Enrique Morente

Enrique Morente Cotelo, known as Enrique Morente, born in Granada, 1942 is a flamenco singer and controversial figure of contemporary flamenco. After his orthodox beginnings, he plunged into experimentalis

Enrique Morente Cotelo, known as Enrique Morente, born in Granada, 1942 is a flamenco singer and controversial figure of contemporary flamenco. After his orthodox beginnings, he plunged into experimentalism, innovating the melodies of cante (flamenco singing) and jamming with musicians of all styles, without renouncing to its roots and to more traditional flamenco singing, which he keeps on cultivating. In spite of the severe criticism from the most "purist" section of the critics and public, , he is probably the most influential contemporary flamenco singer, who does not only innovate, but also creates tradition: some of his cantes have been recreated by other singers such as Camarón de la Isla, Mayte Martín, Carmen Linares, Miguel Poveda, Segundo Falcón and Arcángel, among others.

"The cante begins inside you when you listen to the villager’s singing, to people in their birthplace. Groups of people that meet in a tavern and start singing, and then you listen to them and start singing as well: you learn that at family parties where everybody sings and everybody drinks, and everybody dances and... Apart from that, it turns out that, of course, you need a technique, you need a school, you need to learn. In order to achieve this, what you need... the main help you can get is to have a liking for it; and then the skill to know who to learn from, and from what sources, where to find the good. Then you are on."