Diego El Cigala
Encyclopedia
Diego Ramón Jiménez Salazar, known as El Cigala (Spanish
for 'Norway Lobster
', a shellfish popular in Spain), is a famous Spanish Romani Flamenco
singer. As he himself has said, the nickname was given to him by three guitar players, Los Losada, for being very thin, not by Camarón de la Isla
as commonly believed.
One of his great albums is 2003's "Lágrimas Negras", a cooperation with then 85 year old Cuba
n pianist
Bebo Valdés
. The easy fusion of Cuban rhythms and flamenco vocals made this record an international success.
Born into a family of Spanish Gypsy artists and intellectuals in Madrid, El Cigala started singing in flamenco peñas (enthusiasts' clubs) and tablaos, until his excellent meter and ability to mark the rhythm caught the attention of world-class bailaores like Mario Maya, Faíco, Farruco, El Güito, Manuela Carrasco, Cristóbal Reyes, Carmen Cortés, Joaquín Cortés and he began touring as part of their companies. By the late nineties, having collaborated on recordings by Camarón, Tomatito, Gerardo Núñez and Vicente Amigo, he was ready to record his own CD. With the success of "Undebel" he launched his career as solo singer. He has now recorded 8 CDs and has won two Grammys and 5 Latin Grammy nominations.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for 'Norway Lobster
Norway lobster
Nephrops norvegicus, known variously as the Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn, or scampi, is a slim, orange-pink lobster which grows up to long, and is "the most important commercial crustacean in Europe"...
', a shellfish popular in Spain), is a famous Spanish Romani Flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
singer. As he himself has said, the nickname was given to him by three guitar players, Los Losada, for being very thin, not by Camarón de la Isla
Camarón de la Isla
Camarón de la Isla , was the stage name of a spanish flamenco singer José Monje Cruz who is sometimes also credited as Camarón de la Isla....
as commonly believed.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Bebo Valdés
Bebo Valdés
Bebo Valdés is a Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger. He was a central figure in the golden age of Cuban music, led two famous big bands, and was one of the 'house' arrangers for the Tropicana Club.Valdés started his career as a pianist in the night clubs of Havana during the 1940s...
. The easy fusion of Cuban rhythms and flamenco vocals made this record an international success.
Born into a family of Spanish Gypsy artists and intellectuals in Madrid, El Cigala started singing in flamenco peñas (enthusiasts' clubs) and tablaos, until his excellent meter and ability to mark the rhythm caught the attention of world-class bailaores like Mario Maya, Faíco, Farruco, El Güito, Manuela Carrasco, Cristóbal Reyes, Carmen Cortés, Joaquín Cortés and he began touring as part of their companies. By the late nineties, having collaborated on recordings by Camarón, Tomatito, Gerardo Núñez and Vicente Amigo, he was ready to record his own CD. With the success of "Undebel" he launched his career as solo singer. He has now recorded 8 CDs and has won two Grammys and 5 Latin Grammy nominations.
Discography
- 1998 - Undebel
- 2000 - Entre vareta y Canasta
- 2001 - Corren tiempos de alegría
- 2002 - Teatro Real (Diego El Cigala Feat. Niño Josele)
- 2003 - Blanco y Negro en vivo (Bebo & Cigala)
- 2003 - Lágrimas negras
- 2005 - Picasso en mis ojos
- 2008 - Dos lágrimas
- 2010 - Cigala & Tango