Tomatito

Born into a Gypsy family from Almería in Andalusia, Tomatito, full name José Fernández Torres (born 1958), developed an early flamenco guitar style rooted in local traditions. After starting out in the tablaos, he drew attention on Madrid’s 1970s scene and long served as accompanist to singer Camarón de la Isla, with whom he helped foster a flamenco open to outside influences. Alongside his role as accompanist, Tomatito built a solo career beginning with Rosas del amor (1987), followed by albums such as Barrio negro (1991), Guitarra gitana (1997), Paseo de los castaños (2001) and Aguadulce (2004), where a style emerges that blends traditional compás, expanded harmonies and references to Latin jazz. His collaborations with pianist Michel Camilo on Spain (2000), Spain Again (2006) and Spain Forever (2016) extend this dialogue between flamenco, jazz and Caribbean music. Tomatito also contributes regularly to film as a composer and performer on soundtracks, and continues to alternate international tours, solo recordings and collective projects centered on cante jondo and contemporary forms of flamenco.