José Mercé. The living legend of Flamenco. A remarkable artistic career that began in 1968 and continues to reap successes as of 2022, with 19 albums released. “El Oripandó” is his latest successful work, with which he is currently touring across the country. José holds major recognitions in his career, such as a DIAMOND record for selling over 1 million albums, the Medal of Andalusia in 2010, and the ONDAS Award for Flamenco Work (2000). He is a Member of the Royal Academy of San Dionisio of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. He has received the prestigious Golden Taranto, the 2016 Compás del Cante from the Cruzcampo Foundation, and the 2020 Odeón Award for Best Flamenco Artist. José Mercé’s new album is the result of long and intense conceptualization, composition, and production work alongside Antonio Orozco. The Barcelona-born musician has distilled into it two and a half years of conversations and confidences with the cantaor (flamenco singer) from Cádiz and his family. It is a work of a markedly biographical nature that translates that intimate dialogue to the listener. Life itself, with its good and its bad, encapsulated in eight tracks with an unmistakable flamenco foundation that overflow formal, generic, and sonic boundaries. Furthermore, it proposes a journey from darkness to dawn—which is what “Oripandó” means in Caló—and concludes with an open ending—“Alegría”—that invites us to continue on our path to extract the best from that often inexplicable and terrifying miracle that is existence. “Oripandó” is yet another demonstration of attitude by José Mercé. A restless musician who, instead of clinging to his undisputed mastery, prefers to keep learning. A monumental cantaor who, as we said at the beginning, can afford to take on challenges like this because he loves and knows his craft. DISCOGRAPHY: (1968) Cultura jonda – Bandera de Andalucía; (1983) Verde junco; (1987) Caminos reales del cante; (1991) Hondas raíces; (1994) Desnudando el alma; (1998) Del amanecer; (2000) Aire; (2002) Lío; (2004) Confí de fuá; (2006) Lo que no se da; (2007) Grandes éxitos; (2010) Ruido; (2012) Mi única llave; (2016) Doy la cara; (2018) De Verdad; (2022) El Oripandó.