Antonio Amaya
Who is Antonio Amaya?
Antonio Amaya, whose real name was Antonio Peláez, was an Andalusian copla singer and dancer born in Jaén in 1923. From childhood he showed a clear artistic calling, which led him in 1947 to move to Barcelona, where he worked in variety shows and where he would go on to spend most of his life. That same year he signed a recording contract with the label Gramófono Odeón, for which he recorded his first songs: the pasodoble “Doña Luz de Lucena,” the march “Yo quiero estar a tu vera,” the garrotín “El gitano Cundo” and the zambra “La Medallona.”
Career
In July 1950, a tribute performance was held in his honor at the Teatro Victoria in Barcelona, recognizing two consecutive years of success in the city. His greatest triumph came in 1952 with the pasodoble “Doce cascabeles,” written by Freire and García Cabello with music by Juan Solano, which became his best-known song. Other hits followed, including “El romance a Joselito,” the farruca “El bule-bule,” the zambra-farruca “La madre mío,” the rumba “Sombrerito, sombrerito,” the pasodoble “La reina Juana,” and songs such as “Mi vida privada,” “Yo soy España” and “El pescaero.”
Over time he stepped away from performing to focus on producing shows, an activity he carried on until his retirement. He chose to spend his final years in Sitges (Barcelona), a town he described as “cosmopolitan” and where he lived until the end of his life.
Legacy
Antonio Amaya died on May 14, 2012, in a residence in Sitges, far from the spotlight. Shortly before his death, a group of fans had presented him with a commemorative plaque in the Catalan town in recognition of his career. He is regarded as one of the most admired copla performers of his generation, both for his distinctive voice and his sense of interpretation.