When José Monje Cruz was born, the son of a basket weaver and a blacksmith, few could have imagined that this fair-haired gypsy boy would become the greatest Spanish musical icon of the 20th century. Known as Camarón, he renewed and amplified flamenco music from his native island of San Fernando to half the world, and then to the entire globe.
This beautiful illustrated biography shows the young Camarón at Venta de Vargas, already charming figures like La Niña de los Peines and Antonio Mairena. Then comes the leap to the Madrid tablaos, where he gained fame as a bohemian and rebel, his years with Paco de Lucía and Tomatito, and the legendary recording of La leyenda del tiempo, a cornerstone of modern flamenco. The avalanche of the 80s follows (with its highlights and shadows), his international festival acclaim, and the premature end of his life at 41.
Since then, a star shines brightly in the flamenco sky… because Camarón lives on.
