Enrique de Melchor
Who is Enrique de Melchor?
Enrique Jiménez Ramírez, known artistically as “Enrique de Melchor,” was born on 15 July 1950 in Marchena (Seville), the son of guitarist Melchor de Marchena, one of the central figures of 20th-century accompaniment playing. He lived in his hometown until age twelve, when he moved with his family to Madrid, where he began absorbing the secrets of the craft from his father.
His training was completed at the Los Canasteros tablao, run by Manolo Caracol, the stage on which he made his professional debut at just fifteen. It was in that environment that he finished shaping a style that, without abandoning the flamenco orthodoxy inherited from his father, embraced a much more personal, gentle lyricism.
Career
Throughout his career he accompanied some of the most important cantaores of his generation: Antonio Mairena, José Menese —whose principal guitarist he was for much of his recording career—, Juan Peña El Lebrijano, Camarón de la Isla, La Perla de Cádiz, Fosforito, Pansequito, El Turronero, Rocío Jurado, Chiquetete, María Jiménez, José Mercé, Carmen Linares and Vicente Soto, among others. His prestige also took him to top international stages such as the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York, and to take part in a concert at the UN alongside Montserrat Caballé and José Carreras.
At just eighteen he received the National Prize from the Cátedra de Flamencología of Jerez, and later the Castillete de Oro of La Unión, two accolades that confirmed his standing within flamenco guitar early on.
Style and discography
As an accompanist he left landmark recordings such as “Renuevos de cantes viejos” (1970) by José Menese, “Persecución” (1976) by El Lebrijano, “María del amor” (1979) by Luis de Córdoba, “Cruz y luna” (1983) by Enrique Morente and “El calor de mis recuerdos” (1983) by Antonio Mairena. As a soloist he released several albums throughout the 1980s and, later, “La noche y el día” (1991), “Cuchichí” (1992), “Rosas del amor” (1999) and “Raíz flamenca” (2005), works in which he did not hesitate to incorporate flutes, violins, bass and choruses without abandoning the deep-rooted core of his playing.
Legacy
Enrique de Melchor died on 3 January 2012 in Madrid, of cancer. He left behind a style rooted in classic tradition yet marked by its own accent, a direct heir to his father’s school while also softened by a very personal lyricism, which made him one of the most sought-after and respected accompanying guitarists of his time.