Duquende

Full name

Juan Rafael Cortés Santiago

Place of birth

Sabadell

Biography

Juan Cortés Rafael Santiago was born in Sabadell (Barcelona) in 1965. He is the son of nomadic farmers, wherefore his devotion to singing comes from his ancestors. At the age of seven, he stood upon a stage for the first time, accompanied by another boy who would later be famous, Juan Manuel Cañizares. At the age of eight, he became frenzied when Camarón took him onstage in Badalona and played the guitar with him.

This was his artistic recognition and the launch of his career as Duquende, who has always confessed to be "camaronero" to the bone. He took part in the film "Flamenco" by Carlos Saura.

In 1996, he became the first invited singer to give a concert at Theâtre des Champs Élysées, where he performs regularly. In 1997, he joined the sextet of Paco de Lucía, with whom he achieved his greatest achievements to date. He worked in other projects such as “Qawwali Jondo”, alongside the Pakistani singer Faiz Ali Faiz.

Several of the albums he recorded include "Samaruco", produced by Isidro Sanlúcar and "Rompecabezas", produced by Pepe de Lucía, with the collaboration of great flamenco guitarists like Paco de Lucia, Juan Manuel Cañizares, Tomatito, Moraíto hijo, Niño Josele, Niño de Pura, Enrique Abellán and Raimundo Amador.

Discography

1988 Soy El Duende / Fuego, Primo Fuego ‎(7", Single) Jercar S-502
1989 A mi Aire – El Duquende (Css) Ediciones Fonográficas Jercar 66.007
1990 Navegando por el Tiempo; El Duquende con…-Manzanita (Cass) Jecar, Jazmín 77.001, D.L. B 38601-1990
1993 El Duquende con... Manzanita; New Flamenco (CD-DA), E.F. Jercar CD-10022, D.L. B 10713-1993
1993 Duquende y la Guitarra de Tomatito ‎(Cass, Album) Nuevos Medios 14636-C
1993 Duquende y la Guitarra de Tomatito (CD, Album) Nuevos Medios 15 636 CD
1994 El Duquende por Bulerías (Cass) Jercar Jec 174
1997 Duquende con Manzanita ‎(CD, Album, Css) Divucsa 32-468, Digital Match Sound: 8-2052
1997 Soy El Duende ‎(CD) DIVUCSA 32-466
1997 A mi Aire – El Duquende (CD, Css) Divucsa: 22-467
1997 Será tu Cara (Cass) Divucsa, Digital Match Sound: 8-2044, D.L. B 12664-1997
2000 Samaruco ‎(CD, Album) Polydor 07314 543908 2 8
2001 El Potito & Duquende - Camarón en el Sentío ‎(CD, Comp) Altaya
2005 Éxitos Duquende (CD-DA) Nhoa Music CD NHOA 546
2006 Mi Forma De Vivir ‎(CD, Album) K Industria K059CD, DUCDS01; D.L. B 8022-2006
2007 Live In Cirque D'Hiver Paris ‎(CD, Album) Flamenco Records FR001CD
2008 Samaruco ‎(CD, Comp, Ltd, Boo) Universal Music Group, El País 9788498159486
2012 Rompecabezas ‎(CD, Álbum) Universal 0602537193974
2013 Faiz Ali Faiz, Duquende, Miguel Poveda, Chicuelo - Qawwali Flamenco ‎(2xCD) Accords Croisés AC 114 15

Collaborations with other artists:

1995 with Vicente Amigo in "Vivencias imaginadas"
1996 with Juan Carmona in "Borboreo" (CD), L'Empreinte Digitale ED 13055
1998 with Paco de Lucía in "Luzia"
2000 with Juan Carmona in "Caminos nuevos" (CD), L'Empreinte Digitale ED 13120
2000 with Juan Gómez "Chicuelo" in "Cómplices", Harmonia Mundi HME 987024
2007 with Jabier Muguruza in "Konplizeak"
2011 with Paco de Lucía in "EnVivo"