José Fernández Torres, known as
Tomatito (born
AlmeríaAlmería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
, 1958), is a
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Romani (Gypsy)
flamencoFlamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
guitarist. He grew up in a musical family, including two uncles: Niño Miguel, a flamenco guitarist, and Antonio, a professional guitarist.
Tomatito became a flamenco sensation at an early age when he was discovered by famed guitarist
Paco de LucíaPaco de Lucía, born Francisco Sánchez Gómez , is a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist and composer. He is considered by many to be one of the finest guitarists in the world and the greatest guitarist of the flamenco genre...
and began working in part with legendary flamenco singer
Camarón de la IslaCamarón de la Isla , was the stage name of a spanish flamenco singer José Monje Cruz who is sometimes also credited as Camarón de la Isla....
.
In 1979, the trio produced a hit called
La Leyenda del Tiempo. Their partnership continued until Camarón's death in 1992.
A later collaboration included pianist
Michel CamiloMichel Camilo is a pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work...
, producing the albums
Spain (2000) and
Spain Again (2006).
Tomatito's music is a unique mix of traditional flamenco and jazz. On some albums, such as
Barrio Negro, he experimented with Afro-Cuban and
Brazilian MusicThe music of Brazil encompasses various regional music styles influenced by African, European and Amerindian forms. After 500 years of history, Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles such as samba, zouk-lambada, lambada, choro, bossa nova, frevo, maracatu, MPB, sertanejo,...
. He has also worked with flamenco singer
DuquendeJuan Rafael Cortés Santiago, known as Duquende , is a Spanish flamenco cantaor . Born in Sabadell, Spain, Duquende is considered a successor to influential Flamenco singer Camarón de la Isla...
and pianist
Chano DomínguezChano Domínguez is a Latin jazz, post bop and flamenco jazz pianist. He began in the progressive rock group CAI before moving on to jazz...
among many others.
Tomatito has produced six solo albums.
His music for the film
VengoVengo is a 2000 Spanish film by Tony Gatlif. It is the passionate story of a blood feud that centers on Caco, a proud man who must fight for his family's honor and safety...
, directed by
Tony GatlifTony Gatlif is a French film director of Romani ethnicity who also works as a screenwriter, composer, actor, and producer.- Biography :...
, won the
César Award for Best Music Written for a FilmThis is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Music Written for a Film . Before 2000, the award was called "César Award for Best Music".-1970s:...
in 2001.
Four years later, he won a Latin Grammy for Best Flamenco Record, for his album
Aguadulce.
Partial discography
Solo Albums
- 1987: Rosas del Amor
- 1991: Barrio Negro
- 1997: Guitarra Gitana
- 2000: Spain (with Michel Camilo
Michel Camilo is a pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work...
)
- 2001: Paseo de los Castaños
- 2004: Aguadulce
- 2006: Spain Again (with Michel Camilo
Michel Camilo is a pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work...
)
- 2010: Sonanta Suite (with Josep Pons
Josep Pons is a Spanish conductor. He is the current conductor of the Spanish National Orchestra.-External links:**...
)
with Camarón and Paco de Lucía
- "Como El Agua"
- "Calle Real (album)
Calle Real is a 1983 album by Andalusian flamenco singer Camarón, with the collaboration of Paco de Lucía and Tomatito.-Track listing:#"Romance de la Luna" – 4:05#"Esclavo de Tus Besos" – 4:18#"Yo Vivo Enamorao" – 4:01#"Yo Soy el Viento" – 3:23...
"
- "Vivire"
with Camarón
- 1979: "La Leyenda del Tiempo
La Leyenda del Tiempo is the tenth album by Spanish singer Camarón. It is usually regarded as one of the most important albums in the history of flamenco music.-Track listing:#"La Leyenda del Tiempo" – 3:41...
"
- "Soy Gitano"
- "Potro de Rabia y Miel"
- 1999: Paris 1987
External links