Enrique Morente, Famed Spanish Flamenco Singer, Dead at 67

Posted on Dec 13th 2010 4:04PM by Brian Voerding
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Carlos de Andres, Getty Images

Enrique Morente, an internationally acclaimed Spanish flamenco singer who famously both cultivated and tested the roots of his genre, died Monday at a Madrid hospital. The 67-year-old passed away from complications from ulcer surgery performed earlier this month, the AFP reports.

Morente was born in 1942 in Grenada, a city in Spain in the Andalusia region long considered one of the birthplaces of flamenco. At a young age, he was drawn to the music now deeply associated with Spanish history and culture, studying it with his family and absorbing lessons from the famous local and traveling performers. At 18 he moved to Madrid and began a professional career that spanned the rest of his life.

Originally a traditionalist, Morente was set on preserving the roots of flamenco, often quoted as saying that flamenco deserved flawless technique and endless rehearsal. But he was also a tireless experimenter who soon became to flamenco what Miles Davis was to jazz: A controversial force who often incorporated elements of popular music, including rock and jazz, into the genre.

Sometimes called the 'Poet of Flamenco,' Morente was fond of setting music to poems by iconic Spanish writers, including Federico Garcia Lorca and Antonio Machado. Spain's Culture Minister referred to his death as a "huge blow."

Morente is survived by his wife, Aurora Carbonell, and three daughters. One of his daughers, Estrella Morente, is a famous flamenco singer in her own right, having released a trio of acclaimed albums and best known for performing Penélope Cruz's flamenco song in the 2006 indie film hit 'Volver' by Pedro Almodóvar.

Enrique Morente Performs 'Granaina'