Joselito returns to take the walk in La Malagueta

Antonio M. Romero

Málaga

On April 20, 1986, Easter Sunday, José Miguel Arroyo 'Joselito' became a bullfighter in Málaga when he took his alternativa... from Dámaso González, who handed over the killing of the bull 'Correvías' from Carlos Nuñez - to whom he cut off an ear -, with Juan Mora as a witness. That afternoon marked the beginning of one of the great figures of contemporary bullfighting in the upper echelon and sparked the love affair with the La Malagueta arena, where he delivered great performances, reaped multiple triumphs, and garnered a legion of supporters.

On the afternoon of the alternativa, the Madrid-born matador wore a crimson and gold suit which can now be seen at the exhibition 'Maestro Joselito 1986-2026'; a unique exhibition marking these four decades and immersing visitors in the trajectory of the Madrid bullfighter through personal items such as suits of lights, trophies, bull heads, paintings, and photographs.

The exhibition was inaugurated this Tuesday in the inner corridors of the Paseo de Reding arena, during an event attended by Joselito, the president of the Provincial Council, Francisco Salado, the head of Bullfighting Affairs of the provincial institution, Borja Ortiz, the head of Toroshopping, Pedro Gracia, and the exhibition commissioners, Juan Carlos Estrada and Alfonso López, and attended by, among others, the family of the honored bullfighter, the matadors Curro Vázquez, Saúl Jiménez Fortes and Francisco José Porras, and the manager Enrique Martín Arranz.

"It is a pride and a satisfaction to be in this arena, which is my arena," said Joselito, who recalled that although he is from Madrid and is "reared" in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo) - where he lives -, for him Málaga means "a lot" and he shared anecdotes about how the letter on his ID card is the "M for Málaga" and that one of the afternoons he was gored in La Malagueta, hundreds of people of all ages visited him in the hospital in the following days. "A show of affection that struck me," he added.

Unaccustomed to public speaking due to his shyness, the matador was moved as he thanked his family and "my father" Enrique Martín Arranz, stating that his source of "inspiration" and his "reference" was Curro Vázquez, with whom he shared a heartfelt hug.

"It is a pride and a satisfaction to be in this arena, which is my arena," states the matador

Francisco Salado, for his part, thanked the "generosity" of the Madrid bullfighter for making this exhibition possible, framed within the commemorative acts of the 150th anniversary of La Malagueta, and highlighted that Joselito is "much more than a bullfighter, his way of understanding bullfighting, the national festival, has made him a legend, and has left an undeniable mark on many other matadors who have come after."

In this vein, Juan Carlos Estrada emphasized the personality of a bullfighter who combined "ethics and aesthetics" in his bullfighting, who became a master "with capital letters" and highlighted the sensitivity of the matador in postponing the inauguration of the exhibition - originally scheduled for last April - due to the death on Good Friday in the corrals of La Malagueta of Ricardo Ortiz after being gored by a bull.

While Pedro García highlighted the importance of the exhibition for the trajectory of Joselito in the history of bullfighting. The exhibition can be visited until next July 2; it will be open to the public for the first two weeks and then for visitors to the Immersive Experiences Center of Bullfighting (CEIT).

The tour of the exhibition allows visitors to see the white and gold suit with which he confirmed the alternativa at Las Ventas in May 1986 with Curro Romero as godfather and Paco Ojeda as witness; the navy blue and gold suit with which he cut a tail at the Mexico City arena in 1996; the brown and gold suit from the afternoon of his definitive farewell from the rings in Zaragoza in 2003; or the Goyesco green bottle suit with gold trim from the historic afternoon of the six bulls at the Community of Madrid Bullfight on May 2, 1996.

Objects

The head of the bull 'Cordobano' from Atanasio Fernández, to which he cut the ears that allowed him to open the big door of Madrid for the first time; the parade cape of José Cubero 'Yiyo', which Joselito keeps as a treasure in his home; the short suit with which he made the paseíllo in the benefit festival held at Las Ventas for those affected by the Nevado Ruiz volcano or the agenda where Martín Arranz had the bullfighting contacts are some of the objects on display.

Alongside them, a small representation of the numerous trophies that Joselito achieved throughout his career such as the Silver Sword 'Antonio Ordóñez' from the Provincial Council of Málaga of 1995, the Parade Cape from the City Council of Málaga of 1990, the Jesús del Gran Poder trophy as the winner of Quito, the Fine Arts medal he received in 2011, the Medal of the Community of Madrid, or the winner's cane from Bilbao can be seen.

In an exhibition where a video is projected 'ex profeso' with images of matadors who have marked the Madrid bullfighter, it is also possible to see a montera box, a castanet, stockings, slippers, long underwear, or a sword sheath owned by Joselito, who this Tuesday once again reunited with La Malagueta.

• More topics
• Málaga
• José Miguel Arroyo Joselito
• Diputación de Málaga