bring us closer to these arts.
“The feast of the Virgen del Prado, patron saint of Talavera, was chosen as a symbolic date to recognize this people. “We want to give them our support and encouragement so that they continue this work and know that they have our greatest gratitude.”
The president of the Always Elvis association, Benedicto Tapetado, wanted to thank once again “the support, protection and sponsorship of the Talavera City Council”, emphasizing that “I greatly appreciate the support of the Department of Culture and I personify it in the figure of Enrique Etayo, the councilor for culture.
Gon Ramos: He was born in Talavera. He trained at the School of Arts and Crafts in the city in 1997. After working as an extra coordinator in the films “Che: El Argentino”, “Che: Guerrilla” and “La conjura de El Escorial”, he decided to make a visual homage to the Talavera poet Pedro Tenorio with “La luz que calla” (2008). He worked as an extra coordinator in the television series directed by Alex de la Iglesia, “Plutón BRB-Nero”, and in “Días sin luz” for Antena 3 TV. He then shot his first film “Dosis”, obtaining several nominations. He went to Mexico to shoot a documentary on “Lobos Negros” with Aure Roces, which was very well received at the Sitges festival. His second short film as director and screenwriter, “Mensajes”, was nominated for best editing at the Cine 10 Awards and was a finalist at the Alfonso X el Sabio Awards for best horror production in Castilla-La Mancha. He returned to Talavera where, already a graduate in film direction and screenwriting, he created his own label under the name Aristoteles Philms, in order to continue making small productions. He shot “Camino a casa”, a finalist for best film, and won the award for best soundtrack at the CLM Film Festival (Fecicam).
In 2015 he joined the teaching team of the School of Theater and Cinema “Joaquín Benito de Lucas”, where he continues today, from where he combines his teaching work with the realization of personal projects.
Antonio and Cristina Cebrián
Antonio and Cristina began their musical training very early, Antonio at 3 years old and Cristina at 8 years old. They participated as a duo in the program “Buscando un Sueño”, winning the scholarship of the Association of Artists, the first prize of the Extremadura Song Festival. They won the competition Looking for a Star in Talavera. Antonio won the first prize and Cristina the second at the Festival of New Singers of Fuenlabrada 2023-2024.
Cristina participated in the eighth edition of Voz Kids and both have collaborated in numerous charity galas. Antonio also composes his songs, as he showed us at the V Festival of Authors-Songwriters of Talavera 2024.
Lucie Quintas
Born in Talavera, she opened the doors of ADAE ALMA on August 30, 2014, where she began her adventure as director after seven years of work in Triana (Carmen Sánchez Dance School. Director of the Príncipe 27 dance studio (2005-2011) in which she taught Latin and Afro-Cuban dances. Trained in hip-hop, jazz, salsa (Cuban, linea, on two.), sports dance, musical theater, etc., she currently directs classes in Urban Dances, Broadway and Atrocubano. her academy.
A teacher by vocation, he works these disciplines in parallel with civic and social values with any type or phase of inclusion. His work as a choreographer is characterized by its great creativity and the large number of dancers. His works as a dancer include: the 40 Principals Gala 2001, choreographer of the Orquesta Retos, choreographer of video clips, choreographer of the Sports Gala 2020. Promoter of the project “Mis Chicos” (integration and dance for young people with disabilities). He has adapted works such as Maleficent, Inside Out, Hercules and has scripted his own works such as Noveo & Julieta, Alma Peregrine’s Home: Anima’s Revenge, among others…
Julien Hormigos
Since he was very young, he has dedicated himself to the sound and staging of all types of shows in Talavera. His great passion, as well as his great professionalism, make him indispensable to carry out any activity entrusted to him. To say the theater in Talavera, that is, Julián Hormigos, there is no show worthy of the name that is not supervised by him, he learned from the best, the great Pepe Hernández, and as a good student he has surpassed himself, thus giving security that he knows how to give when he is in charge, “if he is there everything is fine”. A great of the scene.
CUM LAUDE. The Cum Laude Academy bases teaching on trust and methodology developed by the teaching team, as well as on the management and supervision of classes by the management team. This involves teamwork AND responsibility, which is reflected in the students’ results.
At the Cum Laude Academy they have been working for years with students of different ages. They help the little ones to realize their dream of performing in front of the public and, more importantly, to love this art and carry it with them for the rest of their lives. The older ones manage to control their fears and participate in the auditions feeling the same emotions as the others. The teachers are great professionals who love their work and are sincerely interested in teaching everything that music has brought them: discipline, sensitivity, sensitivity, self-criticism, fun and enthusiasm are the qualities that distinguish them in the exercise of each course.
Red Photos
In the 1940s, Pepe González Rojo arrived from Madrid with his wife and two children to Talavera. He settled on Corredera Street and managed to become a businessman at a time when photography was very labor intensive. It was the era of black and white. He employed about twenty people, including his dear friend Paco Peña, founder of Fotos Peña. Later, his children, Che and Toni, continued to engage in the photography sector when technology allowed cameras to be taken to the street and color arrived. This is how work outside the studio also began. Seven decades of work, behind the cameras, with hours in the laboratory and retouching… Years in which his work is collected in many houses and corners of Talavera and its region.
Invitations can be obtained at the Rafael Morales Cultural Center or by contacting the Always Elvis Association through social networks and from the telephone number of the president of the Always Elvis Association, Benedicto Tapetado, 659 158 161.
