Over 5,000 Signatures for the Flamenco as World Heritage Campaign

The Web site www.flamencopatrimoniodelahumanidad.es has up to now registered a total of 5,000 online signatures, with an average of 50 votes per day. This site was implemented last February 28th as part of the 'Flamenco soy' campaign initiated in January to support flamenco's candidacy to be named Intangible Cultural World Heritage by UNESCO.
According to these same sources, the signatures come from 40 countries, "mainly Spain, France and the US," although votes have arrived from the majority of Latin American countries (most notably Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela and Colombia) and the rest of Europe, including countries such as Germany, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands and Hungary. Additionally, votes have been cast from Canada, Russia, Ukraine, Algeria, China and Japan.
The contents of this Web site have been translated into English, French and Japanese, and through the Website, people can personally sign the candidacy and follow all of the information that is generated throughout the campaign, which will last through the last trimester of 2010, at which time the UNESCO Assembly will make its decision...

At present approzimately 200 letters of support have been received from relevant flamenco, such as the guitarists Manolo Sanlúcar and Vicente Amigo, the singers Miguel Poveda and Carmen Linares, and the dancers Manuela Carrasco, Eva Yerbabuena, Cristina Hoyos and Javier Barón, among others.
On a local level, 72 municipalities (32 in Malaga, 20 in Almeria and others in Cadiz) have, through diverse institutional acts, supported the candidacy. Among the supporting municipalities those making the biggest effort are Málaga, Mijas, Nerja, Antequera, Almería and Jerez de la Frontera, while the City Hall's of Lebrija, Alcalá de Guadaíra, Puente Genil and Isla Cristina have also approved motions of support for the project.
Source: JerezJondo.com
Photo of Eva Yerbabuena from Philipszaal Lucent Danstheater on Flickr