Perrate de Utrera

Biography

José Fernández Granado was born in Utrera on the 9th of June 1915 and died in Dos Hermanas (Tomillar Hospital) on the 12th of October 1992 It is quite probable that he began singing under the wings of his grandfather, of who little is known When young he sang at many parties in Utrera, above all family ones, such as baptisms In the forties he married Tomasa Soto, Manuel Torres´ oldest daughter As an adolescent he performed in the Kursaal in Sevilla and in the Circo Bolsa Latter he went to the Guajiro, where he shared stage with El Chocolate, Matilde Coral, Trini España and Farruco Later he went to Madrid, to the 'tablaos´ El Duende and Los Califas However shortly after he returned to Utrera He stood out for his performance of 'soleá´, 'seguiriya´ and 'bulerías´ He became a supporter of the 'soleá´ songs of La Serneta those of José Yllanda, and although he was from Andújar he spent a lot of time in Utrera He took part in the first festivals such as the Potaje in the area where he was born, the Gazpacho de Morón, the Caracolá de Lebrija or the Meeting of the 'jondo´ song of la Puebla At the end of the sixties an illness provoked paraplegia which left him in a wheel chair From here on he received a lot of recognition, in all lights just, proof of which one can find on examining his records