A song by the late Yucatecan composer Armando Manzanero is set to be auctioned off as an NFT.
Though the song in question, titled “Como yo te amé,” was never released, it was performed by Manzanero at a concert in Chichén Itzá back in 2018.
The NFT auction by Morton Subastas will take place at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 23.
Bidding for the NFT will kickoff at 200,000 pesos, or roughly US$10,000.
“This is the first NFT of Armando Manzanero’s work and it’s wonderful. But unfortunately, it never got much exposure during his lifetime,” said Sofía Duarte of Morton Subastas.
An NFT, or non-fungible token, is in a sense a receipt of ownership used for digital goods which are stored on the blockchain, a form of a decentralized distributed ledger.
In late 2020, less than a week after joining dignitaries in touring a cultural center built in his honor, legendary Yucatecan music star Armando Manzanero tested positive for COVID-19.
The Trova legend passed away from COVID-19 five days later at a hospital in Mexico City.
Earlier: New series based on the life of Armando Manzanero in the works
NFT technology has become rather controversial over the past couple of years, with many seeing them as not much more than a gimmick or cashgrab.
Perhaps anticipating criticism for the auction of “Como yo te amé,” in NFT form, the Manzanero estate has preemptively chosen to justify their decision.
“My father was always keen on the idea of pursuing new technology, and I know that if he was here today he would be very much on board with the idea,” said Juan Pablo Manzanero, speaking for his father’s estate.
But much of Armando Mazanero’s fanbase has expressed a dislike of what they see as the Manzanero estate exploiting the memory of the beloved performer for financial gain.
This is especially true considering the well-publicized feud between Manzanero’s descendants.
