Fallece El Cabrero, icono del flamenco y de la canción reivindicativa, muere a los 81 años

José Domínguez ‘El Cabrero’ es una de las personalidades más significativas que ha dado el flamenco en los últimos 40 años. Sólo dos cantaores han sido definidos como “fenómenos sociales”, debido a su impacto en los públicos más diversos: El Cabrero es uno de ellos. Su genialidad, talante, personalidad, postura vital y su compromiso con el cante sin aditivos y con los grandes temas que preocupan a la humanidad, hacen de él una figura única e irrepetible del cante jondo.

Basa su repertorio en los palos más duros del flamenco, como la soleá, la seguiriya, las tonás y su cante se caracteriza por su sobriedad, fuerza, autenticidad y por una apabullante personalidad que le permite recrear los estilos legados por la tradición imprimiéndoles su apasionado temperamento.

El Cabrero inicia su andadura en 1972, con La Cuadra de Sevilla, en gira por España, Francia, Italia y Suiza. El éxito obtenido lo conduce a realizar, poco después, una serie de recitales en Suiza y Francia, pero, esta vez en solitario. El debut sería en el Théâtre de LAtelier de Ginebra, en marzo de 1973. En 1975 graba su primer disco. En 1980, ya con una enorme popularidad en su haber, gana dos Premios Nacionales en el Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco de Córdoba —por Soleá y por Malagueña— y su figura se hace habitual, año tras año, en todos los grandes festivales de Andalucía. En los años 90 participa en grandes festivales de World Music y de Jazz compartiendo cartel con artistas como Chick Corea o Gilberto Gil. Peter Gabriel lo incorpora a su gira EE.UU./93, y realiza giras anuales en los principales teatros de Francia y Bélgica, interviniendo en programas estrella de televisión francesa y suiza como Nulle part ailleurs, Etoiles Palace o Rebus.

Pastor de cabras desde la infancia, El Cabrero sigue ejerciendo ese oficio, que se niega a abandonar, pese a ser, desde 1980, la figura del Cante Jondo más solicitada por los organizadores de festivales y uno de los artistas flamencos de mayor proyección internacional.

Ha grabado 18 discos de flamenco y dos de tango rioplatense acogidos con emoción y respeto por los entendidos.

El Cabrero—an icon of flamenco and protest song—passes away at the age of 81.

José Domínguez “El Cabrero” is one of the most significant figures to emerge from the world of flamenco over the last 40 years. Only two cantaores (flamenco singers) have ever been described as “social phenomena” due to their impact on the most diverse audiences; El Cabrero is one of them. His genius, temperament, personality, outlook on life, and his unwavering commitment—both to unadulterated cante (flamenco singing) and to the great themes that concern humanity—make him a unique and irreplaceable figure in the realm of cante jondo.

He bases his repertoire on the most austere and demanding palos (styles) of flamenco—such as the soleá, the seguiriya, and the tonás—and his singing is characterized by its sobriety, power, and authenticity, as well as by an overwhelming personality that allows him to reinterpret traditional styles while infusing them with his own passionate temperament.

El Cabrero began his career in 1972, touring Spain, France, Italy, and Switzerland with the company La Cuadra de Sevilla. The success he achieved led him, shortly thereafter, to perform a series of recitals in Switzerland and France—though this time, as a solo artist. His solo debut took place at the Théâtre de l’Atelier in Geneva in March 1973. In 1975, he recorded his first album. By 1980—having already garnered immense popularity—he won two National Awards at the National Flamenco Art Contest in Córdoba (for his performances of Soleá and Malagueña); from that point on, he became a perennial fixture, year after year, at all the major flamenco festivals throughout Andalusia. During the 1990s, he performed at major World Music and Jazz festivals, sharing the bill with artists such as Chick Corea and Gilberto Gil. Peter Gabriel invited him to join his 1993 U.S. tour, and El Cabrero subsequently undertook annual tours of major theaters across France and Belgium, making appearances on flagship television programs in both France and Switzerland, such as Nulle part ailleurs, Etoiles Palace, and Rebus. A goatherd since childhood, El Cabrero continues to practice this trade—one he refuses to abandon—despite having been, since 1980, the Cante Jondo figure most in demand among festival organizers, as well as one of the flamenco artists with the greatest international reach.

He has recorded 18 flamenco albums and two albums of Rioplatense tango, all received with emotion and respect by connoisseurs.