Juan Habichuela wins the 2008 Latin Grammy for best flamenco album with ‘Una guitarra en Granada’

Flamenco-world.com, November 2008

There are prizes and there are prizes. And this 2008 Latin Grammy won by Juan Habichuela is more recognition of an entire lifetime humbly devoted to accompanying toque, than an award for his latest album, ‘Una guitarra en Granada’. And the thing is that this album - which defeated the other records in the category of flamenco by Esperanza Fernández, Lole, Diego Amador and Camarón - is precisely an album at the service of cante. Chano Lobato, Rancapino, José Menese, Marina Heredia, Potito... are just some of the cantaores accompanied on this recording by the veteran Granada-born tocaor.

'Una Guitarra en Granada' front cover

Juan Habichuela says that “the only one who ever became a top guitar figure by accompanying was Ramón Montoya”. But now he himself has taken over. The veteran Granada-born guitarist has just been awarded the 2008 Latin Grammy for best flamenco album for ‘Una guitarra en Granada’. And that happens just a few months after he received the same award at the 12th Music Awards.

The disc wasn’t a premeditated project. “The idea to make this album was my son Juan’s. I didn’t want to record any more because I’m retired now, but he thought I had enough strength. He told me I could still make an album”, as he explained in an interview for Flamenco-world.com. He recovered a few previously unreleased recordings - the ones by Chano Lobato, José Menese and Rancapino - and he did his utmost to get his hands in shape to record new toques with young voices such as those of Marina Heredia, Potito and Pepe Luis Carmona.

Candidates

With this tocaor album accompanying cante, he defeated four other candidates in the category of flamenco. Cantaora Esperanza Fernández competed with ‘Recuerdos’, pianist Diego Amador with ‘Río de los canasteros’, Lole Montoya with ‘Metáfora... and even Camarón de la Isla was on the list with the compilation of previously unreleased tracks ‘Reencuentro’. Juan Habichuela adds to the list of Grammy winners which already includes flamenco musicians such as Tomatito, Paco de Lucía, Chocolate and Diego el Cigala.

Translation: Joseph Kopec

Juan Habichuela (Photo Daniel Muñoz)