Juan Peña Fernández (8 August 1941 – 13 July 2016), also known as Juan Peña "El Lebrijano" or simply El Lebrijano, was a Spanish Gitano (''Roma'') flamenco musician. As a flamenco-fusion musician he studied the musical relation and fusion of two cultures that coexisted in Spain during the Al-Andalus period.

Biography

Born in Lebrija,

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, in the context of a family where several members sing flamenco: Fernanda y Bernarda de Utrera, and his mother La Perrata. He began to play flamenco guitar as a child, accompanying singers such as

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in 1950, but eventually turned to Flamenco singing. In 1964, he won the championship at the Competition of Mairena del Alcor, one of the most important Flamenco music festivals. Within years, he was regarded as one of the greatest voices of flamenco. A few years later, in 1970, he started his collaboration with the guitarist Paco de Lucía. His later musical works included

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influences, with albums such as ''Casablanca'', ''Open Doors'' and ''Encuentros''. There was also a tribute to his friend Gabriel García Márquez. In 1997 the Spanish Ministry of Culture awarded him the Medalla de Oro al Trabajo. Peña died at his home in Seville, Spain on 13 July 2016, aged 75.

References

1941 births 2016 deaths People from Lebrija Flamenco singers Singers from Andalusia Spanish male singers {{spain-guitarist-stub