To build a monument
Aficionados admiring the statue of Antonio Mejías Jiménez Bienvenida outside Madrid’s Las Ventas bullring may not know that its presence is in part due to the actions of another matador, Andrés Vázquez.
The story is told in a new book, Maestro, a collection of articles recording the life and career of the matador from Villalpando (Zamora) who passed away at the age of 89 on June 17 2022. The two matadors became close when Vázquez appeared on the cartel of the madrileño’s 1971 reappearance in Las Ventas after four years of retirement: facing bulls of Samuel Flores, Andrés cut two ears and left the plaza on shoulders. The following year, the two fought victorinos mano a mano during San Isidro, each of them doing well and winning an ear.
In October 1975, a tienta accident cost Bienvenida his life. It was decided to place a monument to the great torero outside Las Ventas and a festival was held in 1976 to raise the necessary funds. Andrés Vázquez was one of the participants, earning two ears. But not enough money was raised by the event. And so, on May 15 1977, Andrés fought six bulls of El Campillo en solitario in order that the final funds could be achieved. On the strength of this commitment, the statue was erected some days later.
The Las Ventas monument to Antonio Bienvenida (the figure on the left bears a strong resemblance to Andrés Vázquez)
Maestro is a collection of pieces (some written to celebrate the matador’s frustrated 90th birthday) about Andrés Vázquez put together by a society of the matador’s friends. Following an article by Victorino Martín García recalling Vázquez’s 1969 Madrid triumph with ‘Baratero’ and the friendship between ganadería and matador that followed, the main piece in the book, ‘El Último Desafío de un Torero de Castilla’ by Luciano López Gutiérrez, is an atmospheric recounting of the torero’s life - his early days in Villalpando, his time as a maletilla earning a rough living from appearances in capeas, his period as a student under Saleri II at la Escuela de Tauromaquia de Castilla, his alternativa at the comparatively late age of 29 and career as a matador de toros, his time as a teacher at la Escuela Taurina de Madrid and his retirement back home at Villalpando. The photos accompanying the piece include some from his last lidia of a victorino - to celebrate his 80th birthday!
Of particular interest are articles by the taurine critics Fernando Fernández Román and Domingo Delgado de la Cámara. The former recalls a 1952 festejo in his home village of Santa Eufemia del Arroyo featuring a group of toreros from Villalpando, one of whom (then known as El Nono) stood out. The next day, Vázquez approached the local council secretary (Fernando’s father) and persuaded him to issue a certificate that would permit the 20-year-old to perform in the serious part of taurino-cómico events.
Delgado de la Cámara identifies three distinct phases to Vázquez’s career as a torero - the period up until 1969 when Andrés exhibited the rough-and-ready toreo of someone with a background of capeas; 1969-72, when, inspired by the example of Juan Belmonte, the matador added barroquismo and depth to his toreo (during this period Andrés secured three puerta grande exits from Las Ventas in one season); and 1972 onwards, when Vázquez successfully added Bienvenida’s naturalidad to his performances.
I saw Andrés torear on five occasions between 1971 and 1990, the last event a festival in Las Ventas to benefit the gravely injured El Soro. He most impressed me on two afternoons at Gijón in 1977 (his second corrida appearance being a reward for his earlier triumphant afternoon at the seaside resort) facing bulls of El Campillo and Luis Albarrán. On both days, the seemingly relaxed matador produced varied and accomplished toreo.
The 156-page, profusely illustrated Maestro has been produced at nil cost, the aim being to use the proceeds from the book to construct a monument to Andrés Vázquez at Villalpando. A fine tribute to the departed matador, the book costs 25 euros plus postage and can be obtained by writing to amigosdeandresvazquez@gmail.com.