Flamenco legend Pepe Habichuela dies
Born in Granada in 1944 as José Antonio Carmona Carmona, he was part of the legendary Habichuela dynasty, one of flamenco's most influential families.
Flamenco guitarist Pepe Habichuela, whose real name is José Antonio Carmona Carmona, passed away at the age of 82 in Madrid, where he had been residing. He had been away from stages since the summer of 2024 due to an illness that sidelined him. In his final recognitions prior to his passing, Habichuela received unanimous praise and respect.
These included honors at the Noches del Botánico de Madrid, the Festival Flamenco On Fire in Pamplona, and the Castillete de Oro at the Festival de La Unión. Throughout his life dedicated to art and his iconic guitar, he was hailed as a living legend. Habichuela received the Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts in 2018 and was awarded the Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X El Sabio in the same year.
His career is a rich tapestry of experiences and recordings, with his playing spanning over half a century. He epitomized the evolution of the six-string guitar over this period, introducing significant technical and harmonic innovations.
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- Pepe Habichuela, flamenco guitar titan, dies elpais.com
