Juanito Varea
Who is Juanito Varea?
Juanito Varea was born on 26 April 1908 in Burriana (Castellón) and died in Madrid on 8 November 1985. His case is singular within the history of flamenco: being payo (non-Roma) and from the Levante, far from the traditional cradles of cante, he managed to achieve a mastery and a level of recognition that was normally reserved for Andalusian cantaores. From a very young age he settled in Barcelona, where he began singing at Miguel Borrull’s colmao, one of the leading flamenco venues in Catalonia at the time.
It was precisely in that colmao that he was heard by the cantaor Angelillo, who was so impressed by his voice that he recommended him to work with Manuel Vallejo’s company, one of the great names of cante of that era. That endorsement marked the true launch of his professional career.
Career
Throughout his career, Juanito Varea was accompanied on guitar by figures such as Manolo de Badajoz, Niño Ricardo and Juan Habichuela, three of the most outstanding flamenco guitarists of their respective generations, which gives an idea of the level at which he moved. His first recordings date from around 1930, and over the years he became a regular performer at the tablao Zambra in Madrid, one of the most prestigious flamenco stages in the capital, in addition to touring Spain and North Africa. He also went on to found his own flamenco opera company, with which he toured venues such as the Circo Price in Madrid around 1960.
Palos and discography
He cultivated soleares, seguiriyas, tientos, martinetes and fandangos with great skill, even composing fandangos of his own. Among his recordings, his rendition of “Consuelo la Granaína” stands out especially, having achieved great popularity on the radio stations of the time and helping to spread his fame beyond the usual flamenco circles.
Legacy
In 1983 he received the Premio a la Maestría from the Cátedra de Flamencología de Jerez, a recognition of a career devoted entirely to cante. Burriana, his hometown, paid him tribute with a monument in the Plaza de los Monjes, a testament to the pride his success stirred among his own people—a payo cantaor who managed to carve out a place of his own within a traditionally Andalusian art form.