Greatest exponents of flamenco in Spain

Dear guest, flamenco is part of the culture of Spain. It is probably the most international artistic representation of Spanish culture, considered Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010, it is still very much alive today. Flamenco is music, song and dance.

The long list of artists as the best flamenco singers, attest that it is in Spain where the cradle of this musical genre is found, which is already part of Spanish culture.

José Monje Cruz was born in San Fernando (Cádiz) in 1950. His nickname, given by an uncle, refers to a type of small shellfish that he reminded him of: small and thin, with blond hair and white skin. The place name was added by José himself later, due to its origin, since San Fernando is located on the Island of León, popularly known as the Island. This is how “Camarón de la Isla” was born.

His professional career began when he was eight years old, when his brother took him sporadically to the well-known Venta de Vargas to earn some money. The final leap will be given when he is 16 years old, when he wins one of the prizes at the IV Festival de Cante Jondo de Mairena del Alcor. This opened the door for him to participate in the Caracolá de Lebrija together with El Lebrijano, El Perrate de Utrera and El Turronero, among others.

His career began to flourish, achieving in 1989 that his album Soy Gitano was one of the best sellers in the history of flamenco. He is currently considered one of the legends of flamenco and one of the best flamenco singers in history, whose influence still lingers on many contemporary singers.

Both are Father and daughter. Enrique Morente was born in Granada in 1942 and considers himself one of the great flamenco revolutionaries. He began to sing in the Cathedral of Granada, but very soon he went to Madrid to make his way.

The "granaíno", as he was known there, was one of the revaluators of the figure of Antonio Chacón, known worldwide for his malagueñas, cartageneras and granaína. He was the first cantaor to adapt lyrics by Spanish poets to flamenco, among others, by Miguel Hernández, Lope de Vega, José Bergamín and Jorge Guillén.

His songs are considered transgressive, since he experiments with different instruments and rhythms in his creations, such as the album Omega, together with the rock group Lagartija Nick, one of his most revolutionary works.

On the other hand, Estrella Morente, his daughter, was born in 1980, also in Granada. Estrella Morente carries flamenco in her blood not only because of her father, but also because of her mother, the bailaora Dolores Carbonell, better known as “La Pelota”. At the age of 16, she was already established as an artist and she is one of the female singers on the current scene, dominating a great variety of flamenco styles.

Mª del Carmen Pacheco was born in Linares (Jaén) in 1951. Her artistic name is due, as you may have already guessed, to her origin. Carmen Linares enters the list of the best flamenco singers. She is one of the most prominent artists today and has always surrounded herself with greats.

In 1970, she published her first album with Juan Habichuela on guitar and was sponsored by "El Fosforito", from which she learned a lot about her art. She shared the stage with Camarón, Enrique Morente, "Perla" and "Güito".

One of her most important works was Carmen Linares in anthology, la mujer en el cante, in which she takes a tour of all the women who have made history in flamenco. Her cante has crossed borders, arriving to perform with the New York Philharmonic at the Lincoln Center.

Manuel Ortega was born in Seville in 1909. His nickname comes from his father, Manuel Ortega Fernández, better known as "Caracol el del Bulto", hence why he chose Manolo Caracol as his artistic name.

The fact he dedicated himself to flamenco is not surprising, since he comes from a long line of flamenco artists and bullfighters. His family includes, among many others, El Planeta, El Fillo, Manzanita and the bullfighter Joselito el Gallo. In 1922 he won the first prize at the Granada Cante Jondo Contest, reaping great success.

La Faraona cannot be described solely as a cantaora, but her contributions to the Spanish copla have been fundamental in the artistic history of this country. She is a singer, dancer, actress and artist, in general, she is an icon of flamenco.

Diego Ramón Jiménez Salazar was born in Madrid in 1968. His artistic surname "El Cigala" comes from the guitarist brothers Losada. He is one of the authors of Lágrimas Negras, together with Bebo Valdés, and produced by Fernando Trueba. With this work he became known worldwide, obtaining in 2004 a Grammy, three Music Awards, an Ondas Award, and filling theaters around the world.

Diego El Cigala has united flamenco singing with Cuban and Dominican rhythms, the place where he lives and acts nowadays.

José Soto Soto was born in Jerez de la Frontera in 1955. His stage name comes from when he sang in the children's choir at the Basilica de la Merced, in his hometown.

He began to sing at a very young age at the La Cueva del Pájaro Azul tablao in Cadiz and on Flamenco Thursdays, although he soon moved to Madrid and went on tour with Antonio Gades, intervening in the film Bodas de Sangre, by Carlos Saura.

His album Del Amanecer, produced by Vicente Amigo or Aire, have made him world famous. Subsequently, he has experimented with other musical genres, creating a flamenco fusion with, for example, the blues. He has sold over a million records.

Miguel Ángel Poveda was born in 1973 in Barcelona. He is one of the most prolific flamenco singers of today, although the most orthodox flamenco singers are suspicious of the type of music he makes. Within his artistic career he plays other musical genres, although flamenco is always the basis of him, winning numerous awards with him.

He has participated in numerous festivals throughout his career, such as the Seville Flamenco Biennial, as well as in projects such as recording concerts and live shows. His presence fills the theaters and stages of all the cities in which he performs.