Niño Escacena
Who is Niño Escacena?
Manuel Escacena, known as Niño Escacena, was born in Seville in 1886. He trained in the school of Antonio Grau, the Hijo de El Rojo El Alpargatero, one of the leading masters of cante of the era, and from a very young age directed his career toward the most active stages of early twentieth-century flamenco Seville.
Career
He began to stand out at the turn of the century: as early as 1903 he was performing at the Café Filarmónico in Seville, one of the most prestigious cafés cantantes of the moment, billed as a cantaor of tangos. Over time he moved his activity to Madrid, where he shared the stage in colmaos such as Los Gabrieles and Villa Rosa with figures of the stature of Antonio Chacón and Niña de los Peines. One of the most notable moments of his career came in 1924, when he performed at a party held at the Italian embassy before the King and Queen of Spain. He also took part in the prestigious Copa Pavón competition, one of the leading contests in the cante world of his time.
Palos and discography
Although the taranta ended up becoming his signature style, which he performed with uncommon skill, his repertoire also encompassed the basic cantes — soleá, siguiriyas, tientos, and martinetes — and the cantes de Levante in general, an area in which he was recognized as a great connoisseur. He also performed Hispano-American cantes and ida y vuelta styles, being considered the first to popularize the milonga de Juan Simón, a flamenco-tinged song he helped bring to a wider flamenco audience.
Legacy
He died in Madrid in 1928, following a career that made him a fairly well-known artist within the early twentieth-century flamenco scene. He is remembered above all for his voice, described as sweet and flamenco, and for his mastery of the cantes levantinos, which made him a true specialist in a demanding field within the cante of his era.