Great Masters of Flamenco Vol.2

Jacinto Gallego (1907-1971) was known as El Nino de Almaden, or the son of his hometown, a small but important mining town in Extremadura. Coming from a poor miners' family Gallego worked from the age of twelve sorting iron-ore, and in his teens was set to work underground. Meanwhile, however, he practiced traditional cante, taking part in local Sunday festivals. He soon showed exceptional promise, especially in the repertoire of the ''mineras'' and other ''songs of the Levant'' (the coastal region of Andalucia to the west of Malaga). He narrowly escaped a tragic mining accident and his patron, El Nino de Genil, a noted cantaor at the beginning of the century, pushed him into a professional career in cante. Considered the ''Senor del cante grande'' by the brilliant guitarist Ramon Montoya, Gallego found himself in demand - first in Spain, then abroad and, later, with the record companies, whose efforts afford us this reissue. In the twenties, Gallego kept company with the grand Master Antonio Chacon, and in fact Gallego's polished voice, and the fragile thread that it weaves, is reminiscent of Chacon.