Dance teacher

Mural dedicated to Vicente Fernández, master dancer

Vicente Fernández, popularly known as Vicente “El Latero”, was the leading dance master in Fuente-Tójar for many years. He was born in our village on 29 September 1929 into a modest family. Although he alternated between farm work and working as a ‘cagarrache’ (oil miller), the main trade he practised throughout his life was that of tinsmith and plumber, hence his nickname. He was a friendly man, with rugged features and a very distinctive character. But what he is remembered for, and what history will remember him for, is having been the Master of the San Isidro Labrador Dance for 45 years. Under Vicente’s leadership, this dance won the First National Prize for Traditional Dances in Madrid in 1963; a endeavour that was far from over, as, under his guidance, the dancers performed on numerous occasions both within and outside our province. In recognition of his dedication to preserving the dance, and for having taught this ancient folk treasure to several generations of young people from Fuente-Tójar, in 1999 – eight years after he had to give up dancing for health reasons – the village of Fuente-Tójar paid him a well-deserved tribute. She died in 2010, aged 80. Her funeral was a mass gathering expressing grief and affection. To mark the tenth anniversary of her death, the Town Council wished to pay tribute once again to this person so dearly loved by the town with this mural, which is situated on the door of the house where she lived and grew up. Undoubtedly, this work is deeply meaningful because of the symbolism it embodies, the location in which it is situated and, above all, the person it depicts. Visually, the artwork aims for a distinct sense of realism, whilst also employing vibrant colours that represent the main elements of the dancers’ costumes.