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Camarón de la Isla


Camarón de la Isla (born December 5, 1950, San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain; died July 2, 1992, Badalona, Spain), was the stage name of Spanish Romani flamenco singer José Monje Cruz. He was born in San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain, into a Romani family, the seventh of eight children. His mother was Juana Cruz Castro, a Canastera, literally a basket weaver, and meaning from a wandering roma family, and whose gift of singing was a strong early influence. His uncle José nicknamed him Camarón (Spanish for Shrimp) because he was blonde haired and fair skinned. At the age of eight he began to sing at inns and bus stops with Rancapino to earn money. At fourteen he appeared in the film El Amor Brujo with Antonio Gades. Two years later he won first prize in the Festival del Cante Jondo in Mairena de Alcor. Camarón then went to Madrid with Miguel de los Reyes and in 1968 became a resident artist at the Torres Bermejas Tablao, where he remained for twelve years. It was there that he met Paco de Lucía with whom he would record nine albums between 1969 and 1977. The two would tour extensively together during this period. As Paco de Lucía became more occupied with solo concert commitments, Camarón would work with one of Paco's students, Tomatito, also one of the important figures in modern flamenco guitar. At the age of 23 Camarón married Dolores Montoya, a gypsy girl from La Línea de La Concepción who he nicknamed La Chispa (The Spark). At the time La Chispa was only fourteen. Shortly...

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