The Diplomat
The presentation of the musical Lota, las Mujeres del Carbón (Lota, the Women of Coal), organised by the Chilean Embassy, in collaboration with the workers’ union Comisiones Obreras (CC.OO.) and with funding from the Fundación Chile-Spain, was a full house in the Auditorio Marcelino Camacho (Madrid) last Friday night.
The event was presented by the General Secretary of Comisiones Obreras in Madrid, Paloma López, and the Chilean ambassador, Javier Velasco, and both agreed on “extolling the leading role of women in society, equal opportunities and labour rights”. Mario Amorós, renowned Spanish journalist and historian, acted as master of ceremonies.
Lota, las Mujeres del Carbón tells the story of the historic moment of the closure of the mine in the Chilean city of Lota, with a focus on women as the pillar of this mining society, which invites reflection and emotion through its very current and universal theme.
The 400 seats available were filled to capacity. The original choreography and careful staging, by the Chilean-Spanish dance, flamenco and dance company Pedro Fernández Embrujo, uses Chilean and Spanish folkloric dance as a stage language, complemented by theatrical interpretation and lyrics by Violeta Parra sung in flamenco tones.
After the long ovation, the cast had to salute several times due to the insistence of the applause and concluded by singing the song Gracias a la Vida, which they dedicated to all those present.
