Manuel Centeno
Who is Manuel Centeno?
Manuel Jiménez Centeno was born in Seville in 1885 and was, from a young age, an artist with an unconventional path within the world of flamenco: before devoting himself entirely to cante, he tried his hand as a novillero bullfighter. A payo by birth, he did not come from a typical flamenco family, but arrived at cante from another trade linked to spectacle and risk.
His time in the bullrings ended after he suffered two goring injuries, which led him to abandon his bullfighting career and look to singing as a livelihood. That was how he reinvented himself as a cantaor, actor and zarzuela tenor, combining these facets throughout his career.
Career
Centeno toured Spain with various theater companies, taking part in comedy and zarzuela ensembles in addition to his flamenco performances, which gave him an artistic profile unusual among the cantaores of his generation. Over time he became the most sought-after saeta performer in Seville, especially from 1922 onward, the year from which his name became indisputably associated with this religious cante.
His prestige led him to perform alongside the great companies of his era and to win the Copa Pavón trophy, awarded by the theater of the same name in Madrid, a recognition that confirmed his place among the most highly regarded artists of the time.
Palos and discography
Although he cultivated other styles such as cartageneras and caracoles, his undisputed specialty was the saeta, a genre in which he came to be considered one of the finest performers of all time. He left recordings throughout his career, testimony to a voice that combined theatrical and lyrical training with the emotion of the most popular flamenco cante.
Legacy
Manuel Centeno died on 12 August 1961 in Cartagena (Murcia), after falling ill during a performance and being taken to a hospital in the city, where he died shortly after. He left behind his own school of saeta interpretation that left its mark on later generations, and his name remains associated with the expressive richness with which he was able to sing during Seville’s Holy Week.