Camarón of Isla

Camarón of Isla (born Jose Monje Cruz ), Singer Spanish born in 1950 in San Fernando, Cádiz, dead on July 2nd 1992 with Badalona (Barcelona) at 41 years.

Called Camarón (" crevette" in Castilian) because of her fair-chatain hair, Jose Monje is the largest singer of Spanish Flamenco. Dice the eight years age it started to sing in taverns and with the bus stops with Rancapino. 14 years old it is makes an appearance in the film " El Amor Brujo" with António Gades. Two years later it gains first prices with the festival of Cante Jondo in Mairena de Alcor. El Camarón goes then to Madrid with Miguel of los Reyes and in 1968 becomes artist resident with the " Torres Bermejas Tablao" where it remains during twelve years. It is there that it meets Paco de Lucía with which it records nine albums between 1969 and 1977. They make many rounds together for this period. Then when Paco de Lucía is more retained by concerts in solo, El Camarón works with one of the students of Paco, Tomatito.

At 23 years Camarón Marie with Dolores Montoya, a gipsy of Linea of Concepcion which it calls Chispa (“the spark”). Chispa was then only 14 years old. Shortly after the couple has two children thereafter then two others.

Admirably mixing antiquated flamenco and innovations of its vintage, El Camarón of Isla deeply marked the world of flamenco with its discs like Potro de Rabia there honey or Leyenda del Tiempo . Many considers that he is the most popular singer of Flamenco of the recent period and that who exerted the most influence. Although its work is criticized by some traditionalists (it is one of the first to have used low electric) it represents a stage of the history of the flamenco which supported the emergence of the Nouveau flamenco and inspired a whole generation of singers like Diego el Cigala.

In 1992, Jose Monge Crúz dies of lung cancer. One estimates at more than 100.000 the number of people who took part in her burial.

External bond

Spanish Site of Camarón of Isla

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