Duquende
Juan Rafael Cortés Santiago, better known as ‘Duquende’, is one of the most famous flamenco singers, as he was the official singer on the international tours of Paco de Lucía for almost 20 years. Paco de Lucía commented that “In Barcelona you have a phenomenon, Duquende, who possesses the magic of singing, inspiration and technique”.
When he was 8 years old, Camarón de la Isla (perhaps the best singer in the history of Flamenco, the Pope of Flamenco) invited him to make his stage debut and accompanied him himself on the guitar. His performance had such an impact that he was requested by various promoters and record labels.
After this stellar irruption, Duquende has managed to develop a brilliant career that has led him to tour the most important Spanish theatres and auditoriums, such as the Palacio de la Música in Barcelona, Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, Palacio de la Música in Valencia, Auditorio of Zaragoza, Auditorio Manuel de Falla in Granada, the Lope de Vega Theatre and the Teatro Central in Seville, among others.
In 1996 he became the first singer to be invited to give a recital at the Theâtre des Champs Élysées, and since then he has performed there repeatedly. In December of 1998 he sang accompanied on guitar by Tomatito. One of the performances in this prestigious theatre coincided with the release of his album “Samaruco” in France.
His performances also include the presentation of his latest album at the Teatro Bellas Artes in Madrid and his solo debut in the USA, with performances in Santa Fe in New Mexico and in Central Park in New York. In addition, he participated in the film “Flamenco” by Carlos Saura.
On the record front, it’s worth mentioning that he recorded his first album, “Fuego, primo, fuego” en 1988. In 1993 “Duquende y la guitarra de Tomatito” and two years later “Samaruco”, under the baton of Isidro Munoz and the guitars of Juan Manuel Cañizares and Paco de Lucía. Later he would record “Mi forma de vivir” with Chichuelo and Niño Josele in 2005, and shortly after he recorded a live show at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris. In 2013 he released his latest album, “Rompecabezas”, with Pepe de Lucía as the producer.
During his long career, he has been accompanied by the best flamenco guitarists of today, such as Juan Habichuela, Tomatito, Juan Manuel Cañizares, Moraíto Chico and Vicente Amigo. He currently performs alongside the guitarist José Carlos Gómez, while the distribution of his recitals is managed by Flamenco Agency. He is currently touring with his new show, a tribute to Camarón and Paco de Lucía.
