Raimundo Amador

Raimundo Amador is one of the most important, personable and charismatic Spanish musicians. He learned flamenco from his father, who was a guitar player in the Rota North American military base. When he was 12, in Seville, he was a street artist and all he got for his art was a few pesetas, a sandwich or just the money to get a taxi back home. In Los Gitanillos he met Camarón de la Isla and Paco de Lucía, and, some time later, during the 70s, Kiko Veneno. In 1977, Kiko and Raimundo formed the duo 'Veneno', a group which caused a real ideological and esthetic revolution to flamenco world. Their album 'Veneno' marked a line between before and after, the same way Camarón de la Isla did with his album 'La leyenda del tiempo' (1979), where Raimundo also participated. In 1981, Raimundo formed the group 'Pata Negra' together with his brother Rafael. Again, a revolution was started. A new fusion of flamenco and blues gave birth to several albums which are jewels of Spanish music: 'Pata Negra' (1981), 'Rock Gitano' (1983), 'Guitarras callejeras' (1986) and 'Blues de la frontera' (1986). After this productive period, he started a solo career (with sporadic collaborations with his brother) while he worked for other artists. The list of artists for whom Raimundo has worked is almost endless, and includes: Montoya, Lole y Manuel Molina, Camarón de la Isla, Toti Soler, Radio Futura, Romero San Juan, Maribel Quiñones 'Martirio', Juana La Del Revuelo, Enrique Morente, Rafael Riqueni, Dogo y los Mercenarios, Ketama, No me pises que llevo Chanclas, Diego Carrasco, Arrajatabla, 'Rosario Flores', José Soto 'Sorderita', Luz Casal, El Potito, Luis Pastor, Luis Auserón, Caraoscura, Max Roach, Antonio Flores, Los Rodríguez, Nacho García Vega, Nacho Campillo, Tino Di Geraldo, Tabletom, Malevaje, Tomatito, B.B. King, Björk. In 1992 he went to Japan with his new group 'Arrajatabla', and, after that, he decided to continue alone. In 1995 he recorded the album 'Gerundina' (dedicated to his guitar, constructed by Gerundino Fernández), which had, among others collaborators, B.B. King and Andrés Calamaro. It has sold more than 80,000 copies so far. Two years later he recorded 'En la Esquina de Las Vegas', the album with which he reaffirmed the fusion between flamenco and blues. In October 1998, he presented his third solo album: 'Noche de Flamenco y Blues'. It was recorded live on 22 July 1998 during a concert at the Las Ventas bullring, together with B.B. King, Remedios Amaya, Kiko Veneno, Juan Perro, Antonio Carmona, Charo Manzano, El Gran Wyoming. In 2000, Raimundo prepared 'Un okupa en tu corazón'.