José Palanca
Who is José Palanca?
José Lebrón López, artistically José Palanca, was born in 1904 in Marchena (Seville) and died in the same town in 1976. His specialty was the fandango, to which he gave a very personal stamp: by all accounts of those who saw him perform, he developed a creative, beautiful style that left its mark on other artists of his generation, including the fandanguillo, a variant he helped popularise.
Career
He made his debut in 1931 at Madrid’s Circo Price, where he was presented as a “renovator of the fandanguillo,” and that same year also performed at the Gran Teatro Metropolitano. Until 1936 he was a regular performing partner of Angelillo, with whom he toured much of Spain, as well as touring the former Spanish Protectorate in Morocco. After the Civil War he remained active: in 1944 he took part in the Flamenco Week at the Teatro Fuencarral alongside Pepe Marchena, in 1947 he was part of the show “Pasan las coplas,” and in 1965 he competed in the 2nd National Cartageneras Competition, as well as appearing as guest of honour in the cast of “Solera.”
Palos and discography
Besides the fandango and fandanguillo, he cultivated the cartageneras, and left an extensive discography, at times accompanied on guitar by Manolo de Badajoz, though not many details survive about specific titles or labels of his recordings.
Legacy
In 1974 he was honoured at the Cine Planelles in his home town, alongside other leading flamenco figures, in recognition of a career closely documented by the critic Francisco Ruiz Valero, a close friend with whom he shared long conversations about fandango technique.