The former vocalist of the flamenco group Ketama sets a foot in latin pop

S.C./Flamenco-world.com, October 2006

Ketama has gone off three separate ways. Josemi Carmona has associated with Carles Benavent in the project ‘Sumando’. Juan el Camborio has become the lead guitarist for cantaor Pitingo. And now it’s Antonio Carmona’s turn, he who was the band’s vocalist. The artist makes his solo début with the album ‘Vengo venenoso’ with which, with the help of producer Gustavo Santaolalla, he sets a foot in latin pop. Although he does without jondo instrumentation, flamenco marks his very voice and songs like the tangos ‘Se amarra el pelo’ and ‘Miedo’.

Antonio Carmona

Antonio Carmona has recorded his début album ‘Vengo venenoso’ in Los Angeles, produced by Gustavo Santaolalla, winner of an Oscar for the soundtrack of the film ‘Brokeback Mountain’ and producer for Molotov and Juanes. And to be exact, the Colombian singer is one of the collaborators on the album together with singer Alejandro Sanz and Sevillian rapper Mala Rodríguez. As packaging, the album includes photographs by Alberto García-Alix, National Photography Prize winner.

Instead of the typical flamenco accompaniment, on this album Antonio Carmona resorts to electric guitars and basses, synthesizers, drums and Hammond keyboards, though he doesn’t give up playing flamenco guitar and, of course, percussion in some songs. It mustn’t be forgotten that he was one of the forerunners of including the Peruvian box drum in flamenco. The singer, the son of guitarist Juan Habichuela, thus breaks away after twenty years in the group Ketama, which sold over a million records in total.

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