José Mercé (born José Soto Soto in 1955 in

Jerez de la Frontera Jerez de la Frontera () or simply Jerez, also cited in old English-language sources as , is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Sp ...

) is a Spanish flamenco singer. As a 12-year-old he performed at flamenco festivals. Later he moved to

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

where he recorded his first album in 1968.

Family

He is the great-grandson of nineteenth-century

seguiriya ''Siguiriyas'' (; also ''seguiriyas'', ''siguerillas'', ''siguirillas'', ''seguidilla gitana'', etc.) are a form of flamenco music in the cante jondo category. This deep, expressive style is among the most important in flamenco. Unlike other pal ...

maestro Maestro (; from the Italian '' maestro'' , meaning " master" or "teacher," plural: maestros or maestri) is an honorific title of respect, sometimes abbreviated Mo. The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and oper ...

Francisco Valencia, whose nickname was Paco la Luz. He is also the nephew of Manuel Soto Sordera, the patriarch of Jerez flamenco. Mercé's nickname comes from his participation in the choir of the Basilica de la Merced when he was a boy.Sevilla, Diario de
""Se puede innovar si no se desvirtúan los cantes""
''diariodejerez.es''.

Production

The youthful Mercé became one of the most sought-after singers for accompanying dance, and he has worked with the Trío Madrid, formed by Mario Maya, El Güito and Carmen Mora. From 1973 to 1983 he joined the company of

Antonio Gades Antonio Esteve Ródenas or Antonio Gades (14 November 1936 – 20 July 2004) was a Spanish flamenco dancer and choreographer. He helped to popularize the art form on the international stage. He was born in Elda, Alicante, and was the father ...

, with which he travelled half-way around half the world and took part in the film ''Bodas de Sangre'', by

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (4 January 1932 – 10 February 2023) was a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. With Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be among Spain's great filmmakers. He had a long and prolific career th ...

. He has also worked with guitarists Enrique De Melchor,

Tomatito José Fernández Torres (born Fondón, 1958), known professionally as Tomatito, is a Spanish roma flamenco guitarist and composer. Having started his career accompanying famed flamenco singer Camarón de la Isla (with Paco de Lucía), he has m ...

, Vicente Amigo and Moraito.

Discography

* ''Bandera de Andalucía'' (1968) * ''Desnudando el Alma'' (1994) * ''Del Amanecer…'' (1998) * ''Caminos reales del cante'' (1999) * ''Aire'' (2000) * ''Cuerpo y Alma'' (2001) * ''Recopilación. Verde junco y otros éxitos'' (2002) * ''Lío'' (2002) * ''Quebrando el Aire'' (2002) * ''Verde junco & Hondas Raices'' (2004) * ''Ruido'' (2010) * ''Mi única llave'' (2012) * ''Doy La Cara'' (2016) * ''El Oripando'' (2022) ;Contributing artist * '' The Rough Guide to Flamenco'' (1997,

World Music Network World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music. The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" competi ...

)

Awards

* In 1986 he won the Córdoba National Competition (Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco de Córdoba). * In 2010 he received the Medalla de

Andalucía Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

for his merits as a flamenco singer."Biografía , José Merce"
. ''www.josemerce.es''. * In 2013 José Mercé's album ''Mi única llave'' was nominated for the Grammy Latinos in the category "Best Flamenco Album".

References

External links

Official José Mercé website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merce, Jose 1955 births Living people People from Jerez de la Frontera Flamenco singers Singers from Andalusia Spanish male singers Spanish Roman Catholics Romani singers Spanish Romani people