Falete
Who is Falete?
Rafael Ojeda Rojas (Seville, January 26, 1978), known artistically as Falete, is a Spanish flamenco and copla singer born in the Polígono de San Pablo neighbourhood, into a family of artists: his father, “Falín,” was a prominent member of the Seville group Cantores de Híspalis, with whom Falete collaborated in his early years. He made his debut at the Teatro Lope de Vega in Seville at just 17, singing for a performance by dancer La Chunga.
Career
In the mid-1990s he represented Spain in the show “Danzas de España,” touring cities around the world for three years, including New York, Chicago and St. Louis. In 1995 he took part in a tribute to Gabriela Ortega at the Lope de Vega in Seville, sharing the stage with figures such as Juan Valderrama, José Menese and José Soto, and the following year he performed at the Flamenco Biennial. He was supported by journalist Jesús Quintero, who brought him to wider public attention through his television programmes, and his career also took him to Japan, where he took part in productions by producer Yoko Komatsubara in 2000 and 2001.
His discography includes covers of classics by Bambino, Lola Flores, Rocío Jurado, Chavela Vargas, Isabel Pantoja and Paco Ibáñez, artists he acknowledges as direct references for his style, charged with dramatic force and feeling. He released albums such as “Amar duele” (2004), “Puta mentira” (2006), “Coplas que nos han matao” (2007) and “Quién te crees tú” (2008).
Legacy
With shows such as “El Flamenco Duele,” conceived as a tribute to Bambino and Chavela Vargas, Falete has carved out his own place within contemporary copla and flamenco, with a recognizable voice often compared to the genre’s great figures before him.