Antonio Soto
Who is Antonio Soto?
Antonio Soto Arjona was born on 2 December 1966 in Barcelona. Although a payo by birth, he belongs to a highly regarded flamenco family from Málaga, with ties reaching back to figures such as La Pirula and La Cañeta, an origin that shaped his connection to flamenco from childhood.
Career
He became the official guitarist of the Peña Torre del Cante in Alhaurín de la Torre, a stage from which he accompanied cantaores of the stature of José Mercé, Camarón de la Isla and Aurora Vargas. Since 1997 he has been the official guitarist for Fosforito, one of the most veteran and respected singers in Andalusian flamenco, a collaboration that has continued for years. He has also performed at leading tablaos such as Los Tarantos, El Cordobés and the Venta del Gato in Madrid, and took part in the 2006 Seville Biennial and in the “Los jueves de la crítica” series in Málaga that same year, in addition to accompanying the group Jábega and La Cañeta de Málaga.
Style and discography
As a soloist he has recorded the album “Pa’er teto,” in which he showcases his Málaga-rooted playing put to the service of accompanying singers, the area in which his career has mainly developed.
Legacy
His career has been recognized with the National Guitar Prize of Alhaurín de la Torre (1992), the Córdoba National Award (2001) and the Bordón Minero of the La Unión Festival in Murcia (2002). He is married to the dancer Gema Garcé, with whom he has two children, and maintains a close bond with Cártama, in the province of Málaga, the land his family partly comes from.