Josemi Carmona Trio feat. Pepe Habichuela
Dos Guitarras, Dos Generaciones
Two-generation guitar tradition
Pepe Habichuela’s guitar harbours 60 years of flamenco history. It spans a life full of flamenco, of glorious moments at the side of great singers such as Juanito Valderrama and Camarón de la Isla. And of course the legendary Enrique Morente, the legendary flamenco innovator, admired by Leonard Cohen, with whom the guitarist from Granada formed a historic duo for many decades. Habichuela & Morente became the trailblazers of what came to be called ‘nuevo flamenco’ in the seventies.
Pepe, the ‘toque granaíno’ par excellence and patriarch of the Habichuela family dynasty, and his son Josemi Carmona travel along the main stops in his career in a unique concert, in which we can enjoy the classical style of the Habichuelas from Granada as well as a new jazz flamenco sound, and rhythmic accents by dancer Nino de Los Reyes.
Pepe Habichuela, born in 1944 in Granada as José Antonio Carmona Carmona, is now, after the death of his brother Juan Habichuela, the patriarch of the ancient gitano guitar dynasty which bears the name of their grandfather ‘Habichuela el Viejo’ (Old Bean). He flaunts his 'arte' not just as an accompanist, but also outside flamenco. In 1964 he exchanged Granada for Madrid and linked his guitar to the great voices of singers such as Juanito Valderrama, Camarón de la Isla, Carmen Linares and made a name for himself as one of the regular accompanists of Enrique Morente.
In 2001, he made the album Yerbagüena with the Bollywood Strings Orkest of violinist Chandru, a unique amalgamation of flamenco guitar and Indian string music. He toured the world with renowned jazz double bass player Dave Holland and their project ‘Hands’. He is the father of Josemi Carmona and uncle of Juan José Carmona 'El Camborio' and Antonio Carmona. The three formed the wildly popular 'New Flamenco Band' Ketama in the 1990s.
